Scholarship For Two Different Colored Eyes

H1N1 vs China

Last week I had my first experience with a hospital in Beijing.

One morning I had to accompany a Canadian friend of mine has had an allergic reaction that made her face swell like a balloon.

As with medical issues is best not to gamble with the intermittency and lack of understanding in communication, my friend decided to go to an international hospital, the many, or at least number, there capital in China, where I have to say, in passing, that until the last Mono spoke perfect English.

Well we got there, and just when we walked in the door, we get a lady dressed in blue from head to toe, with mask and eye protection and armed with a thermometer and a staff of bumper yellow circles.

The thermometer was one of those that will measure the mouth or lack of it with only half a second closer to your forehead, so before we knew We already had taken the temperature and we had hit one of the yellow stickers on the shoulder to identify as "symptom free" ... the infamous H1N1 clear.

is that China is taking extreme care with the virus, that try hard to spread.

I heard several that have recently come on the road, complaining about waiting for the planes, of taking the temperature and excessive measures, because " people are not dying of it, "they say. Well I must say that I do not seem exaggerated at all.

must be taken into account the background: In 2003, the SARS (another type of flu) spread in China, and from there became infected citizens of 37 other nationalities.

That was a disaster for the country, in which hundreds died.

Then they were accused of not acting fast enough and have let the virus spread.

Now it seems they have already learned and are being extremely careful.

To begin we must take into consideration that people are not dying in developed countries where medical care is immediate and favorable health conditions. (Although this is not true at all: see the data at the end of this post *)

But if the virus reached the rural areas of China, I'm sure it will spread like wildfire through the most deprived areas and disadvantaged would be another disaster for the population.

also have to take into account other factors, and call me selfish if you will, but China is one of the major tourist destinations today, and I prefer that H1N1 control is comprehensive, because a careless tourist or a tourist who does not know you've contracted the virus arrives in the country and propagate the disease creating an epidemic.

Without going any further, yesterday an Italian friend told me he was waiting for that night came another mutual friend from Australia who was staying at home a few days . The Australian was traveling to Beijing via Shanghai, Shanghainese and the airport, take their temperature after they had to isolate the entire plane, because a man Indian who traveled curiously sitting next to this friend, had symptoms of this flu . As a result, everyone will be isolated in quarantine in a hotel for the next 7 days.

I personally am extremely happy that the Chinese are taking so very carefully. Otherwise, it would mean that this girl would come home from Italy, all we had gathered there to see and welcome him, and within days, may we were all infected with this virus that has infected 52,160 people in 74 different countries, including 231 who have died for it. (Only in the last 3 days have confirmed 7.873 other cases, including 51 deaths).

not think anyone can criticize a giant like China to take care of its citizens (and to which we are not) of getting an unnecessary evil.

From here I thank the Chinese Government for it.

* Let me stop here to end perspective General has already been declared the first pandemic of the XXI century by WHO:

According to official data, the United States are the most confirmed cases , with a total of 21,449, followed by Mexico (7.624), Canada (5.710), Chile (4.315), United Kingdom (2.506), Australia (2.436) and Argentina (1.010).

In terms of deaths, most occurred in Mexico (113) and states United (87). But there have also been fatalities in other countries, including Canada (13), Argentina (7), Chile (4) and Colombia (2).

In China, the total of confirmed cases is 441 (no dead), of which 227 have been discharged and 214 were still being treated.

Source: Xinhua I , Xinhua II

What Happens If I Drink A Bottle Of Scope

Shang Gay

Shanghai last week held a week of Gay Pride. The first event of its kind to be held in mainland China.

wonder it's not the first, if you consider that until 1997 homosexuality was not decriminalized in this Asian country, and moreover, it was not until 2001 when this type of sexual orientation was no longer considered a mental illness.

Nor is it strange to be held in Shanghai, a city of 20 million people that prides itself on being the most modern, cosmopolitan and continental china advanced .

When organizers started putting up the event, quite rightly decided to limit it to local and private clubs and ruled out any public parade to prevent the Chinese government ruled against the holiday. And I mean pronounce ban.

According to some international media, China's official stance recently, as far as homosexuality is concerned, has been more a "Do not criticize , but not promote it. "

Even the official newspaper English, China Daily, published a cover praising the initiative and ensuring that the Gay Pride Week in Shanghai, showed the changes and developments taking place in China in the social field.

However, hours, days later, a few local government officials, were presented in different establishments were preparing to hold an act or event under of the festival, and forbade them to carry out the screening of films, photo exhibitions and plays threatening them with "severe consequences "if they continued with the program.

But removing this week passed without major incident.

I am personally confident that the local government's concern was more that this festival aims to serve as a cover to protest against any other issue, or something might happen that would cause the government "losing face" (something to be ashamed).

The China Daily published an article (which also echoes the Xinhua news agency ) in condemning the actions of local government and the attempt by censoring part of the programmed events.

In sharp contrast to this criticism is the fact that no Chinese media has publicized the festival in any way and it seems that articles in the English pages of the Chinese newspapers are more to the gallery as informative. That is, not reported to Chinese citizens, but the fact that it is in the media we read of foreigners is a way to make it appear that support the initiative.

In this country, the China Daily has 30 million homosexuals (ie 3% of the population), the issue of homosexuality is tricky, not only for the traditional Chinese society, also, but because also one of the major duties of the children is to give her parents grandchildren, something that is light years away (in the case of adoption) as set things in this life in a country which is not legally married same-sex.

also have to take into account that the one-child policy leaves most families with all their hopes on a single shoot, if not married or happens to be gay, lesbian, transgender (or lesser extent bisexual), complicates the matter further heirs.

But as always, this proves that indeed something is moving in China. This year's Gay Pride Week has been organized mainly by foreigners, behind closed doors in private places and with a little problem with the local government involved. But it was the first, and where there is a first, there's always a second. As the Chinese say: Man man zou (slowly, slowly), but it will come.

Sources: I BBC, BBC II, III BBC, AFP , The New York Times , Xinhua

Curtains To Go With Dark Green Carpet

The 5 th Power

Today, good news.

Thanks to the outrage and the massive support shown by Chinese netizens, Deng Yujiao, the waitress in a karaoke bar I was talking the other day has been released.

This China's 21, was charged with the murder of an officer of the city of Badong in the central province of Hubei. Apparently

May 10th, two officers tried to Deng Yujiao join them for "taking a bath" and by refusing, the now deceased, Deng Guida insulted, berated and pushed Deng to what is reacted fatally stabbing and wounding another officer.

But the matter changed when, due to pressure citizens overturned on the Internet, the local government changed the charges from murder to assault and promised a fair trial. The BBC

the trial concluded in less than two hours, and while a crowd waited for departure, the defendant has been diagnosed with mental disorder has been established that he acted with excessive defense, but has been exempted from all charges and be released.

Never underestimate the power of the Internet in a country not have democracy, or at least have loopholes like this.


Source: BBC

Small Piece Of Corian Countertop

The Censor Home

PC manufacturers have received a notice from the Chinese government recently urged to pre-installed on all handsets sold or imported into China after next July 1, a new software developed specifically to block certain Internet content to this way can not access personal computers.

In summary, in my own words "If you want your piece of the pie in the growing and lucrative market for PC sales in China, you must help us to censor content, including our personal software on computers you please sell in our territory and our citizens. Our country, our rules. "

Of course the words of the government are much softer, diplomatic and politically correct. The official and acknowledged intention of this new program called "Dock Green" is "to build an Internet environment green, healthy and harmonious, preventing harmful information from the network influence and poison the young" green

The term refers to an environment free of pornography. That sounds nice, but the little program has already put the willies more than one.

And China has with a market of 300 million Internet users, which last year sold more than 40 million personal computers, despite the economic downturn that figure is expected to increase by 3% this year.

With these data of potential buyers, that make your mouth water to any company, manufacturers are concerned about the new regulations. Meanwhile

already who cares because this software in addition to blocking pornographic content will also serve for the government to further control the contents of another nature that people prefer not to access, especially politically sensitive material to the government. See, everything about with pro-Tibet movement, the religious organization Falun Gong, and silenced the familiar events of Tian An Men, and any other information you feel uncomfortable or nervous at the party.

But what will work exactly how this new sensor?
As the government has said that PC makers must have the software on your computer, preinstalled on your system or attached to a CD. They must also inform the government of the number of computers that have shipped with the software ready. According to the memo sent to the manufacturers' computers to be pre-installing the latest version of software "Dock Green" before being sold in China " But the information reveals penalties for not complying with the requirement.

For its part, the manufacturers claim that 6 weeks is not enough time to adapt to the new regulation would also allow the government to monitor the computers and access to personal information of users.

The truth is that the brains of the match looked to have invented this new form of Censor at Home, which takes the digital control to a new level. And of course, the software is updated regularly to keep up to date content to every good citizen should not access.

And of course, manufacturers will go through the hoop, as it has been Google, which removed prohibited political content of their searches, allowing Microsoft censors block the content of your blog service, and Yahoo has been openly criticized for disclosing certain personal information from a user that was used to imprison a journalist, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The fact is that the government has the upper hand, and nobody wants to lose their piece of the Chinese (which is great) as multinationals and big corporations give budge ignoring the interests of users and ignoring their rights and to common sense, and contribute their bit for society that China is not social progress on as fast as it should. Is whether, in the economic going like a shot. But, although that is another story, in my opinion, one can not grow independently of each other.

Supposedly this "Dock Green" comes with the possibility of shutting down and neutralize their effects on your computer ... but given the circumstances, I do not know if believe it.

How Much Does A Washing

Chickens, snakes and Internet

China is widely known for some of the gastronomic peculiarities can be found on their land.

In recent weeks a very popular dish, apparently, in southern China, has raised quite a stir and have not been few foreign media that echoed the story.

turns out that in Guangdong Province (or canton, home of Cantonese food as we know) there are a few restaurants who are serving a prized dish, which is advertised as a detoxifier, that is, without more ado, in chicken, but has been bitten previously, and to death by a poisonous snake.

A video began circulating on the Chinese Internet portals, in which could be seen as an enduring cook a live chicken in one hand, and forced a snake bite the bird until it died poisoned.

No sample has been poisoned by this curious dish, but the way to slaughter the chickens has caused outrage spread quickly by speaking forums and blogs china.

a result of which the government has asked the affected restaurants that you please to stop serving the dish.

In the West, online forums and blogs are merely a way of communicating people, but in China, the blogosphere has more power than you think. Even with the disadvantage censorship, the Chinese have found in internet how to extend their protest and be heard on issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The central government is paying close attention to what is said, is said to account and it is rumored, on the net and thanks to this social pressure is absent so far in China. Even local government figures have been dismissed for information leaked on the Web.

a couple of weeks ago was news for a hotel employee, who had been arrested for stabbing a local government official. Internet began to run the information that the officer in question had tried to force the girl to have sex with him, and this had acted in self defense, stabbing the master, in order to escape the abuse.

Again, popular outrage forced the government to investigate the matter and because of this, it is assumed that the girl will have a trial, who knows if fair, but a trial at least.

If I have learned over the years is China, here is what they say or do Chinese Internet users can move mountains.

Is not this partly fills a legal vacuum, a vacuum of rights, although not the way we understand in the West?, Is not this a form of democracy?

say it is not as it should be, or that it is desirable, nor that it is enough, say, that the government is listening to the people, but only act popular pressure, it is clear that pressure sometimes works.

My Period Is Just Brown Mucus Discharge

2 decades of silence (Part II)

Yesterday was 六四 (liu if, six four) in reference to June 4 that is what they call the Chinese that the West is known as the Tiananmen slaughter.

Two decades have passed since the Communist Party in a brutal go unnoticed most pro-democracy protest in the history of China.

But in this Asian nation, the anniversary of the events that shocked the country and the rest of the world, became, almost, almost, almost unnoticed but, since Then, more pain than glory.

The only place on Chinese territory where the victim was commemorated in Hong Kong, where a massive vigil, attended by 150,000 people, organizers say and nearly 63,000 according to police flooded the city with lighted candles for the souls of those who died that day.

NY Times photo

The rest, mostly in the capital, was quiet, tension and police presence.

The square was taken by police, plainclothes secret agent, police vans and unmarked cars.

Over 30,000 agents already employed daily in censoring Internet content they consider to be inappropriate, the previous day toiled in an attempt to prevent any public commemoration of the anniversary. As a result, appeared on Chinese territory blocked social networking sites, photo sharing and messaging, Twitter, Hotmail and Flickr.

For some news reports from international chains, like the BBC, the television screens were cast in black, for almost 3 minutes, time that lasted a report on the events of that dark day June 89.

Two decades after the slaughter the government wants to pretend that nothing happened at Tiananmen, and so even the textbooks mention the incident, which the official line was a legitimate action to end the conspiracy of a group of counterrevolutionaries.

At this point in history, the leaders say that the decades of growth and prosperity would not have been such if it had allowed the situation of social chaos reigned in the city, they said, had run riot, instead of imposing the order of the harmonious society, even if they did, as did, to hit a tank and gun.

But the foundations of the game have changed now, and with millions out of poverty, exorbitant growth in recent years, money in the coffers and an emerging class social media, the government tries to convince the public that are thriving economically while this issue and many others are not important.

The concept has to be something like "Now you have money, you have welfare, you have a car, a house, you can go on vacations, designer clothes and you can eat at home ... do not worry about policy that is not important ... that and we take care that you only you can bring problems "

But not everyone is willing to forget that dare to speak up, headed by the group called "Mothers of Tiananmen", are asking the government to change its and to publish official casualty figures, which recognizes students and to release about 30 prisoners who remain incarcerated since then.

However, in contrast to the line of official silence is Zhao Ziyang. The former party secretary general in 1989, was the only one who refused to impose martial law, costing him the job at the time and suffered house arrest since then until his death in 2005. A few weeks ago his memoirs were published posthumously and his book has decided to give its latest issue, but has to come from the grave.

But it seems that the heavy machinery of government is not willing to back down. It seems that the incident to try to dissolve over time.

As always, we want and hope that China will one day reach the goal towards which little by little and is directing his steps, we hope, or I at least I hope, that day comes, the government and society of this country are mature enough and have traveled the road needed to be able to rewrite his own history and recognize the truth about what happened.

Then, if the day comes, a statue of the Goddess of Democracy erected in Tia An Men, recalling the then built with paper mache 89 idealistic students. That same tanks razed a June 4, destroying their lives and dreams in Tian An Men will ensure the memory of those who killed by his government for their aspirations for democracy.

Split Entry Feng Shui

2 decades of silence (Part I)

Silent remembrance of a sad anniversary in Beijing. At this time the 4th of June for 20 years, Tian An Men Square looked empty and clean ... but at this same time the hospitals were full, and the Chinese people lamented an unprecedented tragedy.

That same morning, the 3 to 4 June 1989 the Chinese army made its way to the center of Beijing (but not rebel against the civilian population) and headed to the outskirts of the Forbidden City to clear out Protesters gathered in Tiananmen Square for weeks. A bloodbath that pitted an army armed with assault rifles to civilians mostly workers and students in front of the watchful eye of the eternal portrait of Mao Zedong.

But, what they were doing there all those students? Let's do a retrospective of previous events that led to the slaughter.

Weeks earlier, in June to be exact, on April 15, 1989, died one of the most promising reform, and so beloved by students and intellectuals of the time: Hu Yaobang.

many students spontaneously joined in the famous square to mourn his death and support reforms that Hu wanted to accomplish. The Tian An Men Square and then had a special historical significance because it was precisely from the terrace across the street that gives the square, from where Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China, this October will be 60 years.

days later, 18 to April 21, demonstrations spread to the rest of the Chinese.

the occasion of Hu's funeral, April 22, a large group of students who were counted in the thousands, gathered in the square to honor the reformer.

The spontaneous demonstration by the sadness of the loss of a beloved leader, became gradually into a peaceful protest at the situation in the country, which in the eyes of the protesters needed reforms.

How ever seen in a sticky situation, the party nervous. And on April 26, the state publication People's Daily accused the protesters in an incendiary editorial rejecting the Communist Party, which led to more demonstrations.

early next month, on May 4, thousands of students marched to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the May 4th movement. The movement takes its name from that day in 1919 when another student revolution against the Treaty of Versailles, in precisely the same Tiananmen Square, he growing nationalist sentiment in the society of the time, which eventually led to the rise to power and consolidation of the Chinese Communist Party. With this clever celebration of the anniversary of May 4th, 89 students made clear their support for the government. But it did not do much.

The following week, on May 13, 1989, 160 students began a hunger strike in Tian An Men, which attracted the sympathy of much of the population.

But the government began to tire of the students occupying the square when the May 15 Mikhail Gorbachev came to the capital of China on an official visit and the welcome reception planned in Tian An Men was canceled by the manifestations.

the early hours of May 19, the then Secretary General of the Party, and reformist ideas, Zhao Ziyang, knowing that while he was on an official visit to North Korea despite its efforts to prevent this, the party had approved impose martial law in the city, appeared in the plaza with a megaphone and tried to dissuade those present to vacate Tian An Men to prevent further tragedy.

Zhao said: "I have come too late. You can not continue. We were young and also had similar bursts of energy. We have also organized demonstrations and I remember that situation. Neither of us thought of consequences"

But even this did little good, and that was the last appearance at a public event of Zhao Ziyang.

Once declared martial law on 20 June, the troops entered the capital, although the civilians tried to block their way with the means in his power: building barricades with buses or taxis.

troops withdrew four days later, but the demonstrations continued in central Beijing.

Finally, on June 2, the leaders decided to end the protests by force.

The next day, June 3, troops re-entered the capital from the east of the city, and as days before, civilians attempted to stop the passage of tanks to prevent confrontation between military forces and students. But this time, the soldiers responded with gunfire that lasted all night and the next day, June 4, in other parts of the capital, since the square had been forcibly evacuated.

June 5 is resumed full control of the city, and as a culmination of public discontent with the situation that had just taken place, was to remember the name of the man armed with two shopping bags, standing in front of a row of tanks on the Avenue of Eternal Peace, Chang An Jie, which intersects with Tian An Men.

I was very young when this happened, and I have no memory of it, but thanks to the media and new technologies have been able to do an intensive search of dates and facts, stories and events, different views and versions to at least get an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat happened here in that year.

But many Chinese young people now, 20 years later, not so lucky. Most do not know what happened, and those who know do not talk about it.

The government pretends that nothing happened and strives to ignore ... and others to ignore.

In the next post we will see what the legacy of these 2 decades of silence. Is happening and not happening in Beijing on the anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies and secrets to voices of the modern history of China.