CHINA
Country Overview:
"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."
My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.
Contraception - Print Available
Print version of "Contraception", a story about overpopulation in the future, is available from Amazon and can ship worldwide! Get your copy today!
Contraception is Finished!
It is with great pride that I can officially say that my novel Contraception is finally finished.
Right now, the E-book is available for sale ($2.99/￥20) on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and a few other sites.
The print version will be available on Amazon in a week and can ship world-wide! If you buy it, please leave an honest review - I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Article on China.org
I wrote an article here about the most complicated character in the Chinese language
Microfiction
We have a section in the China Today magazine called Microfiction. To be frank, most of these articles are terrible, because a lot of meaning and symbolism gets lost in translation, leaving a bare and often confusing passage. I suggested I write one, focusing of course on China, and after I wrote it, was told that only Chinese authors could be selected. So, here on my blog (the scrapyard for rejected magazine articles) is the microfiction I wrote.
Ming was six years old the first time he flew a kite. His grandfather had taken him to an open field on a hill, overlooking the city below them. Ming had received his kite for his birthday and flying it had been all he talked about for the entire week, until finally, on a sunny Saturday, it was time to fly his kite.
“Hold on tight”, said his grandpa, placing the string wrapped around a piece of wood into Ming’s hand.
“On the count of 3. 1…2…” before his grandpa could finish counting, Ming took off, running across the green grass with the kite flapping behind him. Just as his grandpa had told him, he slowly let the string unwind from the piece of wood until the kite was now high above him, dancing among the blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Ming stopped running to gaze up at his red and yellow dragon-shaped kite that now soared over the city, like his own personal guardian. His grandfather walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“Look grandpa, look how high it is!”
As his grandfather looked up at the red and yellow dragon that contrasted against the bright blue background, he smiled, thinking of the first time he had flown a kite so many years before.
“You’re a natural,” said his grandfather, looking down at his smiling grandson who held onto the wooden stick as if it were the most important thing in the world. After a while of the kite zig-zagging in the sky, it started to falter and eventually came crashing down on the green grass of the hill. Ming looked up at his grandfather with a look of confusion and sadness. The elderly man chuckled as he knelt down on one knee to look at his grandson.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s over,” said the little boy quietly.
His grandpa smiled and said, “This time is over, but nothing lasts forever. We can try again in a bit. Go run over there and get your kite.” Ming raced across the grass as the wind blew against his face and picked up his dragon kite, pausing for a moment to look up at the sky from where it had came. He then ran back over to his grandpa who had already started wrapping the string around the wooden dowel.
“Sit with me for a second,” he told Ming, who sat down next to his grandpa as they both stared down at the city below them.
“Nothing is forever,” began his grandpa, “And nothing should be.”
“But what if I like it?” asked Ming.
“New things will come, which will bring new opportunities and new experiences. A long time ago, this city was much smaller, there was no subway system, and people still road horses on the streets. But now, what do you see?”
“I see cars, and big buildings, and big signs, and people with phones, and trains.”
“That’s right,” said his grandfather. “And one day, maybe those things will be gone, and instead, there will be something better.”
The little boy smiled before asking, “Like when I tear a hole in my pants, mom buys me new, better pants?”
“Exactly. Now, why don’t you pick up that dragon and have another go. I’ll watch you from here.”
The little boy excitedly grabbed his kite in one hand and picked up the string in the other. Then, before smiling back at his grandfather, he one again raced across the hill, slowly letting out the string and releasing the kite until the wind caught it and launched it upwards. As Ming’s grandfather sat in the grass and watched his grandson chase the kite high above him, he too understood that change was not only inevitable, but beneficial. He thought of how quickly China had changed, and although he wanted to hold on to how things were, he understood that a new generation, including Ming, would be the force to drive China forward.
“Grandpa, look! Look!” shouted Ming, as they both stared up into the sky to see the dragon hurtling past them. His grandpa smiled and nodded, knowing that the enthusiasm, curiosity, and spirit of Ming’s generation would lead China to new heights, just as each generation had done before.
Grammy Festival - Beijing 2018
Got tickets to the Grammy Festival at the Changyang Music Theme Park in Beijing over the May-day holiday weekend. Got to see One Republic, Phoenix, Daya, Macy Gray, Carly Rae Jepsen, James Bay, and Pharrell. Amazing festival. Everyone sounded great, the artists were on time for their set, weather was nice, and despite the venue putting ice cubes in the beer, everything was perfect. I always forget how nice it is to do things that break up the routine
China's Social Credit System
Let’s talk about it. Here are the facts:
The idea of a social credit system first appeared in a document from the State Council of China published in June 2014. The country aims for everyone in China to be enrolled in a vast national database that compiles fiscal and government information by 2020.
That system isn't in place yet. For now, the government is watching how eight Chinese companies issue their own "social credit" scores under state-approved pilot projects, including Sesame Credit, a subsidiary of Alibaba (they run Taobao). Other companies include China Rapid Finance, which is a partner of social network giant Tencent (they run WeChat).
A national database will merge a wide variety of information on every citizen, assessing whether taxes and traffic tickets have been paid, whether academic degrees have been rightly earned, overall financial credibility, spending habits, criminal records, and social media behavior. After 2020, each adult citizen, along with their identity card, will also have a social credit score.
The purpose? A social credit system puts people's past history on record, with the goal being to build a better and more fair society. The intentions of the new system are not only economical, fighting fraudulent practices, but also moral. The Chinese government hopes to promote among its citizens socialist core values, such as patriotism, respecting the elderly, working hard, and avoiding extravagant consumption. The government wants to evaluate the behavior of its citizens in various other areas as well, with the aim of “strengthening and innovating social governance.” For example, buying too many video games, as stated in the document, would lower your credit score because those who play vids aren't being productive members of society.
A citizen’s score affects their eligibility for a number of services, including the kinds of jobs or mortgages they can get, and also impacts what schools their children qualify for.
Opinion
This is all sorts of crazy. Not only will the government have access to every data point of what makes you, you, they’ll also be able to control (even more so than they already do) what actions its citizens make simply by saying - “Doing *insert behavior* will lower your social score”. Most Chinese people I’ve talked to, including those who write about politics, have no idea about this system. In the same vein that I support President Trump, I hope this system fails so the government can rethink its approach to how it governs its citizens.
I tried to pitch this story to my boss, and as usual, needed to highlight the “positives”, and I came up with this:
China would be the first country to implement a social credit system, compared to other countries who simply issue a credit score based on fiscal responsibility. The system will also use many of China’s high-tech achievements, including big-data research and face-tracking technology in order to track and maintain the social scores of its citizens. Whether the system will work or not remains to be seen, but China’s ambition for the project is worth commending.
However, it wasn’t quite enough as I was told, “The June issue is already full…”
Novel Update
My novel is currently in the proofreading stage. After which, I'll send it off to have the interior designed, finish up the exterior design (spine + back cover), then get everything uploaded to Createspace and online retailers. It's been a long process, but I've learned a lot and talked with a lot of smart people in the publishing world. I definitely think I'll do it again, as I've seemed to have gotten over the learning curve. However, for my next book, I'd like to do a picture book about China that I've already started. Will post more news about that when its closer to fruition.
Jingshan Park
This park overlooks the Forbidden City and truth be told, is much better than actually visiting the FC.
