It's the little things that leave the biggest memories

Have you ever enjoyed a song, a food, a person or a place just because it (he or she) had that special thing. The thing is an indescribable feeling that in my case can only be relayed through images, tastes, sounds and smells. That thing made you love it and sometimes hate it. In Kunming, there is this extraordinary thing I’ve found. The best way for me to share with you the energy of Kuming is via this list of “Kunmingisms.” They are a compilation of observations I’ve made here. Some things I love, hate and just plain don’t understand. I encourage you to travel to Kunming one day. In case you are not able to, here are a few things that you may find interesting.

Imagine walking around Kunming. All of the things on this list have not been isolated observations or incidents. It’s honestly part of the culture here. During an afternoon stroll, if you’re on the street for 45 minutes you may observe most if not all of these things.

Kunmingisms Part One “It’s not bad and not good—It is what it is”

Umbrellas
There is an obsession with umbrellas here. On any given street in the downtown area I would say 80% of the shops sell them. The selection is amazing. You can find plaid umbrellas, lace umbrellas, sun umbrellas, rain umbrellas, umbrellas that change colors when wet and the list goes on. The umbrellas range from US $2 to US $25. We’re in the rainy season now so I bet the umbrella culture is on hyperdrive. Okay, the sun umbrellas supposedly have fabrics that offer UV protection. Along with the mass amount of skin bleaching products sold in department stores, protection from the harmful sun rays and most of all the risk of tanning is very important for women here.

When it rains or when it’s sunny I’ve seen people riding on motorbikes with one hand on the handles (barely avoiding each other) and the other hand holding the most important accessory, an umbrella. You can imagine my horror as I attempt to cross streets and both bike riders and motorbike drivers are weaving around me with their one-handed driving.

Injections
The folks here really are into medicine--pills, elixirs, teas and my personal favorite injections. I was sick with food poisoning about a month ago. I was strongly encouraged by my friend to go to the hospital and get an injection. I had a few mosquito bites and I was encouraged to get an injection. I had a small cold, and what treatment was recommended? AN INJECTION. A classmate at the school actually went and got an injection for her cold. I don’t think she feels any better. All of this was confirmed when I went to a Karaoke (a.k.a) KTV club over the weekend. People can rent rooms by the hour and have karaoke party. They have a little convenience/liquor store on the first floor where folks can load up on Chivas Regal, Absolute Vodka, Bombay Sapphire and what????? Glucose injections. Yes, they had vials of glucose on the shelf, the label on the box read “GLUCOSE INJECTIONS.” I was surprised to say the least.

Noodles, Noodles, Noodles
The Yunnan Province is known for its Over the Bridge Noodles or Cross Bridge Noodles. There are tons of noodle shops here. You can build your own noodle dishes. It’s like the Chinese version of Chipotle. I love it. The broth is amazing, I’ve tasted anything like it before. It’s like the heavens brewed up broth made of the best ingredients ever—garlic, onion, beef stock, chili and a bunch of other stuff I don’t know the English names for. And from the clouds it poured into my bowl. Throw some noodles in and we’re set. After a night of dancing at the club there is nothing like a bowl of hot noodle soup.

The most popular noodle joint is called “The Brother’s Jiang.” The system for ordering is quite complex for a foreigner like me. First, you go up to an order window and order (in Chinese only) what type of noodles you want. In case you don’t understand the menu and are feeling adventurous—just point. You pay and you are given a printed ticket. Depending on what you ordered you go to another section give the cook your ticket and choose the specific ingredients you want added. I don’t understand why the ordering is a two step process but it is. Step three is finding a seat. When it is crowded one must literally fight for seats. It is best to stand over people while they’re eating. Just hover over until they are finished eating and when the last drop of broth is being slurped, lean in like you are about to sit down and appropriate the space. I did not do this because my Mom would not approve. But my friend did! The Over the Bridge Noodles are delivered to you. You get different foods on little plates along with a big bowl of broth. First add the raw egg, then the pork, veggies and finally noodles. The broth is so hot it cooks the food in a flash. After like 7 minutes you can eat. You don’t have to eat the meat but it enhances the flavor.

Is there an Asian scramble for Africa?

I'm not sure what the coverage of the African Union Summit has been like in the U.S. but China's CCTV has had quite a bit of coverage on it. I've also seen two political talk shows devote entire episodes to Sino-Sudan relations and Asian-African relations. I just want to share some of my observations on the Chinese media’s framing of Sino-African relations. Media and diplomacy go hand-in-hand. Governments frame (and/or spin) issues according to what will resonate with public opinion. I know that’s hard to grasp under the current U.S. administration's policies (since they have pursued unilateral policies and have consistently defied public opinion polls).

According to Chinese scholars who study international relations, China has helped Sudan reach high growth rates. China’s non-interference policy states that China will not get involved with a country’s domestic affairs and respect territorial integrity. This is in contrast to Western countries that place restrictions on development aid. China prides itself in not dictating or imposing its values on to other countries. This sounds rational right? However, after saying all this, the explanation given on the Darfur conflict is very interesting.

The experts claim that the Darfur conflict is greatly exaggerated by Western media. The Western media has “changed its tone” on the numbers of people killed. The Chinese experts argue that the number of those claimed to have died are “greatly exaggerated” and in fact it is unlikely that even 300,000 people have been killed let alone 100,000 because the region is so sparsely populated. Because of the low population density the numbers of those claimed to be killed is false. The “regional disputes” that are taking place in Darfur is between “blacks and Arabs” fighting over water during the dry season.

China’s interests in Sudan were barely mentioned during the show. It was mentioned once that China is Sudan’s largest trading partner. There were images of bridges and roads being built by the Chinese, but the picture that was painted was of Chinese generosity, not necessarily of mutual trade. Chinese oil companies are sending engineers to Sudan, to secure the uninterrupted flow of oil to China. China not only builds roads and bridges, but also sends small arms to the Khartoum government. Sudan is not at war with any external powers—right? Sudan’s government is at war with its own citizenry. Chinese manufactured weapons that are being used to terrorize civilians is indeed an interference. To whom? The lives of tens of thousands of refugees.

The Chinese experts claim that they want to see a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan and argue sanctions are not the solution. The problem is that some Chinese politicians and scholars view the issue as a tribal conflict—not a serious human security issue. It’s as if China’s rhetoric means that they have the right to wipe their hands clean in the midst of bloodshed because their diplomatic principles state that the domestic issues of other states are not any of their concern. I personally think that any government that provides arms to the Khartoum regime is interfering in domestic affairs, especially since most of the international community has trade sanctions and the United Nations has a ban on arms trade.

China also argues that they must step-up their role in Africa because India and Japan are also gaining ground in the scramble for resources and allies. India and Japan have hosted summits—in India in March 2008 and Japan in May 2008. The issue of energy security appears to be the most important factor in the Asian scramble.

At the end of the day, Africans must forge an agenda that will best fit the interests of communities and individuals. What that looks like, I’m not sure—but we can no longer be passive reactants in the energy free-for-all. Unfortunately many of Africa’s heads of state are looking out for their individual interests not the interests of their citizenry. This situation will only lead to further exploitation. Our people were not sitting at the table at the 1884 Berlin Conference, let’s say never again.

The Best Ticket in Town!

I have a new appreciation for public parks now. Green Lake Park is by far the most exciting public park I've ever been to (sorry it beats Druid Hill Park and Central Park). On Saturday and Sunday's tons of people sit back and enjoy the water, the shade and the cool breeze. I've observed so many amazing things in Green Lake Park (Cui Hu). Along the bank of the lake there is a two foot wall alongside a walking path that serves at stages and seating areas for dozens of mini musical jam sessions. Every 10 feet or so there are folks playing instruments and singing folks songs or Chinese opera. Some of the bands have an amplifier and mic and that makes the experience all the better, as you almost hear a medley of different music forms as you stroll. Groups of people also dance (my favorite). There is line dancing, ballroom dance, traditional dance, improvisational dance and martial arts. I've seen groups of women coordinated in matching hot pink and black leisure suits getting down!!!!! Men dance too and that is also quite interesting.

When I traveled to Kunming in 2003 I hade to pay 5 元 to enter Green Lake Park. It was a ghost town back then. Two years ago the entry fee was eliminated and now it is a Kunming hot spot.

The park culture here in China and also in Chinatown S.F. is very interesting. One theory I heard years ago was that since many people live in crowded apartments, sometimes with three generations under one roof, people seek fresh air and open space in parks; thus the large numbers of families relaxing, chatting, doing tai chi chuan in the mornings and evenings.

Watch more footage on YouTube of Green Lake Park entertainment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVZhduxla8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IkrOjpYlHg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOUl5jiD5dE

I love libraries!!! 每图书馆都我最爱。

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love libraries. I went to the Yunnan provincial library this week--enough said!!! The trip was exactly what I needed to motivate me to begin my research. I was issued a temporary card which allows be to browse the stacks. I can't check books out but I hope I can make arrangements to photocopy some chapters of books. I was amazed at the number of people, young and old, at the library. The library is four floors with two large study halls that were packed. I went on a Saturday and a Monday and there was not a noticeable difference in the numbers. In the study halls people can order food, chat with friends, talk on the phone, buy soft drinks, refill tea jars with boiling water and so on. So pretty much one can stay there all day and be totally satisfied--books, tea and stir fry--what else could one want right? Maybe wireless internet:) The library has different reading rooms such as, Yunnan historical documents, Kunming historical documents, government documents, English language texts etc. I must say that the collection does not appear to be that large.

My teacher Quiyan and I did a basic computer search of the card catalog. A search of "Africa" yielded 10 English texts from the 1970s. The library has about 4 volumes of the UNESCO General History of Africa. After more a more detailed computer search of international affairs I found some interesting texts that I plan on photocopying next week. I found a few texts in the stacks that had chapters on Sino-African relations (in English by Chinese authors). Of course I was extremely excited. My teacher found one book for me on 非洲和中国关系 (Africa-China Relations). She led me to the reading room with the text and pretty much told me I was on my own. I enjoyed it. Since I could not read 99% of the words, I copied the table of contents. I plan on translating that before I leave. I figure it will give me a strong foundation in international relations vocabulary.

One more thing...A very interesting thing happened at the library. The first time we went there to check it out (last Saturday) I walked up to a bank of card catalogs. I randomly opened a drawer because I wanted to check out the classification system. My teacher and I with one flip turned to the card entry for Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I nearly flipped out. Of all of the drawers I could have opened (there were at least 100) I happened to open that drawer and flip to that entry. A text by an African author--it's a sign!!!!