Category Archives: Comment

Panda Conservation: Are We Wasting Our Time?

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

Before we begin I need to confess something: I love pandas. There, I said it. I’m a 25 year-old man and I bloody love pandas. Just looking at a panda is enough to make your heart melt, and if you … Continue reading →

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The U.S. Attacks Religious Freedom in China in a Textbook Example of Pot, Kettle, Black

Posted on August 1, 2012 by

“Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise … Continue reading →

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Finally Some Common Sense

Posted on July 25, 2012 by

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know that I have pretty major beef with a lot of reporting on China. It seems that every time China hits the headlines it is for some scandalous, dishonest, or … Continue reading →

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What Childhood Obesity Tells Us About Modern China

Posted on July 20, 2012 by

Last week I talked about stereotypes; specifically the image of foreign men in China as lecherous creeps there to defile local women. Well, two can play that game; and by “game” I mean stereotyping, not defiling of women, although that … Continue reading →

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A Land of Contradictions

Posted on July 17, 2012 by

What I love about China is the way it defies pigeonholing. As the historian Yi Zhongtian puts it: “The Chinese people are frank yet tactful, honest yet sophisticated, suspicious yet gullible, stubborn yet flexible, unscrupulous yet loyal, advocate etiquette yet … Continue reading →

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Fighting Stereotypes in China

Posted on July 11, 2012 by

I don’t quite know where I stand when it comes to stereotyping. On the one hand we’re taught that it’s wrong to judge people before we know them, but at the same time I think it’s part of a natural … Continue reading →

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The Last Maoist Village in China

Posted on July 4, 2012 by

In the 1980s, while most of China embraced market reforms that would accelerate economic growth, a small village in Henan Province staunchly clung to Mao’s ideology of collectivisation, and continues to do so today. Nanjie Village is like no other … Continue reading →

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A New Wave of Yellow Peril?

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

The phrase “yellow peril” first came into use at the end of the nineteenth century as thousands of Chinese labourers immigrated to the United States and Europe. The fear was that the vast numbers of Chinese people would  not only … Continue reading →

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Creativity in Chinese Classrooms

Posted on June 23, 2012 by

This article from ‘The Diplomat’ touches on an important issue – the need for educational reform in China. Having taught in China for two years, I know just how archaic the current system is, with many classes being led by uninspiring, … Continue reading →

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Double-Ended Sex Toy Mistaken For A Mushroom By Chinese Villagers

Posted on June 20, 2012 by

Question: What is a “vaginanus”? Is it: a) a sex toy with a vagina at one end and an anus at the other b) a kind of rare mushroom c) the cruelest thing you could name your child If you were … Continue reading →

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