China aids Japan

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7337084.html

This article shows the evolving nature of international relations amongst East Asian countries, specifically China and Japan. Generally considered to be archrivals, this overwhelming show of support is quite astonishing. In fact, their amount of aide is far outpacing America's own, something even more shocking considering Japan is one of our closest friends.

Guangdong restricting foreigners

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/world/asia/31briefs-China.html?_r=1&ref=asia

Guangdong, previously one of the most open provinces in China, has recently decided to become more strict in it's immigration policy. The new policy will go in effect on May 1 of this year. The Chinese government claims this is only to protect against "illegal immigration." They are asking citizens to report malpractice such as overstaying visas, illegal entry, and and working without permits.

Will's Daughter is a Creeper

昨天这个女人给我打电话。我不认识她。可是她认识我很好。

林娜： 你好马凯思！
马凯思：。。。请问你是哪一位？
林娜：我是林娜。你记得我吗？上月我们见面在大学学生中心。
马凯思：你有事吗？
林娜：我想请你去看电影。怎么这么想不起来我？你不知道别林娜。
马凯思：。。。葛威的女孩？你八岁，对不对？
林娜：不对。我八一半岁。因为你跟我的爸爸很好的朋友，所以你去看电影，好吗？
马凯思：平常我要去，可是你跟你的朋们好好儿完儿。
林娜：可是你是我的最好的朋友
马凯思：。。。我的手几没有点了。再见
林娜：没问题。我知道你住在那儿。我就到你家去。
马凯思：对不起。现在我在加拿大。
林娜：啊，也许下次。再见

blog

我和我的朋友再同一个学校学习。我们认识已经十三年了。因为我们住再不一样的地方，所以我们都常常上网聊天。他在这儿的时候我们一起出去晚儿。我们去电脑中心玩电脑游戏。我们都很喜欢电脑游戏。我比他玩电脑游戏好， 可是他玩游戏越来越好。我对他的印象很好。我们成了好朋友！他给我大一个电话说我，后天他来我这儿。我说一言为定。

Martial Arts Clubs: A Popular Money Drain

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-03/23/content_12213770.htm

As we saw in Kungfu Hustle, there are countless schools of Kungfu, and one such martial arts form is Wing Chun. Wing Chun is known for the way its hand-to-hand combat embodies visual simplicity. Masters of Wing Chun often look “relaxed” while their hand motions are based on efficiency to conserve energy. Although Wing Chun has been rising in popularity thanks to movies about the life of Yip Man it has yet to reach commercial success in China. Countless clubs have sprung up, but they are more useful as places to practice a hobby than make money. However, in foreign countries similar clubs are able to make significant profits. Perhaps the Chinese business model has not been refined enough to suit club owner’s business interests. More likely, I think this might have to do with the fact that abroad martial arts is more of a rarity. Because Kungfu clubs and schools possess a seemingly exotic appeal in the West, club owners are able to charge more for their services and thus make money. If this is the case it will be difficult for clubs to ever become commercially successful in China where martial arts is often incorporated into everyday life.

Blog 5

大考试：

我们得考试的时候，让我很紧张！我不喜欢大考试！虽然我每天学中文，可是我还会担心。我每天学生词，语法。我也跟宗颖说中文。为什么我很紧张？因为我不相信我会说中文说得很好，所以我平常会担心。不过，我考试以前呼吸，放松。我考完试，比以前舒服。下课以后我跟宗颖和梅瑰聊天儿。让我很开心！我不喜欢考试，但是我很喜欢学习和说中文！

CaveStory

我今天玩了我第一個電腦遊戲。這個電腦遊戲的名字是 “洞穴故事”或者 它的英文名字是 “CaveStory”。 我今天晚上玩了三個小時還没累。但是我玩了這麽久只玩到第二個小頭子。我這個小頭子也還没打敗。 這是因為我大部分的時候我還没玩到小頭子的時候我已經被打敗了還是快被没命了，所以我得往候退，慢慢得賺回命分。

你看這篇日記别越看越不高興因為我是寫完功課才玩得。

"Screening for Radical Thoughts"

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-03/25/content_12228557.htm The article covers the implementation of a new system at the Peking University, which aim is to screen students for "radical thoughts": "The system covers 10 categories: academic difficulties, radical thoughts, psychological fragility, poverty, registration changes, eccentricity, Internet addiction, job difficulties, serious illnesses and discipline violations. Those considered as having one or more of the above will get a consultation, during which they may be persuaded to change. " ...

Chinese are not just know it alls

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2011/03/21/wv.creative.kindergarten.bk.d.cnn?iref=allsearch

This video is very interesting. It's about a chinese kindergarden class that is based on playing and drawing so that they can become more creative. Chinese are pushed to make good grades, but the creative thinking is lacking. I am curious to see how these students will take this early learning of creativity and put it to use in the future

Future X Cops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBNAXfs4sU

Alright, hear me out here. It's less news and more of a recent "entertainment" trend in Hong Kong. But this video needed to be shared with the world, and if there is anything that Kung Fu Hustle should have taught us it's that we can draw intellectual conclusions from even the most seemingly base subject material.

The Director is Wong Jing, an artist that claims to be successful because he "gives the people what they want, not what he thought that they should want"

He specializes in deliberately trashy movies full of sexual titillation, dirty jokes, and dumb plots. When I saw this trailer I naturally assumed that it was a serious attempt, that once again Chinese filmmakers just couldn't measure up to western standards in terms of acting, effects, or writing. Little did I know that it was the cross-cultural equivalent to a SciFi channel original movie.

For me, the idea that foreign art is a creature not dissimilar to our own is still a strange one. But this movie appears to be SELF AWARE GARBAGE, an accomplishment not to be taken lightly.

(The above statement is unironic btw)

Maybe the movie is not worth mentioning. Maybe I just wanted to share this silly trailer. Certainly it's evidence that China is on its way towards replacing Japan in terms of stupid s*%# that Americans learn to love for no reason.

But then again, maybe there is something to be learned from all of this.

我的春假

春假非常好玩。前幾天，我跟我朋友們約好了我們星期五和星期六去舞會。那幾天我就在Michelle的家住。第一天晚上我們去了，可是第二天我們太累了，所以我們没有去，就在家裏看電影。星期天我就開回家了。星期一我跟我朋友Cynthia約好去一家泰國菜吃午飯。 那家菜特别好吃。我後兩天在那裏吃午餐。我星期二拿到一輛新車。我星期三到我好朋友Phoebe的家去玩。我星期五和六在我媽媽家住。星期天我就快快得開回學校。我的春假真忙哦！！！！

Blog 4

春假：

我非常喜欢我之春假！我上上个星期六回家。我回家以后，就睡觉！因为我之父母很想我，所以每个晚上我们出去吃晚饭！但是我之姐姐不回家。我还很想她。我之朋友们星期天回家，让我很兴奋！他们在Baylor和Harvard学习。每个天我们出去玩儿，吃饭。我们也看Red Riding Hood.我们都很喜欢！我得回去的时候，我非常伤心。我多么爱我家和朋友们！

the rise of Nanjing

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/travel/20nextstop-nanjing.html?scp=3&sq=china&st=cse The article looks at the recent development of Nanjing as a cosmopolitan city and a "vital engine of China's economic growth". The city is saddly known for "the Rape of Nanking" conducted in 1937 by the Japanese Army. But nowadays, thanks in part to its geographical position, the city is blossoming and one way it shows is through the Zifeng Tower (shown below) and the establishment of different museums. Nanjing Zifeng Tower (found on http://www.chinabuilders.net/) Museums mentionned are the Contemporary International Practical Exhibition of Architecture , the Nanjing Sifang Art Museum and The Nanjing Drug Art Museum. The article associate the renewal of the city with the desire to have more contemporary art and the increase of live music. He also says that a lot of this come from around the universities. From the description the city seems very lively and open minded.

China Guarantees Nuclear Safety

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-03/26/c_13799468.htm

With the recent nuclear disaster in Japan, China has gone on the record to guarantee the safety of its nuclear facilities. Officials have claimed that China's seven nuclear reactors show no defects, and safety statistics that are higher than the global average. As part of China's next 5 year plan, China will launch new nuclear energy projects as a form of clean energy, an plans to have 66 nuclear plants by 2020.

China’s repression undoes its charm offensive

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/chinas_repression_undoes_its_charm_offensive/2011/03/24/AFdlxRYB_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

In light of the protests in the middle east, China has become increasingly harsh in its crack downs, jailing protesters and human rights lawyers, and increasing its censorship of the internet, all of which goes along way towards undoing its efforts in its good will campaigns abroad. As China's military and economy grows, this causes rising nervousness among its neighbors, who unite to try and balance out China's growing power. That makes China's good will missions of the utmost importance to it to gain friends and allies abroad, which is being completely undone by its repression at home.

BBC Chinese Service Makes Final Broadcast

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12864041

Due to a decrease in government funding, the BBC Chinese service has aired its final radio broadcast. The program, delivered in Mandarin, brought global current events to the attentive ears of the Chinese for 70 years. As the article states: it was how people were informed, nationally and internationally. But time passes, and technology became more advanced. Instead to affixing their ears to the radio, people began turning to the internet for the latest news. But, as we know, the internet is censored by the government, so people aren’t always getting the full story; whereas in radio, there was hardly any censorship involved, because it was based in the UK. So, it seems like radio is the better option for receiving news. It’s unfortunate how such valuable programs must be cut simply because of money. I think that this situation mirrors the public radio funding in the US. Recently, I think NPR, National Public Radio, had funding cut from the US government. As a frequent listener, I was shocked to hear that the government would choose to deprive people of a prominent source of news. But what can you do? As with the BBC Chinese Service, money got tight.

Master of slap Stick Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle

If Dragon Ball Z, Looney Tunes, and Freakazoid, were all thrown into a blender to make a live action movie, the result would be Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle. It’s silly and funny and absurd, but beyond the absurdity that might question Chow’s state of mind, there’s a brilliant modern tribute to slapstick comedy.

And if this movie isn’t quite as hilarious as Chow’s Shaolin Soccer, it nevertheless achieves, with its clear picture of social inequality in the mid-20^th century China, a piquancy the other film lacks. Kung Fu Hustle dramatizes social inequality; it portrays in ways that invite laughter the differences between the poor and the rich.

Kung Fu Hustle also suggests how Western technology has influenced China, leading it away from traditional teachings and in a modern direction. Kung Fu Hustle also confronts the modern problem concerning the relationship between China and Hong Kong. But, of course, it’s all done with comedy.

At the beginning of the movie, a rival to the Axe Gang speaks Mandarin; other characters speak Cantonese. The difficulties of communication as well as the tension that leads to massive violence match corresponding problems existing between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong. Later, when Donut, a master martial artist, dies, his final words cannot be understood: He’s also speaking Mandarin while everyone else in the scene speaks Cantonese. Like mainland China, the characters are unwilling to learn or even accept Cantonese. Donut, however, is expected to speak Mandarin. And like Hong Kong, if he’s going to be understood, he must know both languages.

Kung Fu Hustle takes place in the early to mid-forties in Shanghai. The film follows the misadventures of two wannabe gangsters, Sing and Sum. They’re dimwit, lowlife burglars with dreams of becoming famous and infamous. Their failed attempts to impress the Axe Gang bring nothing but chaos and pain to the impoverished town of Pig Sty, where a vicious landlady and her obtuse husband maintain rule with their iron fists.

Because of the Sing and Sum mischief, the Axe Gang suddenly appears in Pig Sty and starts to make trouble. Three residents of Pig Sty who are also martial arts masters stand up to the Axe Gang but in the end they die in the effort. Kung Fu Hustle then becomes a series of action-packed, sensational, slapstick fighting that parodies Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and other Kung Fu movies as well as The Matrix. The fights are so extraordinary and so enhanced by special effects that they make no pretense to realism but instead approach cartoonish absurdity. The final fight, a very entertaining sequence, has it all, from “Spiderman” references to allusions to cartoons to men falling from the sky.

Underneath all the chaos, madness, and absurdity lies an emotional David and Goliath story. The classes struggle, clash. Western ideals translated and imported are inadequate and even absurd, but the cruelty and economic hardships of a dictatorial society are unacceptable and pernicious.

Kung Fu Hustle’s humanism and sympathy for the lowly underdog, its comic book-like characters and its visually frenetic action all come together to form an unconventional and enticing story of camaraderie, hope and triump

Review of Kung Fu Hustle

Kung Fu Hustle successfully blends together traditional Chinese and Western culture into an unexpectedly amusing film. Director Stephen Chow has succeeded in creating a comical montage of references to films such as Spiderman and the Matrix as well as martial arts. Surprisingly, his film was widely received, even though the dominant language spoken in the film is Cantonese. Humor is the predominant explanation for such high reviews of Kung Fu Hustle.

Even if you mute the movie, I think that the actions and emotions of the characters would be sound enough to convey meaning to the audience. For example, when Sing is being chased by the stubborn Landlady, to emphasize how their speed, we see their legs rapidly turning in circles- an obvious and silly reference to the Looney Tunes cartoons. The relationship between the Landlady and Sing is reminiscent to Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Sing provokes the Landlady which results in some sort of chase just as the Roadrunner never fails to put Wile E. through a futile pursuit. You can tell by the Landlady’s facial expressions just how relentless she is in trying to catch Sing. These cartoony scenes indicate clearly that language isn’t a barrier for understanding comedy.

The comedy is so overwhelming, however, that I missed most of the political remarks. Understandably, these sorts of messages should be covered up with a little bit of ridiculousness to get away from censors, but it seems that Stephen Chow is more focused on making a successful movie rather than a political statement. And, perhaps, language is a barrier, if you’re attempting to locate these political nuggets and find yourself hurriedly scanning the subtitles and chuckling at the outrageous behavior instead.

Kung Fu Hustle definitely possesses the bag of tricks necessary to garner an audience. If you want to find out what secrets Chow’s hidden in it, however, keep a straight face, will ya?

Wow, that's a big fist!

Kung Fu Hustle is a comedy through and through, slapstick balls to the wall wackiness with touches of genuine brilliance in its varied cultural parodies and frequent vacillation between genuine emotion and Loony-Toon style silliness.
It is above all else, a film that succeeds in a single unambiguous goal, to entertain. Kung Fu Hustle carries no obvious pretensions of high art, it is a sweeping epic of slapstick comedy, well shot choreography, engaging CG, and memorable characters. That is not to say that there is no significant artistic or intellectual undertones at work in the movie, but the purpose of audience amusement eclipses the sociopolitical statements and (in my opinion) ultimately amplifies underlying themes by marrying them to humor and action. Like Quentin Tarantino’s pulpy amalgamation of high-brow intellectualism and cathartic violence (from which the film draws heavily) Kung Fu Hustle proves what can happen when talented creators blur the line between “art” and entertainment.

The story itself follows Sing, a downtrodden everyman whose various misfortunes have convinced him that “good guys never win”. He aspires to join the fearsome Axe Gang and finds himself trapped in an escalating conflict between retired kung fu masters and the dark Hannibal-like “Beast” that the gang hires to destroy the Pig Sty heroes.

Hilarity ensues.

It’s refreshing to see a movie so willing to be spontaneous and uninhibited, Kung Fu Hustle is aware of its source material and intended audience, paradoxically touching and silly as it dissects popcorn munching mainstream successes (primarily Kung-Fu films) with gleeful fervor. Along the way the movie touches upon Spiderman, the Shining, Loony Toons, Kill Bill, the Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and many more. The expectation is that a comedic film so diverse in its source material might drop the ball, derail pacing or simply get lost in pursuit of comedic tangents (any familiarity with recent Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer films i.e. “Epic Movie”, proves that drawing from many different sources of parody is not always a good idea). However, Kung Fu Hustle remains tightly focused even as cultural reference after cultural reference is dropped skillfully into the action. Much like the movie’s subtleties of culture and artistic meaning, these references do not overwhelm or detract from the singular goal of an enjoyable movie going experience.

Kung Fu Hustle’s success as an entertaining piece of culture brings me to an important point for which I must briefly digress, but that I’m sure many reading will find relatable.
Too often when encountering Chinese culture I adopt a straight-faced paranoia that keeps me from appreciating comedy or heart. Every piece of foreign popular culture that falls into my lap becomes an unavoidable search for meaning rather than face-value appreciation of the work’s entertainment value. I read through “Chaos and all that” and “Please Don’t Call me Human” with all the intensity and seriousness of a CIA code-breaker, certain somehow that if I could just study the foreign words in front of me I could unlock some hidden substrata of international understanding. It wasn’t until I heard Jennifer read passages in class that I suddenly realized that these works were meant to be funny. I was somehow shocked that culture was meant to entertain (then again after watching Platform that’s an easy perception to have).

However Kung Fu Hustle remains enjoyable while ensuring that every aspect of its complex combination of cinematography, choreography, comedy, and music is well crafted and cleverly utilized. It's not often that a zany comedy is so brilliantly shot. Not just the choreography, but CGI effects, fast cutaways, the slow panning, high angles and the tracking through intricate sets, even tried and true bullet-time seems fresh when Stephen Chow has his chance at the helm.
No aspect of the movie seems out of place or detracts from its seamlessness, all aspects pointing towards a deliberate cinematic purpose.
The film’s music in particular is extremely relevant, comprised largely of traditional Chinese with only a few more modern exceptions it serves to subtly underline differences in tone between the humble inhabitants of Pig Sty and the nefarious Axe Gang. While the poor peasants are accompanied by folk-like Chinese melody, the Axe Gang and Beast warrant darker tunes, low jazzy trumpet rumbles and sinister tones that display a degree of sophistication and danger.
Throughout the film the music holds up well, often as overtly indicative of drama, triumph, and terror as any traditional action adventure movie music (think Indiana Jones) with the addition perhaps of an eastern flair.

Perhaps the cost of Sing’s slapstick misfortunes and childish hilarity is that Kung Fu Hustle ends up having less to say than a strictly “art” film of comparable skill. Even if that is the case, it’s a reward well worth the cost. In the end, Kung Fu Hustle succeeds in more treacherous territory than most filmmakers would dare tread The film’s sharp, silly dialogue, acutely funny allusions to pop culture, and sudden lurches between humor and seriousness never delay the action or feel tacked on. What actor/director Stephen Chow lacks, is the maturity to invest his work with anything that might provoke a deeper more heartfelt emotional response to his characters beyond momentary sympathy. Nonetheless, Kung Fu Hustle is very entertaining. A film with the sophistication not to overreach, Kung Fu Hustle is a must see for anyone looking for brilliant comedy with artistic bite that translates well across international borders.

China Upholds Death Penalty

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/world/asia/24briefs-Xinjiang.html?_r=1&ref=asia

China over the years that it has been in existence has amassed a large amount of territory, and with this territory came a wide variety of different ethnic groups. One of the ethnic minorities living in China are the Uighurs, the majority population in Kashgar. Apparently in Xinjiang seven people, all of Uighur origin, were convicted of murder and robbery. Their goal was to gain enough money to support their terrorist group. Those who were murdered were mostly Han Chinese migrant workers. Almost two dozen people were snetenced to death for their participation in the crime, three were given life in prison, and others simply dissapeared. The Chinese government has long tried to produce a better image of itself, especially after the Tiananmen disaster; however, it seems progress will be slow.

Bridges Across China

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2011-03/18/content_12193590.htm

This article takes something commonplace in China, bridges, and shows how the many varied styles reflects different periods in Chinese history and culture. We generally think of things as culturally important only if there are a limited number of them, but there are millions of these bridges all across China.

China Requires the Dalai Lama to Reincarnate

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_642468.html

For the first time in Tibet’s history the Dalai Lama has expressed a desire to choose the next Dalai Lama through a selection process, one that might include “democratic elections.” While most of the modern world might rejoice in this progressive suggestion, the Chinese government has made it very clear that the Dalai Lama’s successor must be his reincarnation, and on top of that officials reserve the right to approve or reject all reincarnations of “living Buddhas.” I find it extremely difficult to take the PRC seriously when it starts claiming control over intangible, religious traditions. The only reasonable explanation (if there can be anything reasonable said about this novelty) is that the Chinese are resorting to dictating a world that is most likely laughing from above because they can no longer maintain any legitimate political power in their Earthly kingdom. Talk about desperate... The Communist Party lost its mandate of Heaven a while ago, and it’s about time they accept that fact rather than attempt to infringe on the sovereignty of the spirit world.