u
l 01 20
09
Proud to be a Canadian (expat)
I love Canada, I truly do.
For all the grief that myself and my fellow compatriots give the country, it really is top shelf as countries go. Sure, it’s a bit vanilla when it comes to foreign affairs and global influence; a bit archaic when it comes to political makeup; and, well, a bit cold.
But it’s clean, big, relatively safe, under-populated and has enough of a balance between social conscience and capitalistic motivation for my liking.
The question that shadows me every day I live abroad, and is usually not far from the lips of my family, is “when…
read more...a
y 27 20
09
a
r 31 20
09
I am an atheist
I’ve always considered myself a spiritual person. But I suppose if I’m going to write about this properly, I need to define that at least a little. I’ve always looked at myself and my life as a palette by which I can express my existence in more than just a purely utilitarian way. I view myself as more than the sum of my parts. This, to me, defines spiritualism.
However, I have absolutely no belief in any god or gods, nor do I believe in miracles or magic. I have no hope of heaven, nor a fear of hell. I…
read more...a
n 30 20
09
Hi, I’m China and I like to blow shit up
As a foreigner, it’s impossible to live in China for any length of time and not develop some sort of Chinese New Year strategy.
Most, the rich and clever ones at least, leave the country. Getting the frack out well before the world’s largest human migration takes place and starts blowing shit up is ideal, but simply not practical for everyone – particularly those of us who have spouses that get all warm and fuzzy around the holiday.
Chinese New Year is, for all intents and purposes, the Christmas of the East. Warm familial gathers, gifts, crowded malls, last-minute shopping,…
read more...a
n 17 20
09
Optima Pet Food Saga: Media’s double-edged sword
It’s been a crazy week – both with trying to catch up on work I let slip while caring for Addie over the holidays and also with trying to bring some perspective to this whole, ongoing, experience.
When all this began I created a Google Alert for “Optima dog food”, so I’d know any time the phrase appeared on Google’s news channel. For weeks there wasn’t a peep, but then suddenly (just after the Shanghai Daily piece) it lit up and I began receiving several notices a day.
Perhaps most prominently, the Associated Press picked up the…
read more...a
n 12 20
09
Shanghai Daily-late and dollar short
The Shanghai Daily finally got around to reporting on the emergency recall of dog food after pets poisoned and seem just as confused as the rest of the net on where the Optima dog food comes from and how it ended up killing dogs in China (including my baby).
The site reports:
Since the end of November at least 20 dogs are believed to have died in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou from liver complications. Some pets died within 10 days of showing symptoms.
An agent of Shanghai Yidi Pet Co Ltd, a Shanghai dealer of Optima
…
read more...e
c 18 20
08
America more communist than China?
Aside from the proliferation of Chinese food other than Cantonese world-wide, the coolest part of the People’s Republic’s grand opening 30 years ago was that the country started down the long road of disassembling State-run industries. If communism has proven anything, it’s that the government has no ability to properly run a business, any more than a corporation has any ability to run social programs (thank you capitalism for teaching us that nugget).
Now with the majority of State-run businesses at least partly privatized, and the future of an econimically powerful China prophecized, why is it that the Great Torchbearer of…
read more...c
t 30 20
08
Living in China is Easy…
Living in China is easy – or so says the tag line of my new favourite Web site, 5JShop.com.
The site offers home delivery of groceries in and around the Jinji Lake/SIP area of Suzhou. Yeah, we just click, click, click and hit send and magically a man appears the next day with our groceries. Blows my fucking mind.
Now, I’ve heard of similar services back home, but have had little cause to use them. Shopping in Canada is about as stressful as a yoga class. You show up, listen to a bit of Musak,…
read more...c
t 01 20
08
Food for thought
Having just finished smacking a god-like amount of meat into patties for a BBQ I’m hosting tomorrow, food isn’t exactly the topic I’m most excited to blog about.
However, a little vodka’n'cranberry therapy at hand, it’s time I tackle a topic I’ve been meaning to address for a while now – the biggest bone of contention between my wife and I. Yup, it’s food.
Coming from two wildly different cultures, it’s likely of little surprise that we differ quite a lot. I’m outgoing, she’s introverted; I joke, she scowls (even at my best material); she’s fit, I’m … not; I’m…
read more...e
p 11 20
08
If it had been a mirror, this would all be over now
I barely remember where I was last week at this time, but like most North Americans, I can clearly remember where I was 7 years ago on this day.
I was the assistant editor for a series of music/performance-based magazines. I had grabbed my extra large double double and headed in to work. I hadn’t finished the cup when my boss’ wife, Mo, came into the office and said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
With no TV in the building, we all crowded around a little radio in Mo’s office and listened to reports that…
read more...u
g 23 20
08
Dead babies don’t get A.D.D.
i just finished reading this MSNBC article: “Vaccine-wary parents spark public health worry” and I’ve gotta say, man are we eager to be ignorant.
Essentially the article talks about how pockets of populations in the US have had large increases in the number of parents that are getting immunization exemptions. Their argument is that there are known and unknown side-effects to the immunizations – things ranging from allergic reactions and permanent brain damage to possibly causing things like asthma, attention deficit disorder, or autism.
Alright – I’m not a parent, but I can understand that being a parent means…
read more...u
g 10 20
08
u
l 25 20
08
Sweatin’ it out in Suzhou
Despite the repressive heat and complete lack of rain (it’s only drizzled once or twice since I posted about it), the title is pointing more towards a different climate – the Olympic/visa climate.
I’ve been intentionally quiet lately because, to be honest, my stay in China has been resting on a bed of nails.
My visa was up on the 22nd, and until its replacement arrived in the mail the other day, I wasn’t entirely confident I’d be enjoying this sweltering Suzhou humidity much longer.
When Maggie called up the local PSB a couple weeks back and asked about the…
read more...u
n 18 20
08
The True North Strong in Fee
For all the noise I’ve made about the recent visa situation here in China, or bureaucracy here in general, I tend to forget that this isn’t a China-exclusive thing.
Before I can get my visa renewed next month, I need first to renew my passport. No big deal really, a couple of photos, an application form signed by a person of substance that has known me for 2 years and a fee – voila, presto chango I’ve 5 more years of stamp collecting.
But wait – A/Bing the process with that which befalls my brothers and sisters not fortunate enough…
read more...u
n 09 20
08
Bill Moyers on Media Reform
I first learned of Bill Moyers while I was in school for journalism back in Canada. A classmate of mine lent me the book version of his rather famous interview series with Joseph Campbell entitled “The Power of Myth”.
In the years since I’ve watched a handful of his numerous interviews and I have to say that few people ask better questions than Bill Moyers. Not just of his interviewees, but of society at large.
At the recent NCMR, Moyers delivered a rather passionate and enlightening speech about the reforms so desperately needed in…
read more...u
n 08 20
08
Our Apartment in Suzhou SIP (video/photos)
As I mentioned a couple weeks back, we’re moving to a new apartment at the end of the month.
As it is fully furnished (I’ve yet to rent an apartment here that isn’t – though some call into question the definition of “fully”), yesterday we had to head over to the new place and meet with the landlady and realtor to make an itemized list of all the goodies the apartment comes with.
We had been somewhat nonchalant about getting it done, but the realtor impressed upon us the importance, as they’ve had landlords walk out with major appliances…
u
n 04 20
08
Quality of Life vs. Standard of Living
An e-mail to a friend this morning got me thinking about what it’s like to live in China.
By “live”, I don’t mean in the common temporary sense, as a short-term contract teacher or business person might, but rather as someone who has no firm plans on the if and when of their eventual departure.
Moreover, it got me thinking not just about living in China, but the quality of that living.
The big sales pitch that is always thrown around to lure folks here on a lower-than-home salary is that the “standard of living in China is much lower”.…
read more...a
y 07 20
08
Technologically Superior Inferior
You ever have days when technology treats you as the weak new fish in a bad prison movie?
I bought a new computer last week from Dell, and am absolutely loving it. I’ve had the same computer, a Chinese-made Hasee laptop, since trading in my savings to move to Australia for it back in ‘05.
It’s a decent machine and certainly earned its worth, but as I’m now online pretty much every waking hour for work, and I run some pretty hefty apps by way of that work, I’ve known for some time I needed something a bit more…
read more...a
y 01 20
08
Carrefour-3-2-1 – Protest!
So, the fateful day has arrived – the day when Carrefour unleashes its anti-China, pride-taking, I-fart-in-your-general-direction May Holiday sale on the masses of Chinese willing to sell out their nation in order to save a few jiao.
The sale, of course, is backed by French members of the Eight-Nation Alliance, who were frozen more than 100 years ago with strict instructions to be thawed out to mastermind just this occasion.
Ah, but China is no fool this time around. Foreign insults will not be taken sitting down. Hell no, China is a Great Nation now. One of honour, pride,…
read more...p
r 30 20
08
Humanaughtahaironmyhead
So, spring is in the air in lovely Suzhou. Yes – our two weeks of paradise have arrived, and just in time for the droves of tourists looking to capture a picture of the city’s tranquil gardens (which are overflowing with tourists looking to capture a picture of the city’s tranquil gardens).
Spring always stirs in me a desire for change. Perhaps a remnant of my primordial past, or just the fact that I spend most of my days indoors with a slowly dwindling connection to the outside world…
Whatever the reason:
Before: Grizzly Adams
…
Yeeling: 
AJB: 
Ping Pong: 
ccddmj: 
ji xiang: 
