Current Events

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/1014992818671050/

Lunar New Year Lights Up Hong Kong

South China Morning Post

Quote

Seen lots of 'piggies' out on display around Hong Kong? The city is all decked up to welcome the Year of the Pig.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[amberjack1234]

Fantastic!!!

[Randy W]

from the Shanghaiist

 

“Exploitation.” Awkward translation faux pas spotted at China-Africa friendship event

 

Careless mistake or Freudian slip?

 

 

 

That last one was a rather awkward translation of the Chinese word 开拓 (kaituo), which could instead be translated as “development.”

. . .

Despite this, the faux pas didn’t really draw any notice until Caixin reporter Effy Zhang posted a screenshot from the event on Twitter on Saturday:

 

 

[Allon]

"Exploitation" is a word I learned from the French company that bought us out. It means "development" or in some contexts "business" or "commerce." In a sense, it is exploitation.

 

(= entreprise) concern ⧫ business

exploitation agricole farm

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/french-english/exploitation

A lot of us were shocked also when we heard the word used in some of our merging talks. But the French laisons explained it is a word commonly used in business and has several generalized meanings -- development, business in general, but usually relates to capitalization of assets -- squeezing the profits as best one can.

Imagine the derivation of the word.....

Somebody probably just did not get the English sensitivity of the word, but it has the same meaning in French actually, just that the French are probably more frank (sorry ) about it.

[Randy W]

Another little tempest in a teapot. It's very fashionable to criticize a foreign magazine for showing Chinese people in an unfavorable light - until the Netizens realized that they were actually criticizing the Chinese lady themselves.

 

Chinese Netizens Decry, Then Defend, Zara Model’s Freckles

The country’s consumers initially questioned whether model Li Jingwen’s distinctive face was a suitable selection for a makeup line aimed at Asians.

 

 

“Sorry, but we Asian women don’t have freckles — or if any do, it’s just a small minority,” wrote one user on microblogging platform Weibo. “As for this young face, she may be the only one with it. It’s like the model was a needle you found in a haystack.”

“It’s shameless to say that this [makeup line] is specially designed for Asian ladies,” another user commented under Zara’s ad. “How many Asian women have freckles? Don’t you do market research?”

Despite the weekend’s controversy, Li is one of China’s most successful models, standing out among her peers for her distinctive appearance. In December 2016, the 25-year-old was profiled by fashion magazine Vogue: “It is the feather dusting of freckles across her cheekbones that sets her apart from the likes of Fei Fei Sun and Liu Wen, allowing her to chart her own individualistic path toward countless runways and editorials,” wrote the author, comparing Li to two contemporaries.

. . .

Following initial backlash, netizens are now more divided over whether Li’s unique look — which diverges from China’s traditional aesthetic of fair skin and large, rounded eyes — is suitable for an ad campaign aimed at Asian markets.

. . .

On Sunday, Yang Xinyu, a commentary writer for China Youth Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Youth League, argued that it is especially difficult for Chinese people to accept faces that haven’t been touched up — thinned and cleared of blemishes — because of the prevalence of photo-editing apps. “Some people can accept Li’s unique beauty, but others interpret this as ‘humiliating China,’ and these contrasting reactions are an indictment of our ideals of feminine beauty,” he wrote.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Chinese beauty in the eyes of the Chinese beholder . . . from the SCMP

 

Who’s making China look ugly now? Anger over Zara’s ad showing freckle-faced model Li Jingwen only puts Chinese people’s lack of confidence on show

• The overreaction on social media to an advert featuring a Chinese model with little make-up points to the sad reality that despite the country’s wealth and global power, many people still aren’t open-minded or confident enough to see beauty in truth

 

 

Since the ad “Beauty is Here” was released on Sina Weibo last week, a number of angry Chinese netizens have accused the company of defaming China by depicting model Li Jingwen’s face with little make-up and clearly visible freckles. “You spent such an effort searching for a model with freckles, just like finding a needle in the haystack. How hard you must have worked on this!” one comment read.

 

 

[Randy W]

from the Sixth Tone

Paw-Shaped Starbucks Mug Sparks Coffeehouse Catfights

Riding a wave of hype, some in China are reselling the cute cups for hundreds of dollars apiece.

 

 

 

“The ‘cup is hard to find’ situation is rather unexpected,” Starbucks said in Friday’s statement, referring to a trending hashtag on microblogging platform Weibo inspired by the coveted cup — or double-walled glass tumbler, technically. The company’s initial plan had been to sell 1,000 of the mugs — which are molded to make any liquid poured in them take the shape of a cat’s paw — per day online from Thursday to Sunday.

Soon after the mugs debuted at brick-and-mortar Starbucks locations across China on Tuesday, however, the hype around them had reached a fever pitch — and even sparked a few coffeehouse brawls. When 1,000 of the vessels were made available for purchase Thursday on Alibaba-owned e-commerce site Tmall, they sold out in less than one-tenth of a second.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/476113619590416/

South China Morning Post

38 mins ·

Quote

These people liked the Starbucks cat paw cup so much, they got their claws out for it.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

 

 

from Wanderlust Creamery - https://www.wanderlustcreamery.com/flavors

 

THE WHITE

INSPIRED BY: SHANGHAI, CHINA

_______________________________________

Inspired by the Chinese White Rabbit milk candies, has an intense milky ice cream.

*THIS FLAVOR NOT AVAILABLE AT OUR SMORGASBURG LA LOCATION*

 

from the Sixth Tone -

US Creamery Not Authorized to Sell White Rabbit Ice Cream, Company Says

 

 

A Shanghai-based food manufacturer has said it did not authorize an American company to sell an ice cream flavor named after its White Rabbit candy after photos of the dessert circulated on Chinese social media, The Beijing News reported Sunday.

Shanghai Guanshengyuan Food Co. Ltd. said it is looking into the issue after learning that the U.S.-based Wanderlust Creamery has been using its iconic brand. On Feb. 5, the creamery had shared a photo of a limited-edition ice-cream cone in a White Rabbit wrapper, saying it was a collaboration with the blog Foodbeast to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The company has since shared photos of the ice cream multiple times on Instagram.

With the dessert now garnering significant attention on Chinese social media, many netizens say they are wondering why they’ve been left behind. “China doesn’t have it yet, how come it’s already available in the U.S.?” asked one user on microblogging platform Weibo. (Image: VCG)

 

 

[Randy W]

"Chinese Democracy in the Eyes of an American" - from Xinhua, for the Two Sessions in Beijing

 

It's not clear where they dug this guy up

 

[Randy W]

The People's Daily reacts to the Boeing MAX8 disaster

https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesDaily/posts/2365481843503619

The ascent profiles from the two crashes

Edited January 13, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from the SCMP on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/scmp/videos/849741428728398/

South China Morning Post

14 hrs ·

Quote

The China chemical plant explosion death toll has reached 47, with 90 more injured. The blast was felt kilometres away.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

from the SCMP - this is what those "starving children in China" that OUR parents told us about are telling THEIR parents

 

Chinese head teachers ordered to eat with pupils after string of food safety scandals

• Order is one of a string of government directives issued in face of public outrage following series of incidents where pupils were being given rotten and mouldy food
• Parents will also be given a greater role in the buying and preparation of school meals and even be allowed to taste the food themselves

 

 

 

Chinese head teachers have been ordered to eat with their pupils following a string of food safety scandals at schools and nurseries.

The latest incident in Sichuan province last week prompted angry protests outside the school after mouldy food was apparently found in the canteen.

The order that heads eat with their pupils was one of string of directives delivered by three government departments on Tuesday.

They stressed that heads were responsible for food safety and must keep proper records to show they were complying with the rules.

 

 

[Randy W]

No more Land Winds ??!?

 

from the SCMP

 

China bans copycat Range Rover Evoque SUVs, handing a rare victory to foreign carmakers as trademark becomes a trade issue

• A Beijing court has ordered Jiangling Motors to immediately stop making and selling the Landwind X7 sports utility vehicle (SUV)
• The Landwind X7 had copied five unique features from the Range Rover Evoque SUV, the court concluded

 

[Randy W]

from Abacus

 

Thousands of shared electric cars seen discarded in Hangzhou

Is “car-sharing” going down like “bike-sharing”?