Comments on: In Search of New China Blogs

By: Benjamin Ross

Benjamin Ross — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:55:32 +0000

@Tora

Unfortunately, my Spanish is just about good enough to order lunch at the Taqueria down the street, and that’s about it…not quite at blog reading level yet. I’ve been making an effort to learn, especially since my neighborhood is about half Mexican, but am finding learning Spanish in the US to be considerably more challenging than learning Chinese in China.

By: Tora

Tora — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:28:05 +0000

How’s your Spanish? A blog I rather enjoy reading is chino chano
http://chinochano.zoomblog.com/

By: Gabrielle

Gabrielle — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:35:03 +0000

Hey there. I’ve commented on a few other blogs about this, but I figured I come here too, just in case. I have a favor to ask of someone. I recently received a postcard from Hong Kong, completely written in Chinese. Could someone with the awesome ability to read and understand Chinese hop on over to my blog and translate it for me? Thanks in advance. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I agree with Kevin about http://www.simpsonsparadox.com. I enjoy reading Meg’s blog a lot. I’ve been living vicariously through her words a lot since I got back.

Another one that I’ve visited lately is http://www.aroseninchina.blogspot.com. She’s got an interesting perspective on China.

I found http://projectjanel.org/china/index.html randomly one day, but I do believe it’s dead – in that she hasn’t added anything to it in a very long time.

By: justrecently

justrecently — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:37:51 +0000

There are some blogs about China that I read regularly, and I think the c1ashes about +ibet, the way the Olympic Torch Relay was handled etc. have taken its toll on the aggregated sino-dribble. It’s hard to write good stuff when anger blinds you – that goes for Chinese and Western blogs alike. But then, conflict brings out aspects that would stay under the carpet at other times.
More than a personal blog list, bookmark subscriptions like the one at del.icio look like a good source of realtime information about China to me – and you can go by your own list of buzzwords/tags there.

By: T.

T. — Sat, 24 May 2008 02:10:35 +0000

Two more:

China Vortex chinavortex.com – a great blog on the digital state of China’

China Game chinagame.com – very insightful China business blog

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:55:51 +0000

I’d like to second EastSouthNorthWest and point out Violet Eclipse/Simpson’s Paradox http://www.simpsonsparadox.com, one of the few (only?) women in the China blogosphere.

By: Nick Dobson

Nick Dobson — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:18:29 +0000

Three words: Cup of Cha

That said, there are so many out there now who seem to really get China, yourself included, and so many that share my views of China exactly so I tend to avoid dabbling in areas of politics and cultural examination.. I think Josh at http://www.cupofcha.com does this brilliantly.

There are a lot of “gap-year OMG OMG blogs” out there, while i’m sure we’ve all been there, I agree that we need a little more reading than the next “worst toilet i’ve ever seen” story Fortunately we have quality not so much as quantity.

If you want well-written sino-dribble visit josh, if you want to make your new Chinese girlfriend dribble (with your new found Chinese culinary skills) maybe thats more my department (better still visit Appetite for China)

By: ln

ln — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:31:54 +0000

Sir, as a man once lived in China, have u heard the earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan province. You are trying to keep connected with China, but obvious u lost the contact.

By: Anqi Dai

Anqi Dai — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:04:31 +0000

I also read Pekingduck.org and its links to the other blogs. I think I found Ben Ross blog from that site almost two years ago.I used to read Shawn Matthew’s blog before he commited suicide in Beijing. I belive his girlfriend was from Mianyang which just had earthquick last week.

By: ouyang

ouyang — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:03:05 +0000

@Ben, I was referring to the Sinocidal blog in which they poked fun at you. Fortunately, I found it on a web archive.

“Scene 2:

[In Jeff’s apartment. Jeff and his friends Mike and Paul are singing a rendition of My Grandfather’s Clock when there is a knock at the door.]

Jeff: (Shouts) Just a minute!
(immediately there is another knock.)
Jeff: Coming!
(another knock, this time louder)
Jeff: Bloody hell, hang on!
(He opens the door to find a strange looking creature in front of him. A young western man, probably mid-twenties, with spiky, blonde-highlighted black hair and goatee beard.)
Jeff: Hi, you must be Ben. Come on in.
Ben: Hi John! I have come to Beijing to seek my fortune! (He raises one leg and slaps his thigh) Very happy to meet you! I give you this (he presents Jeff with a plastic carrier bag containing a grapefruit.) Round fruit bring you good fortune!
Jeff: Wow…..that’s ahh…..great, thanks.
Ben: Mei guanxi. That means it’s no big thing in this case, but gaunxi has many meanings.
Jeff: I know what guanxi mean…
Ben: (interrupting) What a big apartment! Twelve Chinese families could live here, but Americans are so selfish, I suppose you live in it all by yourself. Oh look, a picture of Mt. Qumolangmafengr. I notice it says Mt Everest though, (tuts) very disrespectful to the great Chinese Nation.
Jeff: (Mutters) I can see this is going to be a bigger challenge than that idiot Mark Eastman. (Having composed himself he takes Ben into the living room.) Ben, this is Mike and Paul, the other members of the group. Guys, this is Ben Ross, he’s going to audition for us.
Mike: Hey Ben, didn’t I read about you? You’re the guy who worked a month in a Chinese barber shop right?
Ben: Yes! It is me! I experience real China, and now I am zhongguotong which means….
Paul: We know what it means. Look we’re pushed for time here guys, shall we get on? Ben, you can sing tenor right? Do you know Amazing Grace?
Ben: I’m not sure, I think I remember something…..
(The three others begin to sing) Ahhhh-maaaaazing Graaaace, how sweeeet the sound…
(With this first line a change comes over Ben, a look of bewildered recognition on his face. He starts to sing with the others, his voice a beautiful falsetto, and by the end of the song tears are streaming down his face.)
Jeff: God that really was amazing! Ben, you’re in!
(But Ben isn’t listening, he has caught sight of himself in the mirror.)
Ben: Nooooooooo!! What have I become??? (He grabs a pair of scissors which are sitting on a table and starts to hack at his hair, but quickly he changes back again to his former self and stands, staring at the scissors in his hand.)
Ben: Scissors were invented in China you know, during the Warring States period. The bigger boys at the barbers wouldn’t let me touch the scissors, but I watched them and I learned. I can give massages too, would you like one?
Mike: Good God man! You’re an American for Christ’s sake. Snap out of it!
Ben: (Whimpering) Help me…
Paul: We gotta sort this guy out, he’s gone pinko!
Jeff: I’ll call my friends at the Pentagon!”

… more at A Barberous Tale