Sprouts springing up!

Here is the invite!



It was fun!!! Too bad you did not make it!





Subtext:
No we do not give booze to the kids yet. The photographer had to free his hands.

Subtext 2:
A certain amount of effort was given in the cake making exercise by the maternal element of the family unit (but unfortunately the photographer missed a global shot of these oeuvres d'art).
An orange and green dinosaur was created thanks to a good old cake mold (and admittedly some cake mix). In addition, despite a couple of failed attempt at the creation of small engines and wagons (yes, cake mix are hard to do), rescued by the creative use of colored glazing and candies, a small train was prepared, and enjoyed by the small crew of invitees. Cake mix with colored (edible) sparkles created a certain type of effect ensuring no parents would consider taking a piece away from their kids.

Subtext 3:
Each of our boys had another birthday celebration in their respective school on the following Wednesday. Since then, Noam is convinced that he is now 5 years old. His teacher said so. We need to go talk to her tomorrow morning to correct this situation.

Black out

Today CNN, BBC and TV5 were partially blacked out today. Initially I thought it was again the receiver who was acting up. Or Emmanuel who played with the remote again, messing up the system...
In fact, today is a big day for Chinese human rights activists: Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident, has won the 2010 Nobel Peace Price. He was a leader in the 1989 Tiananmen protests, and has also co-authored the Charter 08, calling for multi-party democratic system and human rights respect in China. The later has ended him up in jail for a sentence of 11 years, which he started on December 2009.

From our perspective, here from our Beijing expatriate's cushy couch, it is just a black out on our screens. But in some other Chinese's humble dwellings, it might eventually cast some light to the current darkness.
Years of unrestrained propaganda and the Cultural Revolution's ordeal have left the Chinese society with deep scars, and the leaders with rather harsh reflexes. The late 80's, culminating with the Tiananmen massacre of 1989, have left somewhat murkier waters for anybody attempting to demand democracy,  human right respect, or simple change. Of course we were entertained by the more recent, flashy but composed, facade presented for the Olympics; fascinating and exalting it was! Everybody wants to believe in a better China, a more humane one.
How appropriate! I just finished the reading of Beijing Coma, from Ma Jian. It relates the memories of a medicine student who participated in the Tiananmen events. Dai Wei, the protagonist, got wounded by a bullet in the head, and remains in coma since.  It took 10 years for Ma Jian to write, and through the Dai Wei recollection of his own life, it recreates a pretty accurate tableau of the changes undergone by the Chinese society over the last 40 years, from a youth in the cultural revolution until today's economic race for success of his fellow students. Of course, the moments leading to the 89's events are vividly described.  Evidently, the book is banned in China, and its author, exiled for over 20 years now. If you are interested, this NY Times review gives you a more detailed overview of the story line.

However, the insistence of Ma Jian to tell Tiananmen story in details, and to recount the further oppression of its former participants, can be paralleled by Liu Xiaobo's own insistence on demanding human rights respect and democracy in the country. Despite the jail sentences following 1989, warnings and continuous repression, Liu continued incessantly to call for democratic reforms. The Charter 08 he co-authored, following the model of the anti-Soviet Charter 77 prepared by Czechoslovakia dissidents, has left the Parti leaders concerned enough to justify another jail sentence of 11 years, under the charges of "inciting subversion to the state power". I am somewhat surprised by the amplitude of their reaction, as only 350 intellectuals and human activists signed the petition. (What percentage of the Chinese population is this??)  At least 70 of the original 303 signatories have been summoned or interrogated at some point. Censorship runs fast and high when the word democracy is repeated a few times on a single piece of paper... 
Like Liu Xiaobo, Ma Jian believes in the power of analogies and dates. Ma Jian published his novel  right before the Olympics, and one year before the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre. The Charter 08 was published on December 10 2008, the day of the 60th anniversary of the UN resolution adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
However, Ma Jian, unlike Liu, does not believes in change so much. Ma Jian, in the preface to the Chinese edition of his book, argues that not only Dai Wei is comatose, but it is the Chinese people who truly are. "Only memory can help people regain the brightness of freedom" he argues. Let's hope that the nomination of Liu Xiaobo will help send an electroshock of light and energy to the Chinese youth, calling them to remember the values fought for by some of their fellows citizens. And encourage them to also request democracy and change.

Today, Liu Xiaobo probably does not know he won the prize; the Chinese government is trying hard to censor and discredit the information.  Despite censorship of the news, and of the control of the use of Liu's characters on emails and cell phones, the Chinese youth is still able to share and spread the information.  Internationally, China also reacted by saying it is wrong to give the prize to a convicted criminal, and warns Norway of possible damages to their political relations. (We have heard this threat before). Despite all this Chinese unease, this Nobel prize appears like a warning by the Western world to China, a statement telling them that despite their smoking mirrors and noisy rhetoric, someone is watching, aware of the violations taking place. And that China's attempt at joining the big leaders of the world also means responsibilities, along some of the West's rules...

But of course, from my couch, the screen is black...

Goodbyes

My grandma passed away last Tuesday, after living a full life. 98 years of love.

Here is the eulogy I presented at her funerals. I spoke not only for myself but also on behalf of my brother and all my cousins.

Victorienne, Grand-Maman, Vic,

Adieu Vic, adieu Grand-Maman, un siècle s'envole avec vous. Tel le grand fleuve de votre nom, votre amour a coulé en nous, et continuera de suivre le flot de nos vies. Votre amour si grand, semé de sucre à la crème, de cipailles, de petits tricots, nous a enveloppé depuis notre enfance.

Comme votre cœur, votre maison a été ouverte à tous, elle fut un lieu de rassemblement et de célébrations. Nous, avec nos chants, sketches et petits récitals, voulions vous épater. En flashback : parties de cachettes au sous-sol, jardinage au soleil, armoires où il faisait plaisir de découvrir quelques trésors, réveil matinal et petit déjeuners au gruau, après-midis près de vous à tenter d’imiter votre main au pinceau…

Et ces pinceaux, ces tubes de peintures à l’huile. Vos toiles sont les ébauches de nos vies. Vous saviez voir en chacun de nous l’artiste et le peintre, vous saviez lire nos sensibilités. Vos encouragements nous ont poussés à nous dépasser. Vos murs n’étaient pas assez grands pour vos nombreux tableaux, les photos de nous tous, les souvenirs récoltés lors de vos pèlerinages. Chaque chose qui vous entourait était un peu comme votre cœur, mis de l’avant.

Grand-maman, les souvenirs foisonnent, les mots ne seront jamais assez justes pour vous remercier d’avoir tant donné.

Vous avez su nous inculquer un amour de la famille, un sens du travail bien fait, un respect de la nature, un mysticisme sincère, une philanthropie profondément humaine et généreuse. Vous nous avez offert le goût de la musique et de l’art, le sens du partage et de l’accueil vers l’autre. Vous nous avez passé le gène de la mère aimante, de l’artiste, de la bénévole, de la voyageuse. Vous avez semé en nous toutes ces beautés, toutes ces bontés.

Après tant de vie, après tant d’amour, vous étiez prête à partir depuis un moment, le nez tourné vers la mer, vers le large. Allez le retrouver, votre bonhomme, il a patienté assez longtemps ! Il vous attend pour une nouvelle partie de 500. On vous imagine déjà tous les deux mains dans la main, le sourire sur le cœur, comme à votre cinquantième. Pour votre centenaire.

J’ai entendu dire que « les larmes sont parfois une réponse inappropriée à la mort. Quand une vie a été vécue vraiment honnêtement, vraiment avec succès, ou simplement vraiment, la meilleure réponse à la ponctuation finale de la mort est un sourire. » (Julie Burchill)

Grand-maman, nos sourires resterons illuminés par votre mémoire.

On vous aime grand-maman !

Breaking the Fire Wall

It has been over three months now that the Chinese government has censored a number of sites, namely Youtube (over a 3 minute video about Tibet). Recently more and more sites have been inaccessible from here, namely Blogger, Twitter, Flickr, even Hotmail (!). Even more recently there has been even censorship as we are approaching the remembrance date of June 4 1989, when Tiennamen Square was the stage of terrible incidents. 

For the last few days, in fear of more problems in remembrance of the event, news are blacked out a few minutes at the time, when references are made about the event. Fortunately yesterday, our censor was probably gone to the loo when the headlines ran, as I was able to see 10 seconds about a photographer who witnessed the events. I have been struggling to access some of these articles, but fortunately found ways around the Great Fire Wall... Read on about the events here or there.

At least I am proud to see that the Obama administration is taking a stand, asking for some accountability about these events from the PRC.  Still today, the exact number of causalities is not known, and some major figures of the movement leading to the event have disappeared. Of course the Chinese response is the usual: Mind your own business. What eles?! Today, journalists were blocked access to the square, people were monitored and nobody could really be filming openly. Former dissidents were in house arrest or ask to leave Beijing, while others have been unable to even enter Hong Kong (where freedom of speech is supposed to be guarantied). In fact Hong Kong is the only place in China where the commemoration of the event is tolerated. Another journalist reported playing an intense cat and mouse chase to meet former dissidents. What a shame. 

I have asked one of my language teacher about the events, to see what he knew, and what he might be thinking. As a young 25 year old, he has no recollection of the events that occurred when he was 5, but indicated that his parents and also one of his university teacher talked about it. However, he might be a bit of an intellectual. Several youths today show limited awareness about the event, and even disbelief about what happened. Over 20 years of non-information, or misinformation and of general belief that the West is only trying to shame China has fructified.  

With so much censorship, there is a lot of frustration in the expat community. How can we live without Youtube? 

But there are ways around this. For example, my readings have taken me to the French Cultural Center. With the status of a "cultural club", it is luckily not subject to the same censorship as some other places in China. Some titles here are from censored authors in China, and yesterday I found some interesting readings about "mass brainwashing in China", which I hope to eventually share with you in a later (uncensored) post.

To complete today's post, with some unusual cyber-contortions, I am now able to resume my my usual blogging.  From here I would like to direct you to some of these new entries (those in blue are just recently published, those not yet underlined will be publish soon). There are some entries about my parents' visit in March, and numerous of our little discoveries and day-trips, and of our trip to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors. Then there is a trip to Chengdu, DaFo and Emi-Shan. There is also Pauli's parents visit, and some good moments with Noam. Finally there are a few other entries, one about Noam's artistic talent, some about some small unusual surprises, some random thoughts about this language, and finally sharing some thoughts on some of my readings.

Enjoy my freedom of speech!

A Big Night of Fireworks

Yesterday night was the last and ultimate night of the Chinese New Year celebration, the Lantern Festival. Read plenty fireworks. If I imagined that the noise we heard every other night since our return was disruptive, yesterday made me review my views. Ever tried to fall asleep to the constant distant banging of fireworks, with the optional ones just right in front of our building? Noam was. Pauli too. I guess I am just like the princess and the pea, can't sleep with that! 

It all started around five o'clock in the afternoon. At first onset of artillery, I rushed from one end of the appartment to the other, calling Naom and Lili Ayi to watch the lights just below our windows.  Their frequency increased until seven o'clock, where it was just happening everywhere. From our 14th floor window, you could see Beijing sky lighting up in spots behind buildings, alongside with a constant banging background noise.

A few hours Noam was tired and went to bed with his usual "wave music" a little bit louder, covering some of the outside noise. Probably around 8 PM me and Pauli both went out on our balcony, admiring the overall effects of fireworks coming simultaneously from all sides, then I just grew annoyed by the noise. Supposedly there are some regulations in Beijing about the types of fireworks permitted, but I doubt anything was enforced, as the lights were easily rising above some 100 meters-high buildings. There would also be a law limiting fireworks launching prior to midnight, else imprisonment, but at four in the morning I woke up to some sporadic bangs.

What a shock to me this morning when I witnessed from my taxi window the blackened Mandarin Hotel. We live 3 blocks away (read 20 minutes walk) from the internationally known CCTV complex, the towers internationally famous Dutch OMA/Koolhaas office designed for the Chinese Public Television Network. From our livingroom and bedroom windows, we can see behind a forest of skyscrapers the top of its most important structure, commonly knicknamed here by the taxi drivers as the "Trousers", due to its unique upside-down U shape. Beside it lies another interesting building, also part of the CCTV complex , in the shape of an immense folded corrugated metal sheet, shielding a 300 room luxury hotel, the Mandarin Hotel, and a 1500-seats theatre for CCTV. The structure is also nicknamed the "Termite Nest". It was Pauli's favorite, a unique and odd shape, and a somewhat mysterious but strong image.

Yesterday, amist the big party, one firecracker would have landed on the roof of the hotel building, destroying it completely. The hotel was nearing completion, with an official opening targeted for May 2009. A very sad day for the team of architects and builders who worked intensely at it for about 7 years.

Here is what I have been able to gather: the fire started around 8:20 PM, and it took over 30 minutes for the crew of firefighters to show up. A first crew went up into the building, but had to turn around as the fire was too intense. They tried to spray in vain from their high ladder but the top of the 157 meter high building was out of reach. One fireman lost is life in the blaze while 6 other persons were injured. It is only several hours after the onset of the blaze, that the fire was controlled and extinguished.

The building burned like a vulgar crumpled paper ball. Flames engulfed it completely, leaving behind a metal carbonized skeleton, blowing in fumes a portion of its 157$ million value.

The fire spread with such force that one can wonder if the building was constructed to fire standards. But since it was still under construction, its sprinklers systems were not functioning, and some of its building components were not yet properly installed, creating a fertile ground for the flames to spread. 

CCTV since has offered official apologies (and this is no small feat in China, to have a public organization to do so) for its responsibility. In fact a group of CCTV employees hired a firework crew to "impress" the general public, and set fireworks in the centre of the complex. They indeed put a great show! The fireworks used where illegal, of a strength similar to those used during the Olympics. Probably it was some of those we witness from our balcony earlier in the evening. 

Most amazingly the "Chinese Big Brother" even with such event, tried to "control" its image. A notice was sent to all media websites saying as follow:  
To all websites: Report related to the Fire in the CCTV new building, please only use Xinhua news report. No photo, no video clip, no in-depth report; the news should be put on news area only, close the comment posts, don’t top the forum blogpost, don’t recommend posts related with the subject.

So no front pages, no major reporting from any Chinese agencies. And less than 12 hours (!!) after the event, no more information could be found on the Chinese media. Even CCTV, who's own headquarters were burning, did not even had more than a few lines about it. Ironical for a State Television! How can something so newsworthy, so difficult to hide can be given the silence treatment?

But at last in the street the citizens were there taking pictures, filming and later blogging about it. We live in the era of information, and as one foreign journalist stated it: Can Paper Wrap Fire? 

Here are a few links from Reuters, a slide show from NY Times, some comments and images published by The Shanghaiist. Le Monde also published something later this week.