rants Posts

Nov092011

Posted By
Marian

Paying Taxes

I’m trying to be a good citizen or resident or businesswoman or whatever you want to call me.

I figure I use the things that tax money buys. I use the roads and the street lights at night. I use the parks and the heavily subsidized public transportation.

So I figure it’s only right that I ought to pay taxes.

My tax rate really isn’t all that high.

In fact, my accountant’s monthly fee to file my taxes is more than my taxes are most months. And that’s before the accountant plays around with numbers on forms so that I can be billed less.

Point of fact, however, avoiding paying my taxes is significantly easier than paying my taxes.

Jun272011

18Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Canuck expat loses it at train ticket office

Some Gems:
“Chinese people need to learn brains.”
“It’s 2011. Chairman Mao is dead.”

And the kicker:
“See, I’m Canadian, I don’t have to shut up. Chinese people have to shut up. Canada people [sic] don’t have to shut up.”

Aug132010

14Comments

Posted By
Jarrod

Weird Things That I Got Used to in China, Part II

Part 2 of my two-part rip off of a Forbes article of a similar name. Did I mention there are two parts? This is the second one (of two). 7. The Internet I’m a freedom-loving American, so the whole idea of the The Great Fire Wall is a great annoyance to me and my values. It [...]

Aug132010

10Comments

Posted By
Jarrod

Weird Things That I Got Used to in China, Part I

Today I read part 1 of the Forbes China Tracker Blog article Weird Things That People Get Used to in China (a translation of a Chinese article on NetEase). I suppose it is about things that Chinese people get used to, but since I’m leaving soon (countdown: 4 days), I figured I’d write one based on the [...]

Oct312009

12Comments

Posted By
Glen

On Tyranny

“For we have a right to choose the society most acceptable to us”

– John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

Before I came to China I was asked a series of questions which seemed normal at the time but now seem completely laughable. They included “Is there a curfew?”, “Are there police everywhere?”, and “You’ll be careful, right?”. Clearly my friends and family had seen the tanks in Tienanmen, and heard Richard Gere’s thoughts about Tibet. So I don’t blame them for their concern, it is touching. But it is also on the complete opposite end of how my experiences in China have been so far.

Oct192009

16Comments

Posted By
Glen

Searching for Real China

Last night I was watching the season premiere of 30 Rock. In the episode Jack says that their television show has lost touch with “Real America” to which Liz responds “all of America is real” . This comment is of course ignored as most of the rest of the episode is spending trying to reconnect with the heartland of America, including a part where Jenna signs a country song for NBC’s Tennis coverage that says “Kiss my ass New York, it’s tennis night”.

Sure their shirking of major cities in favour of a rural demographic was mostly done in jest, but it really rings true to how we treat China. How many people do you hear refer to Shanghai or Tianjing as not “REAL China”, or mention some small town in Anhui or Hunan as a great example of “REAL China”?

In my short time here I have really gotten confused as to what exactly in this country is real, and what is fake. I think that I used to know what constituted “real China” but the more layers I peel off in my search to learn more about this place the more confused I am.

Jul142009

12Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Haibao pushing stereotypes for World Expo 2010?

I caught wind of these “multicultural” Haibao images on the blog of James Fallows, and couldn’t help but feel they’re a bit… well… ummm… insensitive. I would like to think that I am one of the least politically correct people out there, and I groan even approaching the topic. Perhaps it’s just that in my [...]

Apr292009

23Comments

Posted By
Jalal

Xenophobia on the Shanghai underground

We expats have a strange relationship with the phenomenon of xenophobia. These occasional encounters of the red-neck kind are a two-edged sword for us bloggy types. They can be a morale-sapping reminder of inescapable ‘otherness’, whilst providing excellent grist for the expat mill, that sees us shaking our heads at the nonsensical society we have [...]

Apr072009

66Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Sack this!

I need to rant. I was hoping I could hold my tongue on the issue, because I know what I’m about to say will only go towards stirring even the most moderate Chinese nationalist into fenqing-edness.

But I can’t do it. This comment was the last straw.

Jan242009

30Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Grow Up China

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the need to criticize this nation with such a blanket statement as “grow up China”, but in watching and reading the country’s reaction to Obama coming to office – I can think of nothing more relevant to say. I’ve spent the last year looking at China as [...]