Tony_onrock

So not a mainstream movie, I guess? Considering the movie isn't in English and it switches Chinese dialects from Shanghai to Mandarin to Cantonese(during the HK shots) throughout the movie you would guess correctly my friend. If it keeps on switching who the hell can understand the thing? Few Shanghainess understand Cantoness and No cantoness understands Shanghainess and Most Mandarine speakers can understand either Shanghainese or Cantonese and a lot of Cantonese can't understand Mandarine, most none Chinese can't understand a word of it not matter what and most Chinese that have problems understanding it can read them English subtitles. So who can understand it??? Well, it is not playing in China yet and unlike most other movies, not being sold at street corners either. I guess it must be the language problem that scared the counterfeit dealers. They start selling most other movies before it hits the theatres.

Just curious, has anyone figured out a way to blow up that three gorges dam yet? I remember the government saying years ago that no terroist can ever destroy it. It would be fun to see if it indeed is as strong as claimed.

Sooner or later it will explode. As you guys are debating, I am in Sichuan province, trying to get land, more land. Because the public bidding process is pushing land price up so high, most developers are finding it harder and harder to get land and develop it with a decent profit. What is the solution? Getting land from peasants. Our partner is getting 7000 mu of land (each mu is about 6600 sq. meters and each sq. meter is about 9 square foot) at a fraction of what it will cost at public auction. The reason: getting it from the farmer. Had lunch with some officials here in Chengdu, heavy drinking. The aim: land! Without land developers can not survive, without land the peasants will have to leave their homes to venture into the city to work. Not sure if the urbanization is a good thing or bad one, but the villiage leader, an old commie from Mao's time grabbed some good land and we need to pay him a 150 million premium (compared to what his family paid). It is fking ugly, but then we partner up with developers who partner up with the party and government.

Some very disturbing findings indeed Jim. Yet, my wife retorts: So? Billions of Chinese eat this exact kind of food everyday and they don't all die or become sick, not even 1%. I suspect the vast majority of all our SOs will say the same. I've lived in poor GuangXi province for 6 months myself and have eaten at the poorest little eateries for like 2-4 rmb meals. I didn't get food poisoning. I also lived in Shanghai for 1.7 years from 2004 - 2006 and I don't recall having food poisoning. What I do recall is having a "grossed out" perception and reaction to many of the places I ate at, but in reality they did not produce any negative physical reactions. As for putting a defensive spin on China? Whose doing that? Everyone, including myself, fully concedes that China's environmental and pollution problems are atrocious, widespread, and drastically needs changing. No one disputes that. From what I've seen, the defensive side is always charging in here to defend America. America is a democracy and that in itself will solve everything. America is great. God bless America. Those are the rhetorical "defensive spins" that I see in this thread. For the record, I'll say it again, China's environmental problems are atrocious. They desperately need to change and improve their environmental record. But also understand that China opened up only 25+ years ago. America's had at least 100 years of being an advanced industrialized nation. If you expect China to be on par with the US in every way in 2007, that's delusional. Given its overall economic prosperity for the short 25+ years that it's opened up to the West, I think it's done a remarkable job. I'll criticize and place blame where and when appropriate but by god I'm going to assign credit where it's obviously due as well. China has done an exceptional job of advancing the overall standard of living for the majority of Chinese, much better than Russia or India under "democracy". good for you. I spent 1 week in Guanxi, Nanning and was sick for a whole month afterwards. I think it was the sour bamboo shoot thing they put in the noodles. Last time in Chengdu, I ate at a roadside stand and got violently sick from food poisoning. I could hardly walk. On the other hand, I also got pretty sick in Hong Kong after a seafood meal at Ritz Calton. Got bumps all over me. Food safty is a real problem here, a very big one. Unfortunately the government is just starting to acknowledge this problem and mainly only on exports so far. This is bad. Thus far I only buy milk powder, cheese, etc tha I feed my baby and her toys that is 100% imported.

Chinese pop sucks

Forget about working. It is not worth it. Get her to use the time and really catch up on the language.

If you want to save a few bucks, try hotels in Jersey City and Hoboken accross the river from the city. It is a 10 minute ride on the Path train to downtown NYC from both cities. Try the shows during Christmas but book well ahead of time. If you wife is from the nothern part of China try Flushing China Town and she can get real Sichuan and Northern food. Rockefeller Center Christmas lights are nice. Try Blue Notes in the village if you like jazz and blues.

A feminist and a lawyer? You know what that means. I had a few encounters with a few in the court in New York before. Their universal belief is that all fathers will molest their daughters and all man should be killed with sperm extracted before cloning and same sex marriages can produce offsprings. As for the lawyer part, my guess is that she works in the family law area and most likely quite often as law guardian. On the cultural differences, I once heard a feminist judge in Manhattan family court state that sexul molestation in China is an accepted and commom practice, not out of bias, but based on her personal observation. She made one trip to China as a tourist and saw mothers in the countryside trying to get little boy (1 year old) to piss, whistling but also touching the boy's weewee. Anther example is that children tend to sleep with their parents when they are quite old in China, some even 3 or 4 year old still sleep in the same bed as their parent. Thus she assumes that the parents must be engaging the child in deviant sex. Judge Schecter, the feminist judge could not understand anything different than what normal villiage people do (greenwhich villiage, I mean).

want to trade? I will trade you my son for our step daughter.

It is indeed cool place. I spent about two months around it to negotiate the acquisition of 353 Nanjing East Road. Visit Plaza 353 next time you are on it. It is due to open (fingers crossed ) next June. We got an internationally renowned desiger to revamp it (40,000 sq. meter ) mall.

In China, you need to balance out the bribes (or connection) paid by the other side to get justice. The best trial lawyers in China never argue in court. They resolve cases in their favor at dinner tables, ex parte! Even for criminal cases, there is a semi-public price list. X amount from death penalty reduced to life in prison and so forth. You can put Perry Mason in a Chinese court and he will end up in prison before the close of his third case. TIC=this is China!

Hmm, very interesting. I did not know of this story to begin with until this thread, and certainly not the details you've described Tony. Indeed sounds typical of Chinese police and guanxi. On the other hand, aren't you in a position to directly help and affect change, as you're a lawyer stationed in China? Why not get out of corporate law and help all these countless number of innocents who need your defense? One could argue that by helping the "corporations", you're in fact helping to perpetuate the suffering of the helpless. But I won't argue for that position. Well, I worked for years in public interest sector in New York. I think I have paid back my dues. In China, there is little an attorney can do arguing in the courts. The judges are more or less as corrupt as the other officials. I am no longer an idealistic young man. I need $,$$$,$$$ as motivation.

Did any one read the full account of the story and how the guy lost his case? The old lady did not complain till she heard the cost of the operation to fix her hip, over 100,000 RMB. Then in court, the police report was missing when the guy tried to get a copy of it. Yet, the old lady was able to produce a photo of the records that her son took two days after the incident. The head of the police station lied first in court and said he took the photo of the statements, clear perjury. The court ignored the evidence rule, ie. the plaintiff has the burden of proof and the fact that the guy has an eye witness. Why was the trial court and police all helping the old lady? Her son was a policeman in the precinct! TIC= this is China. Every one talk about civility, no one focus on the abuse of power and corruption of the police and the court.

Seen this before all over the net in Chinese websites. China is a world of two peoples. Other than shedding a few tears, what can we or should we do? This world is never fair or we may have to go back to Mao time and all live like that. We don't have any reason to appologize. I lived through hard times like that too! We work hard like crazy for every dime we earn as well. If any one should feel bad, it is the government officials who, almost without exception, take bribes. If those exact poor people don't take any action, so be it. I am not going to fly economy or stay at 4 star hotels because there are some poor souls starving out there. Sorry if I sound heartless or mad. Just read the next post in that post, one guy asked if the pictures were taken by Fa Long Gong members! For ignorant people, they deserve it.

Well, let people say what they want to say. I say a lot of bad things about China cause I live here. I said a lot of bad things about NY, cause I lived there. That does not mean I don't love China or New York.

I hate them. I only picked up a few ice-cream moon cakes from Hagendas(sic) and it was a gift certificate from a law firm we use. Some one gave me one at the office, I ate it, then took two insulin shots before I headed to the airport on a three hour flight. Blood suger level went too low and I had to beg the air hostess to give me sandwiches, 4 of them! Still got two boxes of them, all gifts and not sure what to do with them. The holiday is already over.

Marriage is a scary thing. You will find a lot of Chinese women who would want to get married soon. I met quite a few and each jumps into bed on the first date and by the 3rd or 4th time, she would be talking about marriage over the next major holiday. She probably is also talking to a few other ones like that. Marriage to some is a way out of current standard of living. Also depends on age, if she is in her 30s or older, ya, it is a cultural thing, cause soon she will be too old. There are a whole group of those out there in the states as well. If there is a definite difference in income, marriage proposal for woman is more suspect. You have to realize that for quite a lot of Chinese buying an apartment is a life time struggle, but for some of us, it is just one month's income. It took me two years living together to make the decision. I am glad the decision is by and large the correct one.

Disclosure is a bad thing, so is joint account. Just tell her that you will be able to provide for her and the kids and she does not have to worry about finance is enough.

Two different people. Russians talk, Chinese work.

Let me summarize: (1) Chinese do help out more their family and friends to the extent most Americans will not do. (2). Chinese (now in mainland) generally do not help strangers. It is sad truth. But then it all depends on the people and education level as well. I had a few falls on the campus of universities while roller blading and generally the students will come and help. But on public street, no such luck. When I help out other strangers, people generally ask me where I was from (implying returnee). I just smile and tell them He Bei. I have seen too many people being extremely rude, including Chinese and American here in China. I guess it is a result of the overcrowded environment.

Just wondering when the housing market in the U.S will hit rock bottom. If it does, we will raise a Chinese fund to buy up, particularly blocks of inner city and turn it into a better neighborhood. There must be quite a bit of value in these houses.

What class were you flying? Company policy, business class or if no business class available, first class.

You can walk about any city in China with a quart of beer or even hard liquor with no problem.

I don't really watch TV or movies in China. Yesterday sat on a flight (finally) out of Chengdu to Shanghai. A girl was sitting next to me and talking really loud on the phone before take off. Then after take off I was talking to a collegue and she wanted to go to sleep. She told me either to lower my voice or move to another seat (not a polite girl at all). After she fell aleep I thought about spitting in her water bottle, but did not do it. Just before landing, a hostess came over to get a autograph and her assitant came over to first class. I realized that she may be some kind of famous person. Chatted with her and found out she was in TV and movies, gave her my phone number and got off. Later I asked my driver who this woman was. It turned out that she was considered the sexiest star in China now. I did not see it, though. Lucky I did not know before, or I would have definitely spitted in her water bottle and be able to brag about it.

My wife doesn't either...Probably no Chinese does but you just have to give them as gifts anyway and then everybody can throw them out... I don't know about you guys... but moon cakes make me dizzy and... http://i5.tinypic.com/2wqrcly.gif Ya, that is the one. I ate one three days ago and it almost sent me into shock. It was basically made of sugar and grease