SHANGHAIxa0-xa0Chenxa0Guangbiao,xa0anxa0entrepreneurxa0whoxa0smashedxa0hisxa0Mercedes-Benzxa0carxa0onxa0Sept16,xa0saidxa0axa0lawyerxa0whoxa0claimedxa0hisxa0behaviorxa0wasxa0probablyxa0illegalxa0actuallyxa0helpedxa0himxa0publicizexa0WorldCarxa0Freexa0Day. xa0 “Ixa0wantxa0toxa0thankxa0thexa0lawyerxa0whoxa0saidxa0myxa0behaviorxa0wasxa0illegal,xa0becausexa0whatxa0hexa0didxa0willxa0increasepublicxa0awarenessxa0thatxa0Ixa0didxa0itxa0toxa0promotexa0low-carbon,xa0environmentalxa0protection,”xa0saidxa0Chen,whosexa0imagexa0inxa0Chinaxa0isxa0thatxa0ofxa0axa0philanthropistxa0andxa0environmentalist. Chenxa0saidxa0whatxa0hexa0wantedxa0toxa0doxa0wasxa0toxa0makexa0morexa0Chinesexa0embracexa0thexa0spiritxa0ofxa0Worldxa0CarFreexa0Dayxa0andxa0stopxa0usingxa0theirxa0carsxa0forxa0transport. Wangxa0Deyi,xa0thexa0lawyerxa0fromxa0axa0Beijing-basedxa0lawxa0firm,xa0saidxa0onxa0hisxa0microxa0blogxa0thatxa0Chen’sbehaviorxa0couldxa0bexa0consideredxa0illegal. Accordingxa0toxa0Articlexa0275xa0ofxa0thexa0Criminalxa0Law,xa0axa0personxa0whoxa0intentionallyxa0destroysxa0orxa0damagespublicxa0orxa0privatexa0propertyxa0willxa0bexa0finedxa0andxa0sentencedxa0toxa0threexa0yearsxa0inxa0jail.xa0Ifxa0thexa0amountxa0ofdamagexa0isxa0largexa0hexa0couldxa0bexa0sentencedxa0toxa0upxa0toxa0sevenxa0yearsxa0inxa0jail. “Ixa0didxa0notxa0agreexa0withxa0whatxa0Chenxa0didxa0andxa0judgedxa0hisxa0behaviorxa0underxa0existingxa0regulationsxa0toxa0provethatxa0hexa0committedxa0thexa0crimexa0ofxa0intentionalxa0destructionxa0orxa0damagexa0ofxa0property,xa0evenxa0ifxa0hexa0onlydestroyedxa0hisxa0ownxa0propertyxa0inxa0public,”xa0Wangxa0said. Wangxa0saidxa0hexa0wasxa0justxa0explainingxa0hisxa0commentsxa0onxa0hisxa0microxa0blog,xa0notxa0makingxa0anyxa0personalattackxa0onxa0Chen. Afterxa0sendingxa0hisxa0commentsxa0thatxa0Chen’sxa0behaviorxa0wasxa0illegalxa0toxa0thexa0officialxa0microxa0blogxa0ofxa0theNanjingxa0policexa0onxa0Wednesday,xa0Wangxa0saidxa0hexa0wouldxa0notxa0takexa0thexa0casexa0furtherxa0byxa0suingxa0Chenxa0orcreatingxa0otherxa0discussions. “Ixa0alsoxa0wantedxa0toxa0letxa0morexa0peoplexa0knowxa0thatxa0Chen’sxa0behaviorxa0didxa0notxa0savexa0resourcesxa0asxa0heclaimed,xa0butxa0generatedxa0wastexa0unnecessarilyxa0andxa0thereforexa0violatedxa0thexa0basicxa0normsxa0ofxa0theenvironmentalxa0movement,”xa0Wangxa0said. Chen,xa0whoxa0hasxa0suggestedxa0thexa0authoritiesxa0drasticallyxa0raisexa0oilxa0pricesxa0andxa0parkingxa0feesxa0toxa0reducethexa0usexa0ofxa0cars,xa0claimedxa0hisxa0behaviorxa0hadxa0successfullyxa0persuadedxa0somexa0ofxa0hisxa0businessxa0friendstoxa0stopxa0usingxa0high-emissionxa0cars. “Ixa0suggestxa0thatxa0thexa022ndxa0dayxa0ofxa0eachxa0monthxa0couldxa0bexa0promotedxa0asxa0axa0car-freexa0dayxa0andxa0Ixa0wouldlikexa0toxa0doxa0axa0seriesxa0ofxa0publicxa0eventsxa0toxa0promotexa0environmentalxa0protection,”xa0hexa0said. Chenxa0addedxa0thatxa0hexa0hadxa0changedxa0hisxa0mindxa0aboutxa0smashingxa0axa0BMWxa0nextxa0year.xa0Instead,xa0hexa0said,hexa0willxa0publiclyxa0auctionxa0thexa0carxa0andxa0thenxa0usexa0thexa0moneyxa0toxa0buyxa0bicyclesxa0toxa0givexa0toxa0peoplexa0forfree. However,xa0sociologistsxa0saidxa0thexa0behaviorxa0ofxa0bothxa0menxa0couldxa0bexa0seenxa0asxa0self-promotion. “Chen,xa0asxa0axa0successfulxa0businessman,xa0hasxa0actedxa0fromxa0timexa0toxa0timexa0likexa0axa0performancexa0artistxa0toattractxa0publicxa0attention,xa0whilexa0Wang’sxa0commentsxa0onxa0Chenxa0alsoxa0couldxa0bexa0justxa0axa0wayxa0toxa0increasehisxa0publicxa0profile,”xa0saidxa0Guxa0Jun,xa0axa0sociologyxa0professorxa0atxa0Shanghaixa0University.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-09/23/content_13775717.htm

More than half of CO2 emissions due to the production of consumer goods for Dutch households take place in other countries, China being a major contributor.

(Source: CBS)

 CCTV (China Central Television) Anchorwomen Going On-Camera Disliking Underwear, x93Nipple Gatex94 Displeases Viewers. (By Jayanzhang on hubpages.com)

Getting curious? Read the full story here.

A Historical View of Suicide Bombing
Source: Thenews, July 3, 2010

As the saga of suicide bombing continues unabated in Pakistan, with terrorists not even sparing the shrines of the Sufi saints, it is imperative to know that this form of terrorism was invented by the soldiers of the Dutch East India Company nearly 350 years ago in 1661 while fighting against the Chinese military ruler Koxinga for the control of what is today called Taiwan.

The injured Dutch soldiers would use gunpowder to blow up themselves and their opponents, rather than opting to be taken as prisoners by the army of the famous Qing dynasty ruler Koxinga.

Those were the days when the Dutch East India Company, a chartered company established in 1602, was carrying out colonial activities in Asia. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock.

It was also arguably the worldx92s first mega corporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, negotiate treaties, coin money and establish colonies. Statistically, between 1602 and 1796, the Dutch East India Company had sent almost a million Europeans to work in the Asia trade on 4,785 ships and had netted more than 2.5 million tons of Asian trade goods.

By contrast, the rest of Europe combined sent only 0.88 million people from year 1500 to 1795. During the Belgian Revolution of 1830, a Dutch lieutenant is also known to have detonated his own ship at the harbour of Antwerp (Belgium), to prevent being captured by the Belgian forces.

The Belgian Revolution was the conflict that had led to the secession of the Southern provinces of the Netherlands from the United Kingdom, and had consequently resulted in the inception of an independent Kingdom of Belgium.

The first known American naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War, John Paul Jones, had also written accounts of the Ottoman sailors setting their own ships on fire and ramming them against the vessels of their enemies in the 18th century.

The phenomenon of suicide bombing can also be traced back to the assassination of Russian Czar Alexander II in 1881. Czar Alexander was mortally wounded by the explosion of hand-made grenades, hurled at him by a member of the infamous Russian terrorist organisation called x93Narodnaya Volya.x94

Both Alexander and his assassin were killed in the attack. German dictator Adolf Hitler was also attacked unsuccessfully by a suicide bomber during the battle for Berlin in 1943. During World War II, Japanese soldiers were used as a military tactic aimed at causing material damage in the war.

On December 7, 1941, six Japanese aircraft carriers had launched an attack on the US Army base at Pearl Harbour on the island of Hawaii. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the US Pacific Fleet away from influencing the war that the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against Britain, the Netherlands and the US forces in the Philippines. But the Japanese offensive actually resulted in the US entry into World War II.

Four US Navy battleships were sunk and four other battleships present were damaged by the Japanese aircraft. The Japanese also destroyed 188 US aircraft parked at Pearl Harbour, killing 2,402 American personnel and wounding another 1,282 soldiers.

Following World War II, x91death volunteersx92 of the Vietnamese revolutionary organisation called x93Viet Minhx94 fought against the French Colonial forces by using a long stick-like explosive to destroy the French tanks.

Suicide bombers have also successfully targeted the most high-profile personalities, who are otherwise deemed relatively invincible due to their tight security arrangements. Recent times have seen the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the killing of the Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993 by the same terrorist organisation. In more recent history, the world also saw a suicide bomber blowing himself up, seconds after the two-time Pakistani Premier Benazir Bhutto was shot dead on December 27, 2007 at Rawalpindi.

Although the term x93terrorismx94 was first used during the x93Reign of Terrorx94 characterising the French Revolution (1789-1794) to describe the anti-monarchy activities of an organisation called the Jacobin Club, the usage of the term x93suicide bombingx94 dates back to August 10, 1940 when The New York Times had coined this expression to describe the German policies of that time.

A March 4, 1942 article appearing in the same US paper had referred the Japanese onslaught against the US-led Allied Forces as x93suicide bombing.x94 The Times of London, in its April 15, 1947 edition, had described UKx92s new pilot-less and radio-controlled rocket missile as a counter-measure to the Japanese x91suicide-bomber.x92

The term with the meaning x93an attacker blowing up himself or a vehicle to kill others,x94 had first appeared in Press in 1981, when it was used in an Associated Press article to describe the bombing of the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut. Terrorism was recognised as a serious threat by the world in January 1858, when an Italian patriot had thrown three bombs to assassinate French emperor Napoleon.

_____

The Dutch Period

When the Dutch arrived in 1624 at Tayowan Harbour, they found thousands of aborigines inhabiting the immediate vicinity. The Dutch quickly allied themselves with the villages of Saccam (Tainan), Soulang (Jiali) and Sinkan (Shin Shi). After meeting initial resistance from Mattow (Madou) and Bakloan, when the villagers killed a group of Dutch officers, the Dutch began a set of punitive measures in 1633 to ally the western tribes and begin their colonisation efforts, tribes which had once been at war were soon united. The Dutch gave each village a black velvet cape, a silver tipped staff and a flag representing the Prince of Orange to prove allegiance to the VOC. In turn the aborigines presented the Dutch with potted palms to show submission. The Dutch erected schools and churches. The reverends Georgius Candidius and Robertus Junius both learned the local languages to begin teaching the aborigines to read their own language in Romanised script. The Dutch Romanisation survived through the 18th century, now only fragments survive in documents and stone tablets.

The Dutch were also in search of gold and endeavoured to cause the Puyuma people to lead them to the source of the island's gold. The Puyuma led the Dutch 80Km to the Kavalan Plain where trace amounts of the mineral could be panned from streambeds. This account in confirmed by both Dutch accounts and Puyuma oral tradition.

The Dutch employed the plains aborigines to procure deerskins for use in the triangular trade between the company, China and Japan. It was the deer trade that brought the first Chinese traders to aboriginal villages. The demand for deer greatly diminished the deer stocks and as early as 1642 there was a notable drop in deer herds. The drop had a heavy impact on aboriginal society as many aborigines had to take up farming to counter the economic impact of their vital food source.

The Dutch period ended with the arrival of Ming loyalist Zheng Cheng-gong (Koxinga), but their impact was deeply ingrained in aboriginal society. 19th and 20th century European explorers write of being welcomed as kin by the aborigines who thought they were the Dutch who had promised to return.

340 years ago, on April 30, 1661, Koxinga lead armed forces ashore to Luerhmen, Tainan, and besieged the Dutch for nine months, and then forced them out of Taiwan, which they had ruled for 38 years. Koxinga wanted to use Taiwan as a base for his resistance against the Qing empire, but in 1662, he suddenly fell ill and died, and his kingdom of Tung-ning was inherited by his son, Zheng Qing, and then by the third generation, his grandson, Zheng Keshuang, who was defeated and overthrown in 1683 by a Qing general named Shi Lang. Although Koxinga's time in Taiwan was short, he left behind many stories and legends. ( Read more: Koxinga – History and legends ) 

The Golden Wall of China

Author: Ethan Lyon, on Sparxoo

Devilx92s Playground is a documentary that captures the transformative period in a young Amish personx92s life, when they must decide whether to stay among the Amish for the rest of their lives, or join the x93English.x94 This period is called Rumspringa x97 the Pennsylvania Dutch word for x93running around.x94 The film showcases several Amish young adults going through Rumspringa, who drink, smoke and even get hooked on meth because they think itx92s what the x93Englishx94 do. Their x93Englishx94 reference point is derived from stories and likely tall tales, therefore, some Amish destroy their lives to experience the exaggerated x93Englishx94 perspective.

Chinax92s nouveau riche are experiencing a Rumspringa of their own, but careful to not swing too far. The Chinese market is trying to find its prestigious identity among established luxury brands in Europe and America. In fact, many affluent Chinese reject x93Made in Chinax94 products in lieu of superior imported quality. x93China is not an easy market. Chinese consumers are very demanding; they donx92t like x91made in Chinax92 products,x94 said Florent Perrichon, CEO, Cerruti. Much like Amish youth trying to find their identity, Chinese too will undergo a cultural transformation whereby x93Made in Chinax94 will be less synonymous with ticky tacky and more with rich cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit and quality.

Why the world doesn't like the footballstyle of the Dutch team anymore.

While the Holland team earned a reputation ofplaying Total Football in the 1970s, the current Holland team played in a style that was theantithesis of that during the 2010 World Cup.

As a football commentator of the Chinese sports channel CCTV5 put it: (In my words)

 While in the 1970s Holland was the outward looking country of tolerance, freesoft drugs, euthanasia, a low crime rate and individual freedom, they have nowturned into to a country of intolerance, xenophobia, and increasing violenceand restrictions of their individual freedom – changes that are mirrored intheir football style.

I found this amusing article on Lost Laowai (Lost Foreigner)

Womenx92s Bathrooms in China x97 The Honest Truth about Chinese Toilets

Author: Ericka

I know, everyone always comments on Chinese toilets x96 they are on the floor, big deal. Well, most of those people who write about the Chinese facilities are men, and letx92s face it, when it comes to bathrooms, men have it easy. So here is what really goes on behind the ? door.

Are Chinese bathrooms dirty? Yes! But Chinese people have clean hands.

There is a difference in the cultural ideas of cleanliness here.

In the west, we like to have clean restroom facilities because they look nice enough to touch and diminish the fear of festering bacteria. We also have the social responsibility to wash our hands with the facility provided soap and running water or use our convenient little hand sanitizer bottles.

In China, itx92s hard to find those little hand sanitizer bottles (really, for some reason there are plenty of large bottles but few little ones) and many restrooms donx92t have soap or even running water. There is also the idea that putting your hands under cold water when it is cold out will get you sick (this is actually proved to be correct, but it spreads germs and gets everyone else sick) so there isnx92t much emphasis on handwasing. This means that clean is then a matter of keeping your hands clean, not coming into contact with anything at all. Again, guys have it easy here. Girls however have stalls with stall doors and have to flush.

So have you ever seen those old women who, without any modesty, leave the door hanging wide open while doing something rather private then precede to not flush? Sure it seems close to vile in western culture but look at from a cleanliness perspective x96 she didnx92t touch the door handle or the toilet handle. She thinks itx92s disgusting when us westerns not only close the door but grab hold of the handle and fasten the lock, then precede to touch the toilet handle, that has been touched by countless people who have just touched some not so clean places, to flush the toilet.

So Many bathrooms in China are outright disgusting, but if you donx92t touch anything they are clean as can be.

Should you sit down on a public toilet? Itx92s probably not a good idea.

Remember that whole idea of not touching anything in the bathroom? That includes the toilet seat. Many Chinese people think public western toilets are disgusting x96 just think about how many butts have touched it before yours! Itx92s honestly not the butts you should worry about but the feet. Since many Chinese people think western toilets are dirty, they will proceed to climb onto the seat and squat just like using a regular Chinese toilet. Youx92ve never wondered why the toilet seats are so scuffed up? Trust me, those shoes arenx92t clean.

Those who arenx92t climbers are often hoverers and while this is a good clean method, it often misses the mark. My advice is honestly to use a Chinese toilet or bring sani-wipes for the seat.

Are there any nice bathrooms? Sure, there are more and more nice bathrooms everyday

If you are ever out and about, go to any KFC or McDonaldx92s. Generally, any foreign owned franchise will employ western sanitation techniques and many higher end Chinese establishments are pretty good about it as well.

How bad are the squatters? Not that bad, but they have their drawbacks.

I have tons of western friends who love them and prefer them to western toilets x96 these friends are all men.

The thing that no one tells you about women and squatters is thatx85 there can be splash back. No one wants to admit that it happens, but Ix92ve heard many embarrassed confessions. There was even this one joke about not kissing dirty ankles.

Sometimes there is no splash guard, or you squat too far forward or not center enough and so you miss. Ix92m sure you personally never do, and I sure donx92t, but someone does because there are often little puddles on the foot areas next to or in front of the squatters.

It doesnx92t matter though, itx92s only the bottoms of your shoes that get dirty right? Well, pant legs and long skirts sometimes come down a bit more than expected when you squat. You might notice women rolling up their pant legs while waiting in line, do what the locals do. Also, donx92t wear those foam flip-flops or cloth-covered shoes to the Chinese WC.

Do you have to undress to use a squatter? No.

Youx92d be surprised how many people try to take their pants off, or at least one pant leg off, to use the squatters. It explains some of the long waits in the womenx92s room. Itx92s not necessary x96 youx92ll figure it out. If you are really worried, just wear skirts.

So itx92s just squatters and dirty western toilets, right? Yes, if you stay within the major cities.

If you ever leave a major city, just hold it until you go back.

So the variety of restroom facilities really varies by region in China and goes by many different terms. They also vary in different degrees of laowai-friendliness.

Some are really decent outhouses that are actually better than the porter potties at American county fairs and construction sites.

Some are really just big holes in the ground with one wall to give the illusion of privacy. With a nice country breeze and plenty of room, these can actually better than some bathrooms in the cities. In some areas, these holes or pits are called feikong x96 waste holes.

I think the Darwin award should go to whomever decided to build a windowless brick outhouse in the middle of the Inner Mongolian desert. I suppose it probably does withstand the sand and wind better than any other structure, but ever heard of a brick oven? I think itx92s actually one the levels of Hell to be locked in a small room full of other peoplex92s baking feces.

For the really bad bathrooms, just put some of those scented tissues over your nose and be fast!

What about ?/? restrooms? The problem with many bathrooms that donx92t separate men and women is honestly the locksx85

Remember the thing about touching the locks? Men often donx92t lock the doors either. Itx92s scary walking in on a drunk man with a cigarette in his mouth who smiles as he lets you enjoy the view. Itx92s even worse when you are using the facilities with a broken lock and a man walks in on you and takes way too long to turn around and close the door. There are many doors that donx92t close right or donx92t lock so have someone guard the door for you. Itx92s just embarrassing.

Why are there urinals in the womenx92s bathroom?

Ix92ve come across this a couple of times and had to do a double take to make sure I went through the right door. Yes, there are sometimes male urinals in the womenx92s bathrooms in China. Ix92ve asked around and they are for women who have to take their sons to the bathroom. I guess it makes sense.

Are children toilet trained? Sure.

Many 3-5 year-olds still pee right on the floor. Well, if you donx92t want to endure the Chinese bathrooms, why put innocent children through it?

This actually puzzled me for the longest time. Finally I got around to asking about this. One reason is that children, apparently, shouldnx92t have to hold it if there isnx92t a bathroom readily available, thatx92s actually what that bucket is for on buses (or at least Ix92ve most commonly seen it used as such). Reason two is that children can fall in or fall down and touch something and then they need a bath. See, Chinese people are actually very cleanliness conscious, it just looks like using a public floor for relief is unclean to foreign bystanders.

Can children really fall in? Maybe.

It really depends on the toilet. Remember how some women miss? Well, sometimes those floors are really slick and Ix92ve almost fallen down a couple times myself. Remember those waste holes? Sometimes the pits are actually quite large and you have to balance yourself on a corner. I could imagine a small child falling in and then needing help to get outx85 In general, I think the children are big enough to use a public restroom without falling in.

Should you eat the pork? Thatx92s really a personal choice.

If you are ever out in the country, you may or may not want to use the facilities before dinner. You see, some people donx92t want to clean the outhouse, itx92s dirty. So sometimes people connect the outhouses to the pig pens so they can kill two birds with one stone x96 donx92t have to clean the outhouse and not have to feed the pigs. It is really disturbing seeing how excited the pigs get when they see you walking up to the outhousex85
I experienced some really bad bathrooms in China, things that I still have nightmares about but donx92t even phase most Chinese people. Ix92ve also spent more time outside of the big cities than a lot of foreigners. Basically, Chinese bathrooms can pose some challenges, but you get used to them and then they really just arenx92t a big deal.

There are many times in China and when I envied men, they have it easy when it comes to bathrooms. Often men donx92t even bother using the facilities, especially if the restroom is dirty, far away, or occupied. I blame men for stinking up the streets and that one area in the park!

In China: You’re a hero!

In Holland: They’ll sue you!

A girl surnamed Chen was walking on the street in Wenzhou, China when two thieves on a motor-scooter flew by and snatched her purse. She immediately screamed that she was robbed. What happened next no one expected.

Surveillance video shows a man riding a bicycle. As he was passing by the front of a hotel near where the thievery happened, perhaps as a result of hearing Chenx92s scream, he stopped, calmly got off his bicycle, picked it up, and then threw it at the thieves riding past him on their motor-scooter. The bicycle hit them, they lost control, and crashed to the ground.

Watch the video

Author: Xiao Yuhen

Officials’ 10 commandments should be taken seriously
(China Daily, 2009-12-04)

The Internet has been lately abuzz with The 10 Commandments for Public Servants, coupled with real cases to illustrate each of the imperatives.

For example, the commandment “Don’t smoke expensive cigarettes and wear a luxury watch” is illustrated by the case of Zhou Jiugen, the fallen housing chief of Jiangning district in Nanjing. And the commandment “Don’t post a paper on the Internet” is represented by 29-year-old Zhou Senfeng, the youngest mayor in China, who has been accused of academic plagiarism. The commandment “Don’t drive a luxury car” refers to the case of a chief prosecutor in Inner Mongolia. She became a public figure after Internet surfers circulated the photo of her Touareg SUV.

Other commandments include “Don’t let others hold an umbrella for you”, “Don’t gawk at hot babes”, and “Don’t arrest Internet vigilantes.”

Obviously, these are sarcasms intended to remind public servants they should be careful about what they do and say, and fulfill their responsibilities. Actually we can list more commandments for public servants.

The 10 Commandments for Public Servants all have corresponding Party disciplines and laws. Unfortunately, some of these disciplines and laws that should have been followed strictly are neglected or ignored. As a result, many officials have become the focal point of public criticism. They’ve either lost their jobs, or gone to jail, or are still enduring the ordeal of public condemnation.

With the emergence of Internet, citizens are more enthusiastic about public supervision while the social transparency of the officials has increased, whether officials like it or not. Some information about them that was not reported by media before may now be “discovered” on the Internet, and it can cause public interest. Some of their behaviors may now be scrutinized.

The public servants should not take the 10 commandments lightly. The Party and government departments should also pay due attention to the imperatives that were authored by Internet surfers based on real cases.

I wonder if government departments can also take the initiative to encourage public supervision for their own good? Can they also introduce greater transparency for civil service to make public servants behave in a more cautious and responsible way?

Source: China Daily

I am what I am, I am what I have

On October 1, 60 Years of New China will be marked.

China is striving for a harmonious society. Let’s hope it will be a society where people are valued for what they are rather than for what they have…