Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with China

Reliable, faster internet access from an apartment in Beijing.

bleecker — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:29:14 -0800

Will be moving to Beijing and would like to have high speed reliable internet service in my apartment. We'll likely be living in one of the US or HK developed apartments along Chao Yang park. I've worked with DSL connections in serviced apartments in Beijing and Shanghai and was not thrilled with the throughput (70kbs) or reliability. The Great Firewall is not an issue as far as completely blocking sites, but I'm sure it affects transfer speeds from the US sites I'd be accessing. I've done some digging and have come up with:

1. Dual DSL lines and a load balancing router: wouldn't really increase throughput of a single connection but might help with simultaneous transfers and reliability.
2. Satellite internet: Pricier and legally shadowy. No guarantee that I could even put up/properly direct a dish.

Are there any other options I should consider? Are there "commercial only" options that may be possible?

Bonus question:
Is there some way I could increase the likelihood that I would be able to create VPN connections to the US. (In my experience, I was able do so with 1 out of the 2 DSL connections I used in China).

Article on Chinese youth

anonymous78 — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:20:22 -0800

I'm looking for a radio program or new article I heard/read in the past month about growing up in China and all of the pressures Chinese youth face to be successful in school and life. The program mentioned that this was partly a result of the one-child policy, which means children will be responsible for their parents later on in life. I also remember the article/program mentioning some examples of extreme parenting - a mother who went to school with her child, etc.

It's likely to have been a program on NPR or an article in the New York Times or the New Yorker, but I couldn't find anything on those sites so that's not a guarantee.

Olympic number crunching.

markkraft — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:02:59 -0800

How do you rate which country is "leading" in the Olympics? I ask this, because the latest figures are as follows:

Gold Silver Bronze Total
1. China 46 15 22 83
2. United States 29 35 34 98
3. Great Britain 17 12 11 40

results.beijing2008.cn

I assumed that the overall rating was based on 3 pts for a Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze, which would mean that China is at 190 points and that the U.S. is at 191 points.

So, what gives?! Is there something offficial out there from the Olympic Comittee -- or a historical example -- of how the rankings are reached? If so, who's in the lead currently by how much?!

China!

god particle — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:48:43 -0800

What are some good Chinese youth/pop culture blogs? I'm looking for blogs about Chinese youth and/or pop culture...music, nightlife, art, etc. Preferably written by a native, in (Mandarin) Chinese, focusing on the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, though I'm still interested in seeing a foreigner's perspective on things.

Also, are there any good translation/learning sites where I can just copy and paste a phrase or character and get back the English meaning and pronunciation? My Chinese reading ability is pretty poor, so I'd need something to help me get through the blogs.

Massive conspiracy or Olympic peace?

pithy comment — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:10:50 -0800

What news am I missing at the Olympics - what has been covered up or ignored by the Chinese regulators providing the video feed to NBC etc? I have to imagine there have been some outbursts or protests and the Chinese are not letting the media cover it (at least on live TV). Is there a good site noting these occurrences, or have the games just gone off nearly flawlessly? (excepting the drum tower murder last week.)

Help me want to go to China

whatzit — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:13:58 -0800

Accidental Tourist: It looks like I have 8 days between planes in Shenyang, China in September. Will Beijing still have the cleanest skies it will ever have during my lifetime? Should I instead take the opportunity to see Harbin/Dalian/Dandong/the far NE? Is there somewhere I've forgotten? And how can I get out of Shenyang quick-like? I've nearly forgotten spoken Mandarin, but I can read okay. I'm a mid-twenties female traveling alone and probably staying with people through couchsurfing. I like food, walking around, and you-can-only-do-this-here opportunities. I am not interested in shopping for brand-names or knock-offs. I do already have a visa for China, and do not want to take any more airplanes.

and if any of you in these territories is interested in dinner or hanging out during the week, I would love to hear it!

Recommendations and advice for visiting China?

extramundane — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:34:09 -0800

Traveling to China in November. I've seen some of the famous tourist spots (Great Wall, terra cotta soldiers in Xian, gardens in Suzhou, etc.), but I would like to visit some places that are not as well known. Any advice? I'll probably be in Beijing, Shanghai and plan on visiting Yunnan. Any stops around Guilin, Anhui and Fujian are do-able too. However, I'll be traveling with my parents who are not as energetic as they used to be, so scenic areas that involve lots of uphill walking might not work out.

Someone in a past thread about China mentioned Pingyao, which I will definitely be visiting. Are there any other ancient well-preserved towns that I shouldn't miss?

Advice about weather, taking the train, etc. would be appreciated too! Thanks!

What to ask the Chinese populace?

srkit — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:24:25 -0800

I am leaving for Beijing in a few days. I am bringing a video camera and plan to interview English-speaking Chinese people on the street. My goal is to edit the footage together into an informative and insightful piece. If you could ask the people of China any question, what would it be?

Which version of Journey to the West should I buy?

KirkJobSluder — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:55:42 -0800

Which version of Journey to the West should I buy? After seeing Hewlett's production design for Monkey I want to dip into the source material. Digging around I see a fair number of translations but the reviews don't really offer much description beyond "great read." I'm looking for an adaptation/translation that captures most of the original epic for an adult reader, without being an attempt at scholarly word-for-word translation. Ideally, I'd like a dead-tree format that I can take to the coffehouse.

English listing of artists from promotional video of Chinese 2008 Olympics?

Quarter Pincher — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:53:12 -0800

Is there an English listing of all of the artists found in the China 2008 Olympics promotional video/theme? Specifically, I'd like to know the artists from 2:59, 3:24, and 4:00.. but I'm sure a listing of everyone would be helpful to more than just myself ^_^

Tank Man is Everyman

plexi — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:36:03 -0800

As an American, can I hand out flyers detailing the Tiananmen Square Massacre during the Beijing Olympics?

Looking for info about the "hong kong underground railroad".

Tlogmer — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:16:35 -0800

Does anyone know more about the "underground railroad" that whisked some student leaders to safety after the Tienanmen Square massacre in 1989? I'm reading a book about china and came across this paragraph in the Tienanmen chapter:

"Two days later, the government issued a most-wanted arrest list of twenty-one student leaders. Several were already on their way out of the country, smuggled out via an "underground railroad" funded by Hong Kong movie stars, and aided by the muscle -- and speedboats -- of organized crime."

Holy shit, that sounds awesome. I'd love to read more about it.

Visa service recommendations?

qxntpqbbbqxl — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:00:53 -0800

Visa service recommendations to get a tourist visa for China? The Chinese consulate requires visa applications to be made in person. I'd rather avoid the logistics of going to NYC, a five hour drive from where I live.

There are numerous businesses on the web offering visa services (e.g., flychina.com), but I'm wary of FedExing my passport to anyone without any way of knowing if they're legit. Hence my appeal to the Hive Mind:

Have you had a good experience with a visa service, for China or any other country?

How to clean a burned porcelain teacup?

workerant — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:31:01 -0800

How to clean a fine porcelain teacup that found its way into a bonfire? A friend moved recently, and apparently missed a cup in one of the boxes. While burning the moving boxes, he found one of his good porcelain teacups roasting in the fire. He fished it out, but it's a bit charred. I've been able to get much of the black off by soaking it in hot water, but the painted pattern is starting to come off, so I'm afraid to use Bon Ami or baking soda.

Any suggestions about how to get the remaining black crud off without further damaging the cup?

I have no idea what I just saw

0xFCAF — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:29:31 -0800

What was this guy on the street doing with a black iron pot on a spit that produced a gunshot-like sound? I was walking around Shanghai and I saw a man turning an urn-shaped black iron(?) object on a spit, with a small fire burning underneath / around it. It was all set up on a fairly busy sidewalk. He then pulled out what looked like a mesh laundry bag, and a small child nearby put his hands over his ears and started running like he knew what was about to happen next. I didn't actually see what followed (I kept walking), but a few seconds later it all made a sound about as loud as a gunshot.

So, uh, what the heck was this guy doing?

Ping Pong Cellular Telephony: Chinese phones and US SIM cards

msbrauer — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:13:41 -0800

Phone from China, SIM card in the US: what do I need to know to make sure I have a working cell phone when I return to the US for a month or two this summer? My girlfriend and I are currently living in China and will be returning to the US for a month or so this summer. We would both like to have cell phones while in the US without having to get on a plan or buying separate phones for the two countries. I've never dealt with SIM cards in the US.

The best solution I envision is being able to purchase prepaid SIM cards when we arrive in the US, pop it into our phones, and start making phone calls. How plausible is this? My cell phone is a Nokia 2100, which I believe is EGSM 900, GSM 1800. Because it works with both of the major providers' SIM cards in China, I believe it is also unlocked. What other specifications are important?

My girlfriend, on the other hand, needs to purchase a new cell phone and would like one that works in both countries. What specifications does the phone need to have so we can be assured it will work in the US?

Orthodontists in Beijing

monkey85 — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:50:37 -0800

Does anyone have recommendations for an orthodontist in Beijing? Can treatment be started in China and continued in the U.S.? I had braces when I was a teenager, but apparently since then I've developed something of an overbite...which has, in turn, left me with some roots partly exposed and oversensitivity in those teeth.

So now I'm thinking I really need to correct this problem before it gets worse.

1. Any recommendations for orthodontists in Beijing? Are they likely to be as good as the ones in the U.S.?

2. Is it possible to do invisalign in Beijing?

3. What happens if I move back to the U.S. in the course of my treatment--can any orthodontist continue my treatment from the U.S., including if I am doing invisalign treatment?

Thanks!

How can I secure a room in Beijing during the Olympics?

borkingchikapa — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:17:32 -0800

I'm in Japan right now, but I have all of August off. I want to hang out in Beijing for a week or so during the Olympics. I don't actually want to attend them, I just want to take part in the hubbub. How can I reserve a cheap bed (~30USD) now? Caveat: I do not speak any Chinese.

anybody recognize this alphabet?

garfy3 — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:54:27 -0800

anyone familiar with the language/alphabet used in this WWII-era document from western China? my best guess is something related to the Yi language, but that could (of course) be totally wrong.

Any knowledge about specifs, re. contaminated fish

yazi — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:13:23 -0800

Given the recent reports about seafood from China that is both bacterio- or viral-contaminated and chemically contaminated, does anyone have info about exactly which fish/shellfish to stay completely away from, especially in restaurants?

How do you say Beijing?

MrMerlot — Sun, 04 May 2008 15:22:04 -0800

What's the correct way to pronouce Beijing?

The Tibet Question

alona — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:51:30 -0800

Calling all protesters in general and all those who know about the China-Tibet situation! I need help learning about Tibet. [short conclusion at the bottom, so you can skip these few paragraphs]
I want to learn more about the China-Tibet situation and I've already checked out this. Unfortunately, I have a fairly short attention span, so if it's something that is too word-heavy I probably won't be able to force myself to read it. Although if it's light and still long that's okay because I'll be able to read a bit at a time.
The thing is, I'm pretty much against the Olympics in China this year because of the political situation - I guess one could almost compare it to the Berlin Olympics of '36 (not completely. but close enough). And I've been thinking about it a lot and I realize I don't know enough.
Now, if after taking a more educated look at the situation I find myself still against the Olympics I'd like to raise awareness and perhaps organize more people who'll boycott the Olympics - not in a large-scale, extreme sort of way, more like putting up flyers in my school and just convincing people not to watch the Olympics.
I go to a small Israeli school in a fairly upper-class suburb of Tel Aviv, so people here aren't too aware of what's going on outside their own world. Which means I need to be convincing and not too aggressive.

Conclusion:
I need:
1. Information about the China-Tibet struggle that is light to read,
2. Ways of organizing a small-scale boycott to raise people's awareness.

Remember the NPR interview about the book on a Chinese businessman?

rmless — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:37:19 -0800

Help me find a book about a Chinese businessman mentioned on NPR for my Dad! My Dad says he was listening to NPR a few months ago and he heard an interview with a Western author about his nonfiction book. The book was about (paraphrasing, could be wrong) a Chinese businessman who imported automobiles, got too rich for the government's liking, and fled in a rowboat.

Any ideas? I have tried googling and looking on the NPR website and I am not coming up with any good results.

I am looking for the name of the author, name of the book, or anything that helps me be able to buy it!

Smiling when something bad happens

Cucurbit — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:06:21 -0800

In the Art of Fiction interview in the current Paris Review, Kazuo Ishiguro says of his father: "He had a Chinese characteristic, which was that he smiled when something bad happened." Is that really considered a Chinese characteristic? Are there other cultures it's commonly associated with?

I've never dealt with the non credit card kind of visa before.

stray — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:51:00 -0800

How fast can I get a Chinese Visa in Vancouver with a UK Passport? So I'm going to Hong Kong next week, ok, no problem. However now my friends want to take a brief trip to mainland china. Ok, I need a visa. As it turns out, to get a visa you need a passport with at least 6 months before expiry on it. Alas, my Canadian passport expires in June. Okay, I have a UK passport.

Can I just show up at the Consulate with my UK passport? How does this work? How long will it take?

I'm also moving this week and have little access to the web or a printer or my own sanity.