swiftest stallion

It was on a south-bound train, a few hours out of Beijing, that my lens caught this painted mosaic beyond the track:

Train #1403 slumbers along at unremarkable speeds, but even still, I am not quick enough to make meaning of these Chinese characters. My camera often acts as my ancillary faculty, and this snapshot proved no exception.

I awaited the opportunity to discover the wisdom written into these characters, above these colorful stallions.

writing on the wall

人无我有，人有我优，人优我精，人精我名

the swiftest stallion eats the greenest grass?

A bit of digging and a first translation later, a summary: The individual that prospers does so, [such that or so that] the community may benefit from it; you may even end up benefiting the most.

Or... perhaps it's not so much about helping others at all.... it's about taking initiative and the rewards to be gained.

After writing and pondering over the above, I think it is quite similar to the words of the well-known Benjamin Franklin, a Deist: God helps those who help themselves.

More so, it seems to say that you need to keep one step ahead of your neighbor, if you want to succeed.

line by line

人无我有 [rén wú wǒ yǒu]
Where others all but lack, I must gain.
人有我优 [rén yǒu wǒ yōu]
Where others simply gain, I must excel.
人优我精 [rén yōu wǒ jīng]
Where others merely excel, I must prosper.
人精我名 [rén jīng wǒ míng]
Where others only prosper, I will have fame.

interpretation

It would seem these stallions are not out for a teasing trot, nor an easy canter. In fact, these stallions are neck and neck, all-out galloping.

This is my first attempt to translate such an idiom or poem, and I am reminded that poetry -especially- is up for interpretation. Poetry [and its interpretation] is depth reflecting on beauty.

That it faces the train tracks, seems that the mural was erected especially for those riding the rail.

Of the millions riding this coal-eating, iron-striding horse, I wonder how many eyes actually meet these words.

Or are they too busy, racing too quickly, to see?

Note: Access to Blogger is still blocked within China. Without access to a much appreciated VPN (proxy), I would be unable to publish to my blog from within mainland China. Thus, I am blessed and grateful to be sharing. With every post, I hereby protest the oppressive nature of the Chinese government blocking access to any part of the web.

google error

Google has recently stated that it is investigating a new approach to its dealing with China.

Security breaches aimed at the search giant also struck out at several other entities, targeting what seems to be the accounts of human rights activists.

I wonder if someone as unknown as myself could be among the unnumbered individuals targeted. I am doubtful, but I would be honored.

exemplary

This comes after Google first gained access to the mainland, back in 2006. But to do so, Goggle submitted to the stipulation of filtered searches within China and so compromised its motto of "Don't be evil."

In condoning the blatant censorship of the People's Republic of China, Google continues to say that censorship is not only permissible, but exemplary.

I applaud Google and furthermore challenge Google to take this new approach very seriously. While compromise must be made between any two parties, a compromise of values is simply to condone the lesser.

powerless

Powers that be have the responsibility to use power for good. Who enjoys its power at the expense of those without, renders that power useless.

When will Google use its power to make a stand for what it believes in, to make a stand for those who cannot?

The magnitude of its actions is not a simple matter of beliefs, for it has the potential to undo the brainwashing of years and to better ensure the guarantee of human rights through transparency.

forbidden fruit

Google.cn may not be a household word here in China, but for those who are familiar with the internet, it is a recognizable giant in the world of search. Especially for those interested in foreign affairs, western culture, etc. It also serves a minority of people in China, foreign and local, who search using English as the input text.

It's not difficult to search for blocked content on the Chinese internet.

Below, I simply typed in the name of the People's Square, the Gate of Heavenly Peace. It is a site of great tourist interest, located adjacent and south of the Forbidden City:

Digging deeper: an image search for "tiananmen+square+massacre+in+1989" yields the following:

However, trying to open the link attached to the photo in the bottom left yields a misleading apology from Google:

很抱歉，在 www.google.cn 上没找到您要访问的网页
[We're very sorry, the webpage you are looking for could not be found by www.google.cn]

disclosure

Look closely. Bravo, Google!

With every search that it cannot will not complete, Google admits error:

public confession

To be fair, the same search on www.google.com (without the use of a VPN), however actually showed this today - a first!

forbidden fruit: graphic thumbnails

Usually such thumbnails are ghosted as the five blanks above. Interestingly, I was even able to open links to each page, including raw criticism and denunciation of the 1989 Massacre.

So, what's the scoop, Google? China?

How much longer will sighted eyes be blinded, how much longer will mouths with voices be silenced?

Note: Access to Blogger is still blocked within China. Without access to a much appreciated VPN (proxy), I would be unable to publish to my blog from within mainland China. Thus, I am blessed and grateful to be sharing. With every post, I hereby protest the oppressive nature of the Chinese government blocking access to any part of the web.

Mr. Fu

Waiting on my bike for cars to pass, I oppose the proper flow of traffic, simply because to agree with it would take me away from my home.

At last the cars pass slowly; ‘new hands’ slower than old hands, as they methodically and awkwardly navigate first around a ‘No Parking’ sign and then me and another opposer on bicycle, too. The sign is propped up adjacent to a full set of parked cars.

Last to wait for, in our attempt to pass, is an army-green colored canvas-covered traxi - the local adult-size version of a tricycle, which acts as a taxi.

Instead of passing, he slows and opens his flimsy hinge of a door and grabs the plastic yellow sign. He folds it flat and tucks it inside his cabin.

He mutters under his breath and audibly informs us that he’s going to do away with the sign, as if we had asked.

Had he arrived on-duty just to do so? Or was he simply stealing the sign with only a two biker witness?

The fellow behind me and I chuckled at his brash, if rational, manner, and I peddled away now that the jam had disappeared.

mr. fu

I imagine the essence of this very situation, and perhaps more so, a character just like him:

A Mr. Fu, the kind of man who takes matters by the horns and wrangles them by hand - be it orderly or ad hoc. Be it justly or unlawfully.

He is the kind of man who silently opposes the government, staging action that leaps when there is the slightest loss of command.

He express his opinions not with words, for many a worthy word are lost to fool ears.

He is deceivingly patient. But let there be no doubt, he will act. And he acts without regret. Regret is a foolish thing to hold onto, he says. Regrets should be lost with the wind as the weather changes on a whim. To hang onto regret is to wear your winter clothes in the spring, for sake of not wasting them.

This Mr. Fu is a man that people respect -no matter if they disagree or support him. Either way, he is too quick for anyone to comment.

A complaint registered with Mr. Fu is lost to ears wizened, for he knows that foolish words are but the sound of rustling leaves, the wind having already left.

Mr. Fu smiles with his eyes, and without need of words, he speaks only when words are necessary. It is in this way that he usually has the last word.

Others dare not speak after him, else to offer thorns when a rose has just bloomed.

Mr. Fu is alone in his actions, his thoughts, but never lacking for others drawing near.

Note: Access to Blogger is still blocked within China. Without access to a much appreciated VPN (proxy), I would be unable to publish to my blog from within mainland China. Thus, I am blessed and grateful to be sharing.

on fear

Fear is my foe, my fatal flaw, unforgivable.

And yet it is my most patient friend, most loyal indeed, never to leave, only to disappear, from view, but ever and always near.

It is not oppressive as others may say, nor is it imposing as you might believe.

But its mere presence is enough to render rationale undone, to allow the imagination to run free, to see the light as if without capacity to refract itself, from the blinding light into an array of colors soon in sight.

Fear is neither a being, nor an object. It is is hardly even a state, of which -for lack of better description, and more truly, understanding, I only begin to thus quantify.

And it is here, as I write, that I shape what is the thing, so called fear, and more impressively, create the perception of a reality, but one reality, so called fear.

Note: Access to Blogger is still blocked within China. Without access to a much appreciated VPN (proxy), I would be unable to publish to my blog from within mainland China. Thus, I am blessed and grateful to be sharing.

light of dark

It is in the might of darkness near
that the humble soul asks simply
that the way light the path, and
'lo the blessed soul is blinded by the light
that simply is but darkness' wrath,
which never is what darkness hath.

Note: Access to Blogger is still blocked within China. Without access to a much appreciated VPN (proxy), I would be unable to publish to my blog from within mainland China. Thus, I am blessed and grateful to be sharing.

oppress this

It is time to be heard.

Just last month, China announced a threat to install anti-pornography software on every computer sold in China, or so says western media. However, local media specifies more flexibility, under the name of choice and freedom. The truth simply is hard to capture in black and white.

One thing that is easily quantified is a number of websites currently (or recently) blocked from the local view within China as a result of the recent clashes in the northwest province of Xinjiang between the Uyghur and Han ethnicities, without having to dig very deep:

• wikipedia
• facebook
• blogger
• wordpress
• twitter
  

Over the last decade, China has taken the liberty of restricting web liberties at large, including a few that have hit close to home:

• google
• yahoo
• youtube
  
• bbc
• wikipedia
  
• facebook
• twitter
• blogger
• wordpress
• and many more...
  

If only I had kept track of all those google search terms that were vetoed in various quests, likely because of suspected pornographic or pedophiliac intent. Right. A favorite rejection included this search term, as I prepped for my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) job:

• oral children's efl game

The proxy *was* my friend. My favorites sneakme and anonymouse have fallen victim to site restrictions. Some are just more of a hassle than they are worth.

The blocking of websites in China often points to the speculation that the Chinese government simply does not want locals accessing foreign media. Unfortunately, most locals are not aware of the above mentioned sites, as they do not use English to surf the web. Furthermore, they are unaware of resources provided by an English-native creator, albeit with the availability of translation into Mandarin. I would like to suggest that the blocking of websites is more so to block foreigners from disseminating views, experience, or facts with the outside world.

In this sense, it is an honor to be one of the many people whose voice is restricted... not simply because it means my thoughts are profound. Not simply because I have something worth saying. But because I have something to say which is worth hearing, and the People's Republic of China would rather it not be heard.

Who plants a seed with roots anew is soon to see the shoot.

As any good story might begin, a friend of a friend shared this experience: She is a college student, masters student, and part of the Communist Party. On occasion, they have participation 'homework', which could be in the form or attending/planning meetings or writing a rather nationalistic essay. This year, for June 4th, 2009, she was given a special assignment: she was informed that she would be the

"Supervisor of the Prevention of a Commemoration for an Event that Never Happened".

Needless to say, such a delegation had the student, previously and otherwise oblivious to and uninformed of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, asking a few difficult questions of her own. If an event didn't happen, why would anyone be commemorating it? And more importantly, why would anyone spend time, energy, and resources to prevent the commemoration of something that never happened?

And so... stranded over here in a form of isolation, which shall succeed neither to brainwash nor dirty it more, I write with a bit a clarity, with reflection on what it means to be sheltered in the professed interest of protection.

The fascist smashes the egg to silence the rooster.

Note: the below photos are screenshots taken from my browsing experiences while in the heartland of China:

"this video is not available in your country..."

"Connection interrupted: the connection to the server was reset while the page was loading"

"The connection has timed out: the server at wikipedia.org is taking too long to respond."

Note: Access to Blogger is still blocked within China. Without access to a much appreciated VPN (proxy), I would be unable to write such a post or publish it to my blog from within mainland China. Thus, I am blessed and grateful to be sharing.

pineapple spiral

The Spring and Summer seasons of Beijing meet with street intersections laden with vendors selling wares of pottery, services... and fruit.

oh, pineapple quarters: real sweet treat

For the affordable sum of ¥1, the common people pause on a typical afternoon to enjoy a quarter of a pineapple on a stick - a cooling and tangy refreshment to ward off the dryness and heat of Beijing.

The vendors wheel their goods up to the street curb, pull off a tarp that covers a bounty of fresh fruit, and set blade into action.


fashion meets function

The carving of pineapples is an art.

It is also a very efficient way to carve the pineapple, for the waste removed is minimized, so as to maximize yield. It is done with the fluidity of hands well-practiced and technique well-harnessed.


grandma knows best

My Grandmother grows a score of pineapples in her Floridian yard each year, saving the plumed core and replanting it for an ever-giving harvest. It is only with patience that one raises their own pineapples, and experience warns that a pineapple picked in haste is even slower to ripen.

The perfect pineapple is ready for eating when a tender leaf can be easily plucked from its center; lifting a pineapple so, its own weight should release the leaf.

With this in mind, it was time to try my hand at this art of carving pineapples and see if I could tame this flowering fruit in my very own kitchen.


do try this at home

I set out to pick up a small, but well-ripened pineapple at the local supermarket, which ended up sweet-talking a mere ¥4 from my wallet:

fibrous green plumes and plumply golden flesh

The first task is to fashion the wild mess of leaves into a handle:

trimming of the leaves: the handle

Remove the loose leaves that do not stay tight at the core, useful as a handle during the rest of the carving. Be careful not to cut too deeply at the base of the core, lest your *handle* snap at a later step in the vigorous progress (ask me how I know!)

Using a long, sharp [butcher] knife, graze the outside of the fruit, careful to minimize the removal of worthy flesh.

a shave gets down to the bare stubble

the tool rules

At last, I happened upon the unique tool at a local market (¥5), made specifically for carving pineapples. I decided to take it home and see for myself just how hard it is to carve up a beautiful spiraled pineapple:

3 remarkable teeth, 1 remarkable tool

Not surprisingly, the actual technique and process of carving is not as easy as the vendors make it look. Yes, it must only be learned the hard way: sheer first-hand experience.

nose pointing down, teeth digging in

I also discovered that a secret may lie in selecting a ripe, yet firm, fruit. I chose the pineapple shown here based on ripeness alone. While in this state, it would carve up just fine with a knife, it rendered itself too juicy to handle the firm pushing demanded by the tool.

Nonetheless, even a 'new hand' (新手）, with a bit of luck, will find it possible to obtain satisfactory, if rudimentary, results:

the spiraled pineapple: sweet success!

I have learned a thing or two about carving pineapples: What may be ripe for the tasting may be too supple for the carving.

And 'lo, though I am not a master carver -yet- my taste buds will never know the difference!

tale of two tails

《the big old dog and the little yapper dog》

As chance would have it and lore would remember it, there once were two mates: the little yapper dog and the big old dog.

The big old dog laid steadily on the still ground, while the little yapper dog would yap and run in little circles about the big old dog.

The big old dog would get up, and mozy to and fro', moving freely as big old dogs do.

And the little yapper dog would follow close behind and all around, yapping as little yapper dogs are apt to do.

It was for each step the big old dog would take, that the little yapper dog took 4.

And though the little yapper dog had energy for more, those equal steps of 4 too soon trod once too many times about that big old dog, though what for...?

So after time itself drew weary, the little yapper dog took heed and halted the yapping and paused the treading, too.

For where a big old dog minds what only a big old dog might will to mind, any dog will know that there is fourfold more than a passive big old bore who cares for nobody more.

And the little yapper dog went silently and simply on away, for the little yapper dog was, in fact, no more a yapper than the big old dog was old.

At long last, the little dog was no more, and no less, than the dog that it was, which was a dog that is.

The End

Though there are things great and grand and worthy of tempting even the strongest, there are times of purpose that we must swim on and away.

即使大虫并不诱惑
(Even the big worm does not tempt)

by 云清, aka Jessica Bibbee

utility in humility

in deed, in a word

There are days when the world rolls and you feel yourself at a crawl. Time stands still, and you can only watch it all unfold in slow motion.

Apparently, after all of my travels, I am still learning a thing or two about tourist visas. While it is my 5th entry into mainland China [over 10 years], it is only my first time entering on a tourist visa.

The Continental Airlines staff of Newark, NJ refused to let me check in properly, as my return trip date exceeded the 90 days limit of the [L] visa. But... wasn't it a one-year, multiple-entry visa, I posed? Unfortunately, they look at the maximum stay for each entry, which is 90 days... and I had no proof of departure within that time frame. This was the first hint of my traveling neophytis. She justified the hassle by saying that her job would be jeopardized and a $20k fine would be imposed should I arrive in Beijing without proof of timely return. Not to mention that they would promptly ship, or rather fly, me back to the States, she threatened.

And that is how she so kindly helped me to purchase a $2930 one-way refundable ticket back to the states on June 2. The key word is 'refundable', meaning I *should* be able to gain entry into the country, and promptly refund the ticket aft. It was a moment of trust that I could not outwardly argue with.

lingually refreshed

After 6 weeks of being in an English-only environment, I had a small refresher sitting on the direct flight from Newark to Beijing. The elderly Wuhan couple sitting next to me could only speak Mandarin, and so we conversed over light topics. The display monitors had stopped displaying any Mandarin equivalents, and it was just as well. I translated such terms as ground speed, distance covered, altitude, and the like. It provided an opportunity to converse with this friendly couple. While he quizzed me inquisitively about tea, she sat between us with her eyes closed. He was a jovial soul, and bragged about my Mandarin skills to the woman across the aisle. Most foreigners on the flight, after all, were on their first flight to the mainland. The glory was short-lived, anyhow.

utility taxings

Assuming that one has gained successful entry into a country such as China, the first few days back in Beijing can prompt one to feel not just faraway, but also far behind. And so, I can only try to fit in. There is much to be done, and I am unsure how to tackle most of the tasks.

My 'new' apartment awaited my return. And unreservedly demanded my prompt attention.
• The plaster walls are falling apart (otherwise known as the Tao of Plaster).
• The tiles appear to be like new, but the grout job was never properly cleaned, and so a thick matte of grunge enshrouds every line, begging for more elbow grease than ay airline dare allow one to safely carry on.
• My apartment has but a few rudimentary outlets and begs for a bit of new wiring.
• My hot water is nowhere to be found.
• The washing machine is not plumbed.
• My gas stove begs for gas to light it's way.
• My zip code is mysteriously absent from my renter's contract. Where exactly am I?
• I am without potable water and need to order a few carboys of water, delivered.
• I am without Internet. Or rather... aside from the spotty, stolen wireless connection, I am without a defined access point. Furthermore, the phone that I must use to set up this connection is missing a power cord.
• I, being the foreigner that I am, need to register with the local police within 24 hours of arrival. Only problem is that I was *mainland* for closer to 48 by the time my landlord was able to escort me...

And of course the list does not end here. A larger problem is... how to approach solving these problems? My Mandarin characters are lacking in an undeniable way, and this limits me from hopping online to sort out these *routine* matters.

tongue tied

While I am able to communicate *which* problems I am facing, I struggle to set my feet upon the right path to solving them.

As a first step, I visit the maintenance crew of my apartment complex, apparently interrupting a visit from the worker's wife. She shoos me away in quest of a call with my landlady. These matters should be handled by the owner, of course. In fact, I only wanted to hear confirmation of what I already knew; I just wanted a line of defense should the landlady deflect my request.

A call with her leaves me to asking the real estate agency with which I signed the contract. They in turn tell me to ask the landlady. Sigh. There isn't enough eagerness in the world that could help me find the right person to ask.

I remind myself that they have all spoken the truth. The problem, stated rather indirectly, is my own. The problem is but for my own lacking that I cannot solve these matters singly-handed. Or doubly-handed, for that matter.

And so I was prepared to kowtow to my landlady. Relieve myself of any surviving pride and bow with fervent pleading - what better way to convey that one is truly in need of help?

Humility arrives not in stealth-like fashion, but more so as the unkempt town crier bearing truth.

toasting 2009

A fool changes to become someone who he is not.
The wise changes to become someone who he is.

dreaming in script

My black clothing served as a magnet for the penetrating rays of sunlight that cut through the crisp fall air. Out of the autumn breeze, a park bench seduced me into putting my feet up and letting my eyelids down...

This is an autumn day fit for lore.

It wasn't long before I awoke from my shallow slumber, nor was it from the soft hum of students walking past. It was something that I saw, something that flashed lucidly, whilst my eyes were yet closed.

Dreaming in China comes differently than it did before I came here. I often find myself plotting in a mixture of English and Mandarin, often centering around a newly learned word. It tells me that my 'small' brain is more capable than my 'big' brain, and simply goes to work after the night has conquered me.

Some say you only dream in another language when you reach fluency, but my experience is proof that it can occur at even earlier stages. Learning by osmosis seems to be more efficient (and less painstaking) than what my 'big' brain can accomplish when most alert.

Today I did not dream in tongues; instead, I dreamt in script.

A Mandarin character flashed in irridescent green superimposed upon the blackness of my closed eyes. It shone brightly as as does the back of a great flower beetle.

(traditional) 諒 vs. 谅 (simplified)

COURTESY OF VERTICAL SUN

The fact that I dreamt the above character above is interesting on a couple of levels.

The first question I had to ask is why did this character come to me in my sleep? Not only did a Mandarin character appear, but it's meaning attached is also very intriguing!

Secondly, the character appeared in its 'traditional' form. This form is not found in daily use within mainland China (who uses only 'simplified' characters); it can only be found in places such as Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

The left and right side of the character each represent a meaning and/or a sound. For example, ‘言’ means "language" (or "words") and ‘京’ means "capitol" (or "great"). Together, they mean 'words that are great or grand'... i.e, trust or forgiveness.

Here is a great site that can provide insight into the geneology (etymology) of Chinese characters, in particular, this character above.

I looked up this character several months ago, but as it is not often I speak of 'forgiving' (thankfully the need is not great!), there is no immediate inkling as to why I thought of this character. In fact, I have never written this character, and have not studied it outside of looking it up [once] for its pronunciation.

So, how has it come to pass that this very character came to me in my sleep, in its ancient form? I may not ever find out, but I will at least simmer satisfied in its revelation for some time to come!

A few more brain blots that spilled after the slumber.

¨ ¨ ¨
A shadow follows not the light.

¨ ¨ ¨
A pen cannot trace its own shadow.

¨ ¨ ¨
The sky is constant, but its weather, not.

'a' for 'ism'

Below are a few ruminations from earlier this year:

A flower blooms not before its time.

¨ ¨ ¨
Where the leaf falls, the wind will carry.

¨ ¨ ¨
The stone laid is no more prisoner than before.

¨ ¨ ¨

Death is not to be forgiven -
for ever stealing souls,
the wisdom of never more.

Neither can be forgiven -
the life that breathes,
but gives nothing more.

c. 20080520

great wall, good times

What is meant for the eyes may not be born of words. And so, I'll keep this posting short.

The last time I camped out on the Great Wall was in the late spring of 2001. I had been craving another night on the wall after all these years, and so gathered a few friends for a 14+k hike in this crisp pre-winter weather.

This section of the wall dates back 400+ or 600+ years ago, respectively in accordance to which local tourist or Wall worker you ask. Some say it is the original wall. Others say it the current wall using old bricks but new construction.

Some would say the current [hikeable] sections of the wall are new in their entirety (and I'm not referring to the cable cars, zip-line, weeeee-slide, or hillside-tram.) What would you say?

the Golden Mountain Ridge (金山岭) to the Ancient North Entrance (古北口)

From the Golden Mountain Ridge (金山岭, or 'Jin Shanling'), we hiked eastwards to a nearby section (司马台, or 'Simatai').

beacon tower at the Golden Mountain Ridge

The latter gives a [50%] student discount; the former does not. The two sections are continuous, in fact, and are merely distinguished by the rate of admission, as one must purchase a separate entrance ticket for each.

a *great* sunset from atop the wall

On the bright [and redeeming] side, *camping* fees are nil... as long as you are willing to suffer the cold.

a * great* sunsat

For just ¥50 + ¥20, you can exercise your soles and stretch your soul all the way from dawn of today's morn until the eve of tomorrow!

[more *great* pics here...]

"A [verrry cold] overnight on the Great Wall at the Golden Mountain Ridge (金山岭长城) with 5 friends from PKU. After hiking 10+ km towards Simatai （司马台), the late October windchill did not succeed in keeping us from bailing out on our plan to camp in a historic 400-600 (?) yr old beacon tower. Camping fees are nil; the price paid is merely the suffering offered up to the winds of the nearing winter. Plenty of humor and a gorgeous landscape to share it in. Good times!"

on your blog. get set. compose!

This just in! the P.R. of C. has approved The Jade Teaspoon with the official chop (wordpress is still roaming freely just out of reach, so to speak.) Let it be, in more ways than one!

And so, this blog is a go, but it will begin with a note-to-self from days of past: Voice not that which you think, nor that which ought be said; voice that which ought be heard.

Another, closing, thought for the day: We do not lose our way by walking another path. We lose our way by stepping off the path of our choice.