The internet has been very unstable, and I haven't managed to get into my blog for a while. Very frustrating. The Chinese government blocks sites it doesn't like (can't control), such as blogs, YouTube, Facebook, even Google (and gmail).
Previously we managed to get around the obstructions using a VPN. But the govt is expanding "The Great Firewall", and now disrupting VPNs as well. So access is becoming sporadic at best.
What can we do? Not much, it's one of the hazards of living in China.
I just managed to get into the blog, so better do a post while the going is good.
Here are some recent photos.
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| Near Times Square in Hong Kong in February 2015. Lots of fireworks and lion dance. Must have been a celebration of some kind. Notice the five suckling pigs all laid out in a row. |
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| Tree growing, somehow, out of a wall - a common sight in Hong Kong. |
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| I visited the "Teaware Museum" in Flagstaff House (former British Military Commander's residence) in HK Park, behind Central. Interesting juxtaposition of old buildings and very modern in background. |
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| There are many students from Kazakhastan at our university. They celebrated their "new year" in late March. Here is Vera talking to some of the Kazak students she met while studying Chinese. A couple of weeks later the Kazak team beat Congo 6 - 3 in the final of the International Students football competition - impressive skills. |
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| The Kazak girls prepared lots of food to celebrate their New Year. Later there was music and dancing, but segregated (Kazaks are Moslems, but don't seem very strict). |
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| Vera with a lady she has befriended who works in one of the food canteens. |
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| Some of the 45 Graduate students in my Oral English class. They are from two majors: survey & mapping and politics (Marxism). |
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| 15 April we visited Zhong Shan Park in Qingdao City to see the Sakura cherry blossoms. Lots of people even on a Wednesday. |
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| Vera enjoying the blossoms. |
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| Lidya, Paul and Vera in front of the hotel outside Zhong Shan Park where we had lunch. Actually, this is the hotel we stayed in for a couple of nights when we first arrived to teach in China in August 2009. Seems so long ago now. |
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| Two old veterans collecting money for a cause, outside Zhong Shan Park. |
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| Photo taken from our balcony. Roadworks in progress. The build infrastructure quickly in China - work all hours and conditions - as I am typing this post at 10pm I can see them pouring concrete! |
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| Vera invited some of her foreign-student friends for lunch at our place. From left: Martha (Central African Republic); Nomu (Mongolia); Vera; Lindo (Zimbabwe). They will graduate in Petroleum Engineering at the end of this year. |
'Rooster to feather duster', or 'How a minute can change your life'
Bi Fu Jian was one of the best-known TV hosts in China.
Bi Fu Jian (Chinese: 毕福剑; pinyin: Bì Fújiàn), also known by his nickname Laobi (老毕;
Lǎo Bì literally Old Bi), was a television host and part time university lecturer.
He was born in Dalian, Liaoning Province in 1959. In 1976 he was "sent to the countryside", as was common with teenagers during the cultural revolution. In 1978 he joined the Navy where he spent seven years. He then studied media and when he graduated in 1989 he joined govt-run China Central Television (CCTV).
He tried his hand at various things, finally ending up as host of a talent show called Xingguang Dadao (Avenue of Stars). His relaxed, laconic, humorous style made him very popular and the show flourished.
Bi was so well-known and liked that since 2012 he has co-hosted CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, the most prestigious show in China.
But he has had a sudden fall from grace.
On 7 April 2015 a video recording of him at a private dinner went viral. The recording, which is a little more than a minute, showed Bi singing extracts from a 1958 revolutionary opera and he is heard to say "Don't mention the old son-of-a-bitch, he tormented us" which was understood to refer to Mao Ze Dong.
CCTV immediately suspended his programs, and although Bi made a public apology he was sacked.
While Chairman Mao is acknowledged to have made some mistakes ("70% right, 30% wrong"), he occupies a special place in New China and flippant or sarcastic remarks, especially by someone as prominent at Bi, could not be tolerated.
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| Bi Fu Jian was one of the most popular TV hosts in China, but flippant comments about Chairman Mao brought him unstuck. |
| A screen shot of the video of Bi Fu Jian at the private dinner. His life will never be the same. |
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That's all for now ... until I can get access again.
Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.
Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the university of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
