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“吃火锅”现在在IE的中国人学生中好像成了“去中餐馆“的代名词。

过去是因为吃火锅有气氛，10多个人的聚会火锅是最理想不过了；还有就是马德里中国炒菜的“本土化”之彻底，实在让人折服的不得不选吃他国菜系。这次年夜饭，本来我们都是要吃炒菜的，可是老板却要求我们吃火锅，因为他们生意太好，瓦斯不够，火锅是最快的。虽然很是不情愿，老板的态度和理由也让人大跌眼镜，可是她“不吃这家你也没其他地儿吃”的自信彻底把我们征服了，最后我们“不得不吃”火锅。可怜我们中IMBA Section 1的Vera, Sean, Fiona周五还要跟他们班40个老外一起再吃一次，说是要发扬中国文化，咳咳，只能祝福他们“好胃“了。

给“孔府家酒”做的带有80年代怀旧风的免费广告，咳咳。

过年，讲究的是“热闹”“亲情”和“不拘小节”，都是“饮食男女”，就不要对这满桌的“杯盘狼藉”见外了哈。

总会有媒体唯恐天下不乱，炒作“日韩誓不两立”，你看人家韩国的郑镇硕和日本的 Yoshimoto不是很有“哥俩好”的意思嘛。

好吧，既然前面介绍了学校去张家港 的事，这里附带介绍一下这个江南小城。

张家港在90年代中期的中国曾经红透大江南北，被誉为中国“精神文明”和“物质文明”双丰收的典型。一是因为快速发展的经济水平使得其人均GDP在当年大大超过了同级别甚至更高级别的行政市；二是因为当年“严惩重赏”树立城市文明新风的决心和措施确实创造了一个近乎“一尘不染”的新小城。于是，几乎所有的国家重要领导人都来了，还一度被国内媒体炒作成中国的“新加坡”，咳咳。

不过这个位于“江南渔米”之乡的小城确实也不负众望，小城人民自创了一个口号“团结拼搏，负重奋进，自加压力，敢于争先”的精神，凭借着其得天独厚背靠“黄金水道”长江的优势，以及活跃地对外贸易活动，小城不仅牢牢树立了其经济发展水平居全国县级市前三位的牢固地位，而且还是中国首家国家环保模范城市，中国首批国家卫生城市，先后荣获“国家园林城市”、“国际花园城市”和“中国优秀旅游城市”等多个国家级奖项。 2006年又成为全国第一批生态市，并荣获中国人居环境奖。

This article "Alternative Reality" published in Jan. 31st, 2008 in Economist has indeed many insights about current China's reality of online population.

Here are some of Chinese perspecives about the article's comments on "Chinese way".

1) “For them and for many users in China, the internet is not truly a worldwide web: it is only as wide as China. But China's internet community is evidently a world unto itself. “

Well, I think the language is a big problem for most average Chinese to explore the world. Even though we start compulsory English courses in middle school (now starting from primary school, some rich kids even earlier), many of us only “use” English in exams, which restricting us the access to the international world.

Besides, many of us don’t have as much freedom to go outside China due to political/economical limitations, nor as much exposure to foreigners as westerners do. Also, the country is so big and very different from region to region, somehow, it seems no need to have more “diversity”.

But for the generation born after 1975, we are more influenced by Western culture, or say, the American culture, and eager to explore non China world. I can say 90% percent of Chinese of this generation who have university degree (or above), who work for multinationals, who grew up watching foreign cartoons… feel more emotionally connected to the western popular culture. I personally think it is because that after 10 years of Cultural Revolution ending in 1977, we lost many Chinese traditions, so the foreign culture brought by the “Reform and Opening up” starting in 1978 easily occupied our childhood life.

2) Although there are tight constraints on the provision of hard news, internet sites such as Sina and Sohu provide a steady supply of gossip, features, dabs of propaganda and slightly salacious stories and photos, and are constantly testing the boundaries of what is permissible.

Well, it has been like this throughout the Chinese history, that is, the ruling class wants to control the mass by controlling/guiding the mainstream thoughts, while the mass will ALWAYS “rebel” in private.

3) Because of the single-child policy, have no siblings and are searching for virtual friendships.

This is true. Actually many Chinese go on line only to play online multiplayer games and chat on different messengers like Tencent and MSN.

As for me, I’m also amazed at the some of self created entertainment videos on Chinese popular video site such as Youku, Tudou, 5Show.

Different from our public behaviors which are perceived as more reserved than westerners, those videos are very expressive, some crazy and even doing “stupid” things. My personal explanation is that we’ve been repressed so long time, so we use internet as a release channel. And thanks to the government that they care more about “inappropriate political thoughts” than the mass pop culture.

Just Show you examples of these two extreme popular fun groups in China.

1) Group “Back Dormitory Boys” (后舍男生), they try to reinterpret all popular songs in their own funny way without actually singing.

2) Group “Crazy Peasant Worker” (民工也疯狂), this is one of their funny series based on the popular Chinese movie “Curse of the golden flower”.

Posted by YAN HUANG on 1 February 2008 in East-2-West | Permalink | Comments (0)

IE's "First Intimate Contact" with Chinese Local Government: Zhang Jia Gang (张家港)

Just look at the meeting style and room decoration…and think…

If you have ever had a chance to watch China Central Television (CCTV)’s national news program “Xin Wen Lian Bo”, don’t you think the meeting style looks soooooooooooooo familiar?! Oops, I wish William doesn’t mind my teasing :)

Well, this was actually a trip made by William Davila, Asian Pacific Director of IE Business School in Nov., 2006. The gentleman sitting on the right is current Mayor of the city “Zhang Jia Gang 张家港”, which is a Model City in China since mid 1990s due to its very well developed yet ecologically balanced economy, as well as the local government’s huge efforts of establishing a harmonious and open minded society. Almost all Chinese central government officials have either commented on or visited the city since its rise in mid 1990s.

Hmmm, looks like an interesting place to explore!

Posted by YAN HUANG on 1 February 2008 in IE Updates | Permalink | Comments (1)