tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63120622961601307242011-05-05T15:53:43.717+08:00Words from a young person living and working in Shanghai.I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-34455571937630291442009-03-04T18:19:00.003+08:002009-03-04T18:23:45.580+08:00

Youtube seems to have been blocked on the mainland again, as I have just found out by getting the dreaded "Connection Interrupted" error when I tried to log on.Testing through a proxy shows that it is definitely not a server problem, so I went on a looksy for videos that might have caused the decision. Not much luck though, unless it's a video entitled "I want to have 50 babies" ...bitterness on

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-12125839745448589522009-02-23T16:21:00.001+08:002009-02-23T16:56:28.707+08:00

Ironically, this year is my year. I was born in 1985, two whole oxen ago and so, in my opinion (I have no real idea what it entails if it IS your year in the Chinese zodiac) this year should be all good for me.However, if you read my previous post about visa intricacies in China you may well know that the turn of the year wasn’t so good for me in terms of legality.My student visa was up just at

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-50183241804721053452009-01-30T11:00:00.004+08:002009-01-30T11:25:31.913+08:00

A selection of comments from my last post."I don't know the exact Z-visa regulations... The "28-year old" rule is new to me, I have people working for me who are younger than 28 and who have a Z-visa.""The only companies who can get a Z visa are those that have a lot of revenue. Also, the 28 year old rule and two years from graduation date are true.""There is no "28-years" rule as far as I know,

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-52039137255894833462009-01-22T23:42:00.006+08:002009-01-26T22:06:41.781+08:00

It's been a long time since I've written an entry for this here blog, and a lot has happened since then.To break it down into its shortest explanation: I've left Fudan, I've left the Shanghai Daily, I've moved apartment and I've started working for these guys. So it's been a hectic post-New Year in Shanghai and more information about jobs/what I'm going to be up to over the next few months will

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-11645307954655429442008-12-10T10:22:00.002+08:002008-12-10T10:28:27.992+08:00

So it's the middle of December, I'm almost done with my stint at Fudan (which turned out to be less of a stint and more of a joke), and I'm also wrapping up things at the Shanghai Daily before heading to the Christmas land of Taiwan for the holidays.And because of the festive cheer that surrounds the festive period, why don't you all festively click on this festive link, then click on the big "

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-66951158599520775522008-12-04T10:31:00.003+08:002008-12-04T11:03:12.041+08:00

So the Guardian ran with the story of this year's graduate employment slump today, a story that has been making the rounds through small papers, Xinhua and, of course, the Shanghai Daily. It's a scary story, but that is not what this post is about.The story cites a quote from another source at the end, detailing how dire the situation is for graduates right now. The quote wasn't given to one

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-56473239227760668792008-11-23T19:24:00.002+08:002008-11-23T19:50:33.616+08:00

China is poised to take over the world with its impressive array of cyber warfare techniques, anti-satellite weaponry and unfair trade controls, according to a US Congressional report presented last Thursday.The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission released its annual report to the US Congress and recommended 45 different courses of action to rectify what they declare as "impedments [

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-67633328159334219742008-11-18T00:31:00.003+08:002008-11-18T00:31:45.222+08:00

So that was just a 15 minute hitch I suppose, back up and running now...

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-85085563176899280932008-11-18T00:26:00.002+08:002008-11-18T00:30:08.054+08:00

As of a couple of minutes ago YouTube seems to have been taken off the lines in China... Not sure if this is a local problem but the site is fine through a VPN but not through your bog standard connection. If anyone has any idea what video has now angered someone somewhere, or if this is just a temporary glitch in the system let me know!I haven't posted in a while but I will posting tomorrow

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-33219275264566762142008-11-05T16:06:00.002+08:002008-11-05T16:15:07.165+08:00

So that last post was a misunderstanding of the Chinese on my part which led to a slightly erroneous post...I read the headline as the 56th president, when in fact the use of the measureword 届 (jie - session) made it the 56th term of the American presidency.Apologies for my crap Chinese. But why they're describing him winning the 56th term of the American presidency I don't know, to me, the 44th

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-44460429720543971872008-11-05T14:46:00.002+08:002008-11-05T14:52:53.693+08:00

So a couple of hours ago Obama was elected in as President-Elect, with a fairly healthy clout of electoral college votes and it's all over the front page of Chinese news websites.Unfortunately Xinhua seems to have made a mistake in their huge headline, which reads "Obama elected as 56th President of the United States."The coverage seems pretty comprehensive, but despite overlooking the fact that

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-78693642031375946192008-11-03T16:24:00.002+08:002008-11-03T16:38:23.157+08:00

Ok, so 2008 was more than that, lots of stuff happened. Bad stuff, good stuff, new stuff etc. But all of that will be covered by lots of people everywhere talking about the state of China after so many huge events (snow storms, riots, earthquake, Olympics, milk powder...)For me though, one of the under reported aspects of 2008 was the presence of really badly designed mascots.The Fuwa – the five

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-42906446917692926282008-10-31T10:47:00.004+08:002008-10-31T11:29:08.502+08:00

So apparently fish is the newest food stuff to become the focus of a melamine scare, and an "insider" source has told the Shanghai Evening News that adding melamine to animal feed has been common practice for the last five years, meaning that we could be looking at something of an epidemic if other live stock are found to have similar levels of the chemical.Shanghai is to "carry out full-scale

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-16641270325743833562008-10-24T09:56:00.002+08:002008-10-24T11:55:32.821+08:00

A brawl between Chinese and Japanese students on Monday night has led to the forced closing of a Japanese restaurant on the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) campus.The owner of the restaurant, who wished not to be named, said: "We have been told to close and change our name by the university's administrative office for safety reasons."The decision, according to the owner, came

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-90728805276786260252008-10-22T11:53:00.004+08:002008-10-22T12:28:40.842+08:00

Can't seem to find anything about it in the English blogging world, but the Chinese blogs based in Shanghai are being overrun by stories about a street fight that kicked off on Monday night between Japanese and Chinese students at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).According to one alleged eye witness report (that's being copied and pasted across blogs throughout the city, but with

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-43722257628597179472008-10-20T09:05:00.005+08:002008-10-20T09:20:00.068+08:00

Really quick post, on something that I will write about in more detail later, but I have been wondering what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) would end up doing on or around October 17 for quite a long time. Now I've found out.Just to explain, October 17 was the day that these regulations came to a glorious end.The, slightly long-winded, "Regulations on Reporting Activties[sic] in China by

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-38327790790716336732008-10-18T11:54:00.004+08:002008-10-18T12:32:31.720+08:00

I started an internship at the Shanghai Daily this week - one of the reasons I haven't posted in a while - and I've spent the time since desperately trying to find some form of work that I can do other than rocking back and forth in a chair...But I suppose for a first week it's not been too uneventful, it doesn't help that they have no real idea what to do with interns though. When I arrived on

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-40517941366029228192008-10-06T12:55:00.003+08:002008-10-06T13:22:33.073+08:00

Dongfang Daily is reporting that a truck carrying fireworks exploded yesterday in Pudong's Century Park, leaving one dead, bit no word on if anyone else was injured in the blast.In other news, the British Communist Party held a party for China's National Day, celebrating 59 years of Communist rule in the country. The head of the British party, Harpal Brar, gave a statement claiming that China has

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-5385710735866508142008-10-03T13:50:00.006+08:002008-10-03T14:19:52.780+08:00

Well, whereas my earlier rant on the topic railed against the lack of sporting facilities that surround the prestigious university, this one is not an apology, but a clarification that there are facilities around – albeit they're kept very secret.The Jiangwan Sports Centre 江湾体育中心 is hidden about 25 minutes walk from the main Handan Road campus, behind the goliath new Wanda shopping complex. I say

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-19334841833488260702008-09-25T11:45:00.005+08:002008-09-25T12:37:20.942+08:00

According to reports by the Guardian today, supermarket chain Tesco has been recalling Chinese imported dairy products, mainly milk sweets, as the Sanlu melamine scare keeps on spreading.The Associated Press are also reporting that twelve countries have banned Chinese dairy imports in the aftermath of the scandal.The story's been bumped slightly from the headlines in China today after dominating

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-64633677199985858912008-09-16T14:06:00.004+08:002008-09-16T14:16:20.038+08:00

The 新闻晨报（Shanghai Morning Post) – part of the Liberation Daily's media group – had a little snippet in today's "Great Britain" section that made me laugh.It was merely a tiny paragraph in a news round up, although how it constituted news I'm not really sure, but the journalist that wrote it seemed to find the fact that Brits only stand on one side an escalator, leaving the left hand side free for

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-82819365023703107822008-09-15T12:01:00.006+08:002008-09-15T18:02:33.920+08:00

I haven't visited Beijing since my return to China, but there's been something that's been bugging me since getting settled at Fudan which seems to be at odds with an expectation of Olympic Spirit.Now I timed my return to China pretty much in sync with the end of the Olympics, so everything I gleaned about China's sporting spectacle was through the British press and blogs. Nevertheless, as

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-90850866219402347762008-09-12T12:20:00.006+08:002008-09-15T19:34:49.032+08:00

The goliath video site Tudou wang (Potato Network) has just been granted a SARFT (State Administration of Radio, Film and Television) licence. This now allows them to operate legally within China.SARFT is the regulator for all broadcasting in China, including a lot of foreign satellite stuff.Danwei reported this today, after the co-founder of Tudou Marc van der Chijs reported it on his own blog.

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-47676354763401444612008-09-12T09:52:00.008+08:002008-09-15T19:36:17.458+08:00

So it's been a pretty hectic couple of weeks, but I've decided to spend some time before I start my daily routine of wondering what exactly is going on to write a little bit about the insanity that is Fudan University. but before I get started, I'd like to apologise for the lack of pictures on this blog, my camera has been busted for a long time and I still haven't got round to fixing it. Check

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-10239907854315581722008-09-07T14:33:00.005+08:002008-09-15T19:36:29.855+08:00

A post will follow later, in more detail, about my recent adventures around Fudan University, but for now, a quick word on a book that someone mentioned to me.Judy Polumbaum's China Ink is a collection of first hand interviews with people associated with the Chinese press and (apparently, I'm still waiting for a copy to reach me in China) it focuses on issues such as commercialism running the

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6312062296160130724.post-5129428106286574902008-08-21T18:10:00.002+08:002008-09-15T19:36:41.419+08:00

So I have never posted before, and I'm not actually in China yet, but I've just seen an interesting little piece of news about the battle for best of the sporting goliaths between the US and China.A Boston Globe worker has just told the BBC that he's been reading the China Daily and how their "sugarcoating" of Olympic medal tallies is trying to make it seem like China is beating the US in Beijing

I only like Chinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10469909673257888109noreply@blogger.com2