Good Reading on China

I just finished reading a book, "Oracle Bones" by Peter Hassler, who worked as a freelance journalist for Boston Globe, New Yorker from 1999. Previously a English teacher and a peace Corp volunteer in Sichuan, Peter wrote his first book, River Town-Two Years on Yangtze, about his teaching in China.

Aimed to introduce China to American audience from its past to present, Oracle Bones did a good job in putting together such significant events and sensitive issues such as Beijing bid for Olympics, Urygur minority's fleeing from the country, Falungun, etc, mass demolishing historic areas in Beijing, etc, it also used the author's quest for prominent academics of Oracle bones-Chen Mengjia, as a thread to put together China's old glories and its new realities.

It is certainly helpful to know nowadays China better by reading Oracle Bones.

China Japan News Roundup

• Tickets for 2008's Beijing Olympics will be on sale starting next year, total 700,000 tickets will be sold through Internet and telephones. The number of tickets available for pubic to view openning ceremony will be about 60,000. (asahi)
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  China successfully launched a first MIC (made in China) broadcasting satelliate in Xichang, Sichuan province. (Niikei)
• 
  A top officer from Japan's ruling party-Liberal Democarcatic Party(LDP), Shoichi Nakagawa, held a TV conference with Taiwan's president Chen Shuibian. Chen called for a trilateral conference among Taiwan, Japan and the U.S. to discuss corss Taiwan Straits issue. (Yomiuri)

Laowai Superwoman in Beijing

Just when everyone in China thinks that it happens all the time and it is not dangerous and illegal to drive within bicycle special lines, a nicely dressed laowai superman steps in and insists changing this bad behavior.

However, even the fact that she is a laowai(foreigner) in China, she is a lady and she is politely smiling all the time doesn't stop her from being smashed by the Chinese drivers. Her bicycle was even taken away and thrown to the ground, however, the laowai lady was so determined to stop the drivers, she turned around and still stop her bicycle in front the violated car, insisting the driver to use the car lines instead driving inside the bicycle lines.

Viva and Bravo to the Laowai Superwomen!

Halloween in China:wedding

Just when most of the U.S. is embracing annual Halloween, when kids turn themselves into princes, vampires, superman and ninja, and adults turn themselves into kids, in China, Halloween is just to catch fire.

A bridal photo place promotes a package for new wedding couples, some photos include vampires series, prehistory sets, prison wedding sets, etc.

Any tricks for the treat of the photo for me?

Rice: US is to Denfend Japan

US secretary of state, Condi Rice, giving a speech on her last week's trip to Japan, China, South Korea. When being asked U.S.'s reaction to weather Japan should develop its own nuclear weapons, a topic that is hotly debated inside Japan, including both Japan's FM Aso and Defense Minister Kyoma, Ms. Rice promised that the United States will follow US-Japan Security guarantee agreement , and will defend japan.

Youtube vs. Toodou(土豆）

After Google bought Youtube for 1.65 billion dollars, Youtube MIC(made in China)-Toodou gets a lot of attention. If you are somehow like me, like reading technology news across the Pacific occean, you will notice there is Chinese search engine that a MIC of Google, Beidu, at the first trading day at NYSE, the price of Beidu jumped over 200 dollars per share.

Does Toodou has a Beidu future, too?

I doubt it. Youtube takes off on its speciality in video uploading and sharing, and speed of the website plays a big role in Youtube's success. However, I tried out Toodou and found it is sooo slow. It takes 15 seconds waiting for the homepage to open, and after clicking a title, it takes 30-40 seconds for the video to appear. While I tested Youtube, both tasks take less than 5 seconds.

Why is Cat's pee so smelly?

Have you ever wondered why your Neko-chan(pet cat) pee so smelly? I did, just one week ago when the boy cat peed by livingroom's windows. I barely had time to react, all in a sudden, the room is smelled like rotten rate house.

So, Why Cat's pee is way more smelly than human?

A Japanese research team in Rikagaku Research Institute and Iwate University, gave out their answers.

In human's case, only when a person is having kidney dieases, the pee will be consisted of large porton of protein, however, in cat's case, even when a cat is healthy, his/her pee will be filled with protein. Among the protein, one kind of amino acid is extremely smelly.

To know more, check out the Japanese report here.