Holiday Festivities.

Angry snowman face!

A Masterpiece.

My fellas.

I love paper chains.

Making snowflakes.

Girl Power!

The Faces of Vietnam.

Friends encountered on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam.

My adorable friend.

Kids riding to town after a midday downpour.

Women selling vegetables at the local market.

Playing by the road.

Waiting in the warf.

Walking home from school.

Making friends after school.

Saigon, Vietnam.

Spent a few days wandering Saigon and found it to be tons of fun! While still obviously developing, the atmosphere was upbeat and the city seemed to be alive day or night.

Downtown Saigon.

Nighttime Excitement.

Ocean View.

Sunset on Long Beach, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam.

An evening over the water.

Boats & Beaches- Phu Quoc Island.

Spending a few days relaxing on Phu Quoc Island was a treat. The island is in the very southwest region, almost within Cambodia's borders. The main fishing village is still small and quaint but bustling with activities. The island is most widely known for their tasty fish sauce (which I smelled but did not try) and their fresh pepper (which I tried and Loved!).

View from the boat.

Boats in the marina.

Beaches on the north of the Island.

Houses on the water.

Bridging Generations.

I love seeing families out in the summer. You can always tell who plays what role: The old wise grandpa sitting and watching over everyone, the grandmother who takes care of the scrapes after a fall, the father who is trying to read a map to lead his troops, and the mother who despite a crying baby is still smiling and perfectly put together. The generations interact so well together I cannot help but think the bridge the gap in a seamless way.

Grandma spending the day with her boys in a local park.

Around Beijing.

I love the vibrant colors around the city!

Lilies on HouHai Lake.

Ancient tree in the Forbidden City.

An empty courtyard near the Summer Palace.

Looking up to a gazebo at the Summer Palace.

Summertime Hutongs.

A view inside.

Lucky Red Doors.

Abandoned bike.

Work Together, Play Together.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was this past week. We had three days off from work. My colleagues and I decided to take advantage of the amazing fall weather and headed to the countryside. We went to an area of the Great Wall that is completely unrestored and empty. We brought a BBQ and made screwers on the wall! it was amazing. After we hiked through a canyon of white rock and stopped for some fishing. It was a great trip!

The Team!

Great Wall

BBQ on the Great Wall!

Dinner Time.

Shopping in a local market for some yummy stuff!

Grains.

Spices.

Veg.

Nuts.

More Veg.

Heaven.

Temple of Heaven

Even though I have lived in Beijing for over a year, I had never taken an actual tour of the Temple of Heaven. It was about time I saw this beautiful spot and so I ventured out to see what I was missing. And I am very glad I did.

Temple in a Blue hue.

With green accents.

China Media- A Whole New World

Social Media is a global phenomenon. It has quickly seeped to all corners of the world, giving a voice to the masses. Yet all social media is not created equally and all cultures do not use these media in the same way. Let’s take a look at how China fosters a social media environment that is completely unique to its borders.

Quick China Media facts:

• Asia makes up almost half of the world’s internet users, or 42.4%.

• China currently has 338 million users (as of June 2009).

• Only about 25% of China’s population is current active online- this leaves a massive growth potential.

Unlike many western societies, China is partial to local websites. Because of government restrictions Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, most blogging platforms and other sites are blocked. Yet because these sites are popular outlets of expression, local equivalents are created. For example, in lieu of Facebook China has Renren and Kaixin, YouKu replaces Youtube. Internet giants such as Gogole and eBay are switched for Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba. With the largest Internet population as their audience, these sites have grown to be serious competition for many international sites.

In addition to the need for new platforms, China also needs different types of platforms. The culture of China’s netizens is vastly different from other countries. First off, the main reasons they access the web vary from other cultures. The number one reason individuals in China sign online is for entertainment, with information gathering coming second, followed third by communication. Information gathering was the number one reason in most other regions.

Once online, their chosen forms of participation vary:

• Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)- Over 96% of netizens use these. An easy way to share thoughts and opinions without risking personal reputation (most are still anonymous). Unpopular in the West.

• Social Networking Sites (SNS)- 124 million users as of 2009. Various uses such as entertainment, communication and news.
• Social Gaming- A huge consumer of internet time. Part of the allure is the low cost and access form SNS. And while it is hard to track, social networks and gaming is thought to account for over a quarter of all time spent online.

No matter how or why we use it, the internet effects lives around the planet.
Stay tuned for more updates and developments. And as always, comments are encouraged!


Sources: China Internet Information Center, World Internet Statistics Website.

China Day of Mourning- A Black & White Country.

The Shanxi Evening News,
its headline a classical expression:
"Weathering storms in the same boat" (风雨同舟).

On Sunday August 15, 2010 the country of China held a day of mourning for its people. A devastating mudslide in the northwestern Gansu province a week earlier has claimed the lives of over 1,200 people with many more missing. This natural disaster has shocked the Chinese community and left many with no where to turn.
In honor of the victims, the country honored a day of memorial. All flags flew at half mast and the media became black and white. This day banned the use of entertainment which included closing movie theaters, karaoke bars, online video and music sites, and cancelling television programs.
The efforts were intended to help citizens bond through their grief and overcome the disaster as a stronger country. This was a way for the government to send a message to its people through media. It drew attention to the disaster through videos and information posted on the sites that were shutdown for 24 hours.
The banner of the China Daily Newspaper read “Tears for Victims of Zhouqu, Our sympathy to their families” and the People’s Daily read “Mourn for Zhouqu Mudslide victims.” These headlines we meant to rally support from the people and surge toward a clean up effort and renewed faith in the government

The Lanzhou Morning Post,  with a headline reading
"Zhouqu is unbowed" (舟曲不屈), a declaration inspired
by the homophony of qu 曲 in the county's name
and qu 屈 meaning "surrender."
Many newspapers used this phrase.