Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Manager Job Opening in Xiamen

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
I just received a note that a Xiamen firm seeks an expat (or Taiwan or Hong Kong resident) manager, age 30 to 40.
The link is at the bottom of this blog entry.
Note that the English requirements say "Kill and Experience Required." I think they meant to add an "S" in front of Kill (unless they're looking for a 007-type manager?).
Bill
(Job Responsibilities & Requirements): JOB TITLE: QS/Tender Manager
REPORTING TO:City General Manager
LOCATION: Xiamen City

1.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

a.Project Cost Estimate Preparation or Review
b.Preparation of Cost Ledger
c.Sourcing, Assessment, Prequalification / Screening of Contractors & Suppliers
d.Preparation or Review of Bid Documents
e.Administration of Bidding / Tendering Process
f.Preparation or Review of Contract Documents
g.Regular Project Budget Monitoring / Preparation of Cash Flow Projections
h.Payment Evaluation / Recommendation
i.Change Order Evaluation
j.Preparation or Review of Final Accounting of Construction Project

2.KILL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Knowledge: Quantity Surveying / Cost Estimation, Project Construction
Education: Engineering degree (Civil)
Skills:organizing / management skills, negotiation skills, written and oral language skills (English and/or Chinese), computer literacy, construction contract writing / reviewing
Experience: Quantity Surveying / Contracts or Tender Management / Construction Management
E-mail Mr. Emerson Chan, HR Supervisor, at: zhifu.chen@dfre.com.cn
Tel:0592-5859591*206
0592-5826089
Fax:0592-5859589
Website:www.dfre.com.cn


厦门顶峰房地产开发有限公
Click Here for Full Info
招聘期限: 2009-08-18 2009-09-07 16:14
招聘部门: 预算部
联 系 人: 陈先生(人事主管)
联系电话: (合则约见、谢绝来电)
通信地址: 厦门市厦禾路885号 厦门顶峰房地产开发有限公司(361004)(合则约见、非请勿访)
职位基本要求
学历要求: 本科以上 性别要求: 不限
职位性质: 全职 招聘对象: 七年工作经验以上
外语要求: 英语水平要求精通 年龄要求: 30岁至40岁
工作地点: 厦门市


Click Here for full Job info

www.amoymagic.com

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Millennium Harbourview Hotel -- 5-Star Angels?

Bill Brown  ...   Xiamen University
Xiamen's Best Hotels

I've often said that the best hotel in Xiamen is the Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen because of the great location, excellent cuisines (best Italian in town), and excellent service.  So today I was happy to come across this Yahoo review about the Millennium (the Millennium even found his lost luggage and helped him buy new clothes!). The review noted it had 5-star service and amenities.  It's ironic, because Xiamen websites list it as 4-star, but many of the so-called 5-star hotels in Xiamen have 4-star or even 3-star.  In my eyes, Millennium is the star.
Incredible Service!
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 06/29/09
This was my favorite stay on my business trips over this past month. The location was amazing, right in the downtown but within view of Gulangyu Island. When my luggage was lost by the airlines, the hotel's Concierge called the airlines continuously and got my luggage delivered straight to me. Meanwhile I had no clothes aside from what I was wearing, since they were all in my lost luggage, but a charming angel at Guest Relations walked with me to the nearby Trustmart and helped me buy a set of clothes.

The room was comfortable, all the standard 5 star amenities, and the breakfast was great. The hotel is priceless and I will be returning every time on my following visits. Thank you Millennium Harbourview for the amazing experience!!!
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-482571-xiamen_vacations-i
www.amoymagic.com

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Xiamen Rent a Car

Bill Brown  ...    Xiamen University

It is now possible to rent a car in Xiamen, with a driver or to drive yourself--but caution is in order!

First, driving a car in China is totally unlike driving back home.  It is automotive warfare, survival of the fastest.  Don't believe me?  Read "Darwinian Driving--Survival of the Fastest."  While it is humorous, it is also 100% true (as even Chinese friends have admitted).

Still want to rent a car in Xiamen?  There are various websites, but as far as I can find, they are all in Chinese.  But if you can't read Chinese, you'll have problems anyway.  Many cities have signs full of Chinese writing warning against this or that on this street or in that area.  I've only had 3 tickets in my 30+ years of driving in the U.S., but I had 3 in China within 30 days of getting my license back in 1993. 

Still, if you're careful, you'll find that driving in China is not only survivable but even enjoyable (in China, who needs Nintendo or Wii or Play Station  if you have a car, and streets full of cars and pedestrians to dodge--or, on occasion, hit).  Driving really frees you up, and we've put 200,000 km. on our two cars, even driving 40,000 km. to Tibet and Back, in 1994 (through the Gobi Desert no less, in our 2-wheel drive Toy Ota).

Try this website for cars ranging from 250 Yuan to 1200 Yuan a day:
http://www.xm-lease.net/  

And do read about Darwinian Driving in China!

Also check out Tibet in 80 Days

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

www.amoymagic.com

Free legal software to remove DRM from audio files

Bill Brown  ...  Xiamen University


I was frustrated to find that the album I bought online was DRM protected WMA files.  While the site had claimed they could be played on MP3 players, they could not.  They worked on my computer, but not on my iPod shuffle (a dinosaur-version, given to me by my sister years ago), or my Philips MP3 player.  Itunes would not play them because it said they were protected and could not be converted. 

I spent hours searching for ways to remove the DRM (after all, I did not illegally download these, but paid for them from a reputable site; I should be able to play them).  The internet is chock full of links to Free DRM removal software and DRM free software and every combination you can think of--all throwing in the word FREE to get you to click.  But almost everyone ended up charging $30 or $40 or more to convert more than 30 seconds or so.  But I found a FREE Solution!

First...if the files are DRM Free (no DRM protection), you can convert WMA to MP3 easily, quickly, and for free with a FREEWARE program (not a trial--really free), called Switch Audio Converter.  While they do urge you to pay for the upgraded version, their free WMA to MP3 conversion software works fine.  I just used it--and it works for both Windows and MAC.  (And, by the way, I receive no commission for referring you; I just hope you can avoid the hours of fruitless searching that I spend downloading, installing, and then uninstalling and deleting a dozen programs that claimed to be free but were not).

The next part-- removing DRM for free-- is trickier.  The only easy to use Freeware that I could find was AnalogWhole.  Actually, I'd think that removing DRM would be illegal, but Analog gets around this by playing the file on your computer and recording it as an unprotected copy.  This is real time, so it takes 30 minutes to convert a 30 minute audio file.  Slow--but it is 100% free DRM removal software.  The other disadvantage, though, is that as it records the file being played, it picks up ambient noise (taps on the computer, movement, etc.).  The background noise was distracting.  You have to adjust the microphones just right (it helps you do this), because too low and you can't hear the DRM free copy, but too high and you get distortion, and it picks up everything from computer noise to your intestines digesting the previous night's pizza.  Still...for free, who can complain.

The Best Solution for Converting DRM protected files?  Don't buy them in the first place, if you can possibly avoid it.  I understand the reasoning behind them, but it penalizes those of us who do buy legal copies, for our own personal Fair Use.  But if, like me last night, you pay good money for files that you can't play on your MP3 player, then the above is the only really free solution that I could find.

If you know of better free solutions to removing DRM protection, please share them.

In closing--I am assuming that anyone reading this is seeking a way to remove DRM encoding from audio or video files that were obtained legally, and are being used legally--not shared!

Enjoy Amoy!

Bill


www.amoymagic.com

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Xiamen Olympic Museum

Bill Brown   ...  Xiamen niversity

The Xiamen Olympic Museum, the only one of its kind in China approved by both the Chinese Olympic Committee and the International Olympic committee, now has a nice English Web Site.

Visit the museum, and nearby, on the Island Ring Road, note the 99 slightly larger than life bronze statues of marathon runners.  The winner is, as happens every year, an African runner.  Last in place is a "runner" in a wheelchair, being pushed by a friend (a nice touch, as Xiamen has numerous programs to encourage physically challenged locals to get involved in sports, which is why the Fresno-based "Break the Barriers" program received record media attention when they performed in Xiamen). 

See "Break the Barriers Proves Anti-Gravity in Xiamen."

Also check out our beautiful 6km. (actually, 5.9 km). Xiamen Boardwalk.


www.amoymagic.com

World's Largest Organ Museum

Bill Brown


Hu Youyi, the Gulangyu-born piano collector who now resides in Australia and founded Gulangyu's Piano Museum (the largest in Asia, and the only one in China), has also built the world's largest organ museum on Gulangyu (no, it is not a museum for the world's largest organ, but the largest museum for organs; I just know someone would grab hold of that).

The museum has more than 100 organs,  including over 30 varieties of reed organs, accordions, pianicas and three large-scale pipe organs.

It is in the Bagua Lou (Eight Diagram Building--the prominent domed building that resembles a consulate). 


Xiamen University
www.amoymagic.com

Medical Prescriptions in Xiamen

Bill Brown       Xiamen University

30 July 2009, Ms. K.S. wrote:
HI there,

I am moving to Xiamen from New York City in a few weeks.  I take some prescribed medications. I am hoping you can tell me whether or not I will be able to get them in Xiamen as well.  I regularly take Adderall. Do you have this medicine there?  Is it easily available? Is it expensive? Who do I need to get a prescription from in China, a physician or psychiatrist?  Should I bring a letter from my doctor here?

I hope you can help! I am desperate to find out as it may affect my trip.

Thank you for your time.

All the best,

K,S,

My reply:  I think you need not worry, especially with the opening of the Chenggang Hospital (check our site's Xiamen Hospitals page).  Many prescription meds are available over the counter.  Those that aren't, you can get prescriptions at hospitals (we prefer Chenggang).  But meds such as sleeping meds are generally doled out only half a dozen pills at a time, meaning a trip once or twice a week to the hospital, which is a pain, so you might want to bring a supply of those.
        Enjoy Xiamen!
        Bill
www.amoymagic.com

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Lose 100 Pounds in 6 Months Guaranteed!

Bill Brown   ...  Xiamen University

According to recent research, six foods will keep you so full and satisfied that, in theory, you would have negative weight in weeks.
   No less an authority than Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION, wrote on Sat Jun 27, 2009: (I edit it down considerably):

   Eggs quell hunger.  Women on low-fat diets who ate 2 eggs for breakfast at least 5 days a week lost 65% more weight and averaged 83% greater reduction in waist size (substitute low-fat yogurt for eggs if you're vegan).

    Almonds: are full of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Studies "prove" that after six months, dieters who eat almonds lost 63% more weight, 50% more body fat, and shrunk waistlines 55% more than those on high carb diets (though careful--they're high calorie).

    Avocados: loaded with  healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals, and satisfying.

    Apples: people who eat apples with every meal lose 40% more than those who do not (I guess it doesn't matter what you do or do not eat in addition to apples).

    Oatmeal: slows digestion, keeps you full for hours,and people who eat oatmeal for every breakfast and walk 15 to 20 minutes a day lose 10 pounds in 12 weeks.

     Peanut butter:  research proves dieters who eat it lose more weight than those who don't (but didn't say how much weight, or how much peanut butter to eat).

    Do the math!  Just eat eggs, almonds, avocados, apples, oatmeal and peanut butter, and in six months you'll weigh less than when you were born and you can be a fashion model in Shanghai, Paris, or Los Angeles' Hill Street.

www.amoymagic.com

Sunday, July 5, 2009

4th of July in Xiamen --1921!

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

Some folks from the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, and visitors from the U.S., had some sort of get together in Xiamen (former Amoy), a week before July 4th. That was the closest, perhaps, to having an "official" 4th of July celebration in Xiamen for over 60 years. But I have accounts from journals and diaries of pretty big July 4th celebrations in Xiamen dating back to the mid 1850s, and below is a photo of Americans in Amoy celebrating the U.S.' birthday in 1921. (I'm certainly glad we don't have to brave Xiamen summers in those kinds of clothes today).

By the way, while we're celebrating the 4th, let's give thanks to Xiamen, because no Xiamen, no U.S.A.! After all, it was Anxi tea (from Quanzhou) shipped from Xiamen by a Xiamen ship that was dumped overboard during the Boston Tea Party of 1773. So were it not for Xiamen, there would be no 4th of July, our lawyers would still be wearing powdered white wigs (like the guys in HK still wear), and we'd be eating our french fries with malt vinegar instead of ketchup. So.... thank you Xiamen!
Happy 4th!
Bill
Click the image for a larger view:




www.amoymagic.com

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The Great Firewall

Bill Brown
Around April, 2009, the Great Firewall of China blocked many servers, including Blogger, which hosts my blogs--so I can no longer easily update them unless I use a Proxy, which is not secure. So...no more posts for awhile.
Oh well. Life is Off the Wall.... especially when it's behind the Great Firewall.

Xiamen University
www.amoymagic.com

Monday, May 11, 2009

How to Unanswer E-mails!

Bill Brown  ...  Xiamen University
Ever struggled about whether you should reply to that e-mail or letter, or wait a bit--or toss it?  In "The Wisdom of America," Lin Yutang quoted a delightful essay On Unanswering Letters, published back in 1928, long before people were deluged with daily letters, e-mail, and SPAM. 

Ironically, the fellow in the essay who wrote the unanswered letter was named "Bill."  Do you think that was a hint for me.  If so, jot me a line and I'll get back to you--about Thanksgiving or Christmas.

On Unanswering Letters,
by Christopher Morley, from Essays, 1928, J.B. Lippincott Company
(Quoted in The Wisdom of America, pp. 250-253) 

There are a great many people who really believe in answering letters the day they are received, just as there are people who go to the movies at nine o clock in the morning; but these people are stunted and queer.

It is a great mistake. Such crass and breathless promptness takes away a great deal of the pleasure of correspondence.

The psychological didoes involved in receiving letters and making up one s mind to answer them are very complex. If the tangled process could be clearly analyzed and its component involutions isolated for inspection we might reach a clearer comprehension of that curious bag of tricks, the efficient Masculine Mind.

Take Bill F., for instance, a man so delightful that even to contem plate his existence puts us in good humor and makes us think well of a world that can exhibit an individual equally comely in mind, body and estate. Every now and then we get a letter from Bill, and immediately we pass into a kind of trance, in which our mind rapidly enunciates the ideas, thoughts, surmises and contradictions that we would like to write to him in reply. We think what fun it would be to sit right down and churn the ink-well, spreading speculation and cynicism over a number of sheets of foolscap to be wafted Billward.

Sternly we repress the impulse for we know that the shock to Bill of getting so immediate a retort would surely unhinge the well-fitted panels of his intellect.

We add his letter to the large delta of unanswered mail on our desk, taking occasion to turn the mass over once or twice and run through it in a brisk, smiling mood, thinking of all the jolly letters we shall write some day.

After Bill's letter has lain on the pile for a fortnight or so it has been gently silted over by about twenty other pleasantly postponed manuscripts. Coming upon it by chance, we reflect that any specific problems raised by Bill in that manifesto will by. this time have settled themselves. And his random speculations upon household management and human destiny will probably have taken a new slant by now, so that to answer his letter in its own tune will not be congruent with his present fevers. We had better bide a wee until we really have some thing o circumstance to impart.

We wait a week.

By this time a certain sense of shame has begun to invade the privacy of our brain. We feel that to answer that letter now would be an indelicacy. Better to pretend that we never got it. By and bye Bill will write again and then we will answer promptly. We put the letter back in the middle of the heap and think what a fine chap Bill is. But he knows we love him, so it doesn t really matter whether we write or not.

Another week passes by, and no further communication from Bill. We wonder whether he does love us as much as we thought. Still we are too proud to write and ask.

A few days later a new thought strikes us. Perhaps Bill thinks we have died and he is annoyed because he wasn*t invited to the funeral, Ought we to wire him? No, because after all we are not dead, and even if he thinks we are, his subsequent relief at hearing the good news of our survival will outweigh his bitterness during the interval. One of these days we will write him a letter that will really express our heart, filled with all the grindings and gear-work of our mind, rich in affection and fallacy. But we had better let it ripen and mellow for a while. Letters, like wines, accumulate bright fumes and bubblings if kept under cork.

Presently we turn over that pile of letters again. We find in the lees of the heap two or three that have gone for six months and can safely be destroyed. Bill is still on our mind, but in a pleasant, dreamy kind of way* He does not ache or twinge us as he did a month ago. It is fine to have old friends like that and keep in touch with them. We wonder how he is and whether he has two children or three. Splendid old Bill!

By this time we have written Bill several letters in imagination and enjoyed doing so, but the matter of sending him an actual letter has begun to pall. The thought no longer has the savour and vivid sparkle it had once. When one feels like that it is unwise to write. Letters should be spontaneous outpourings: they should never be undertaken merely from a sense of duty. We know that Bill wouldn t want to get a letter that was dictated by a feeling of obligation.

Another fortnight or so elapsing, it occurs to us that we have entirely forgotten what Bill said to us in that letter. We take it out and con it over. Delightful fellow! It is full of his own felicitous kinks of whim, though some of it sounds a little old-fashioned by now- It seems a bit stale, has lost some of its freshness and surprise. Better not answer it just yet, for Christmas will soon be here and we shall have to write then anyway. We wonder, can Bill hold out until Christmas without a letter?

We have been rereading some of those imaginary letters to Bill that have been dancing in our head. They are full of all sorts of fine stuff. If Bill ever gets them he will know how we love him. To use O. Henry s immortal joke, we have days of Damon and Knights of Pythias writing those uninked letters to Bill A curious thought has come to us. Perhaps it would be better if we never saw Bill again. It is very difficult to talk to a man when you Eke him so much. It is much easier to write in the sweet fantastic strain. We are so inarticulate when face to face. If Bill comes to town, we will leave word that we have gone away. Good old Bill! He will always be a precious memory.

A few days later a sudden frenzy sweeps over us, and though we have many pressing matters on hand, we mobilize pen and paper and literary shock troops and prepare to hurl several battalions at BilL But, strangely enough, our utterance seems stilted and stiff. We have nothing to say. My dear Bill, we begin, it seems a long time since we heard from you. Why don t you write? We still love you, in spite of all your shortcomings.

That doesn t seem very cordial. We muse over the pen and nothing comes. Bursting with affection, we are unable to say a word.

Just then the phone rings. "Hello?"we say.

It is Bill, come to town unexpectedly.

"Good old fish!" we cry, ecstatic. "Meet you at the corner of Tenth and Chestnut in five minutes."

We tear up the unfinished letter. Bill will never know how much we love him. Perhaps it is just as well. It is very embarrassing to have your friends know how you feel about them. When we meet him we will be a little bit on our guard. It would not be well to be betrayed into any extravagance of cordiality.

And perhaps a not altogether false little story could be written about a man who never visited those most dear to him, because it hurt him so to say good-bye when he had to leave.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

The Mother of Mother's Day

Bill Brown  ...  Xiamen University
 Happy Mother's Day from Amoy!
  I wrote this article for Common Talk in 2006.

When Anna May Jarvis's mother died on the second Sunday of May 1906, Anna May wished she had heeded the warning to, “Lavish your flowers on the living, not the dead.” Driven by remorse, the gentle, easy going Anna May became obsessed with the desire to see her mother and motherhood honored throughout the world.

After a year’s planning, the first Mother's Day was celebrated on the second anniversary of her mother’s death, May 10, 1908, at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna’s mother had taught Sunday School. A year later, Philadelphia became the first city to proclaim an official Mother’s Day. Three years later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed Public Resolution 25, establishing the second Sunday of each May as Mother's Day. And then, to everyone’s surprise, Anna May retired and spent the remaining 34 years of her life, and her fortune of over 100,000 dollars, fighting against Mother’s Day!

The problem was that from day one, Mother’s Day had become a great commercial extravaganza to boost the incomes of card and candy makers, and a salve to soothe the consciences of those who each May made mother a “queen for the day” but neglected her the other 364 days.

Anna May complained, “Mother’s Day has nothing to do with candy. Candy is junk. A maudlin, insincere printed card or a ready-made telegram means nothing except that you’re too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone else in the world. You ought to go home and see your mother on Mother’s Day. You ought to take her out and paint the town red...You ought to give her something useful, something permanent...Is she sleeping warm at night? Could she use an eiderdown? Maybe the stairs in her home need fixing...”

For 30 years, Anna May fought for the integrity of Mother’s Day. She finally died in a sanitarium — old, tired, deaf, blind, penniless, and having never married nor been a mother herself!

Sixty years later, mothers may be more neglected than ever. Statistics show one half of Americans, which of course includes one half of our mothers, live in poverty. Where are the children? More than ever, mothers deserve more than cards and candy one day a year and anonymity the other 364.

My appreciation of motherhood only began as I watched my wife, Susan Marie, in both sickness and health, unselfishly spend herself on her two sons (and her husband as well!). I also slowly came to better appreciate my own mother, and though she’s 12,000 miles away, I am now careful to not only send her the obligatory Mother’s Day card and flowers but also to regularly write and phone her.

Fortunately, most Common Talk readers are not 12,000 miles away from home! So as Mother's Day catches on in China, let us seek to make Mother’s Day not a card-and-candy substitute for well-deserved love but the crown and pinnacle of a full year’s expression of love and appreciation for the one who gave us life: our mother.
www.amoymagic.com

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Princeton Premier Business Leaders and Professionals Honors Edition

Bill Brown   ...  Xiamen University
For years I've been getting invitations for "Who's Who in -- Fill in the Blanks," and countless Chinese versions of such "honors," but today I received this one from "Princeton."  Pretty impressive--except as far as I can tell it really has nothing to do with Princeton.   It is just a scam to get you to spend $100 nonrefundable to be included.  But some Chinese colleagues are so excited about these frauds and think they're the ticket to fame and fortune abroad.

As Groucho Marx said in his oft-repeated quip, "I would not join any organization that would take me as a member."

Below is the entire letter, but for the record--I think none of these are worth the money they charge you, even if they're legitimate.  In High School I paid for the "Who's Who" volume with me in it, and the "Outstanding American High School Students", and a couple others.  My parents were very excited about them and did not want to miss the chance to get them.  But what prospective employer or school really cares?  These "directories" go by information you send them, and as far as I know do not verify anything. If I were a university or a prospective employer, I'd go by a resume that I could verify rather than a commercial "honors" directory.

Don't waste your money!

Dear Bill,
It is my pleasure to inform you that you are being considered for inclusion into the 2009-2010 Princeton Premier Business Leaders and Professionals Honors Edition section of the registry.
The 2009-2010 edition of the registry will include biographies of the world's most accomplished individuals. Recognition of this kind is an honor shared by thousands of executives and professionals throughout the world each year. Inclusion is considered by many as the single highest mark of achievement.
You may access our application form using the following link:
http://www.formdesk.com/pgn6/New
Upon final confirmation, you will be listed among other accomplished individuals in the Princeton Premier Registry.

For accuracy and publication deadlines, please complete your application form and return it to us within five business days.
There is no cost to be included in the registry.
If you've already received this email from us, there is no need to respond again.
This email serves as our final invitation to potential members who have not yet responded.
On behalf of the Executive Publisher, we wish you continued success.
Sincerely,
Jason Harris

Managing Director
Princeton Premier


Princeton Premier
23-35A Steinway St - Astoria, NY 11105 - USA


We only support ethical email marketing. To remove yourself from future mailings, please  visit here to use our automated removal system. You will be removed from our mailing database within seven (7) days. 7505
Thanks




www.amoymagic.com

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Chinese vs. American Culture

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
I've been asked to lecture at a Chinese high school in Xiamen about the differences between Chinese and American culture, so below, and in a few following blogs, will be some rough drafts of my thoughts so far.
Any suggestions or additions? Please add them in the comments! I have a week to pull this together...

Differences between Chinese & American Culture

The longer I live in China, the more I realize that the difference between Chinese culture and American culture is—everything! From use of color to how we cook, from body language to body space, we are not just separate cultures but different planets. But fortunately, most of this is on the social level. Individually, we are very similar indeed, with the same needs, hopes, and fears as any other peoples on the planet. So I believe that the day will come when East does meet West—though it may not be in my lifetime.

There are so many issues in which we differ, so for this talk I will focus on just a few that many of us would assume are universal, such as views on body space and privacy, importance of family and patriotism, value of education and view of teachers, use of time and history, use of color, cooking and dining, and a little about Chinese and American humor. Of course, I may not be the right one to write this. My wife Susan Marie says I have no culture whatsoever. She’s probably right—but at least I have class. In fact, I have 12 hours of class a week in the MBA Program. Personally, I never expected to have so many classes in a classless society.

Part 1. Chinese & American Cooking & Dining
“With English cooking you boil the chicken, throw away the water and eat the chicken. With Chinese cooking you boil the chicken, throw away the carcass and drink the soup.” Anonymous

“One should eat to live, not live to eat.” Moliere

“Moliere never ate Chinese food.”
Bill Brown

I once joked that Adam and Eve could not have been Chinese because if they’d been Chinese, Eve would have tossed the apple and eaten the snake. But an Overseas Chinese friend said, “Not true! If she’d been Chinese, she’d have sold the apple, and then eaten the snake.”

Chinese seem to live for food, and spend much of their day preparing or eating dishes that are a feast for both palate and eyes—and things I never could have imagined people would eat. I eventually learned that Chinese eat anything edible, and if it isn’t edible, they call it medicine and ingest it anyway.

In N.W. Fujian they boast about noodles made from the flour of a very poisonous tuber. “Takes 18 steps to make it safe,” my host told me. I asked him how many people died on steps 1 to 17.

And birds nests! Just who thought of crawling up the side of a cliff into a cave to steal bird’s nest made of solidified swallow spit—and then cooking it? And in China I think I’ve eaten every part of a chicken, cow or pig except the meat itself. Chinese will fuss over a tiny morsel of meat that’s smaller than some of the bits I fish out of my mouth with a toothpick after the meal. If they do give you meat, it’s chopped up small—and chock full of sharp little bones. Personally, I think it’s all a front, carried out on a national level, and after foreign guests leave the room, the Chinese bring out the steaks and chops (and probably knives and forks as well).

The hardest thing to get used to is how long Chinese take to eat. At one of our first three-hour 20-course meals in China, my oldest son, who was only five, said, “This is certainly not fast food—it’s slow food.” For Chinese, meals are a social event. For Americans, meals are a pitstop for refueling. Quite often, we just swallow our meal whole and then chew it later.

www.amoymagic.com

Lin Yutang on the Futility of Force

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
In 1943, in his book "Between Tears and Laughter," Lin Yutang angered friends and foes alike by candidly laying bare the true motives behind the wars and the political machinations going on around the planet. And by the simple expediency of analyzing what the "Powers" had been doing, Lin was able to predict exactly what those same Powers would be doing half a century later.

Though Christ said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," I am skeptical of the motives of some who cry peace, peace (Herr Hitler cried peace even as he sharpened his swords]. But like Lin Yutang, I also do not feel it is unpatriotic or unChristian to question the motives of those resorting to war for the cause of peace.

The following excerpt from Lin Yutang's Between Tears and Laughter is, I think, even more poignant today, over 60 years after it was written. Download the entire book at Internet Archives, and as you read it, note the parallels with much of what we see today. In particular--note how Lin predicted we would rebuild Japan, and why.

Lin Yutang on the Futility of Force

Who will make plain to the world the law of the spirit, and demonstrate that Force generates Coercion, Coercion generates Fear, and Fear generates Hatred, as definitely and as accurately as one billiard ball sends another rolling? Who will write a philosophy and psychology of Force and its reactions and determine their characteristics ? Who will be the consummate fatalist to tell the world in plain, convincing, forceful terms that actions generate emotions and emotions in turn generate actions, that the fruit of Force is Fear and Hatred, that thoroughgoing Force generates Fear and Hatred and unthoroughgoing Force generates Hatred without Fear? Who will say, even as in a classroom in physics, that the greater the Force, the greater the Hatred, and that the greatest Force is the most hated of all?
And who will say, as clearly as the prophets of the sky say that a thunderclap presages a storm, that Force is inevitably followed by Hatred, and Hatred is followed by Revenge? For Hatred divides, and the structure of power must sooner or later fall.

In ignorance of such simple and self-evident moral laws, Pericles alternately threatened by force and cajoled by oratory the other Greek states. And after his death, Cleon the leather merchant, Eucrates the rope-seller, and Hyperbolus the lampmaker babbled. They were all good democrats and Cleon was a good general It was left only for the insolent public idol, Alcibiades, to complete the suicide of Greece.

But such laws, being the laws of God, are manifest to the mind of the simple man, requiring no proof. Therefore, he who would be strong within must guard against the use of power, for only then is he safe from corruption within and hatred without. And only he who is free from corruption within and hatred without can be strong eternally. Laotse says, "For love is victorious in attack and invulnerable in defense. Heaven arms with love those it would not see destroyed." Therefore he says:
Of all things, soldiers are instruments of evil, Hated by men. Therefore the religious man avoids them. Soldiers are weapons of evil; They are not the weapons of the gentleman. When the use of soldiers cannot be helped, The best policy is calm restraint. Even in victory, there is no beauty, And who calls it beautiful Is one who delights in slaughter. He who delights in slaughter Will not succeed in his ambition to rule the world. The slaying of multitudes should be mourned with sorrow. A victory should be celebrated with the Funeral Rite. Those who love America and England and wish them to be strong forever must read Laotse again and again, for they will gain thereby the secret of immortal strength, exempt from corruption within and invulnerable from attack without. Let America be great, even as the great river of life: The Great Tao flows everywhere, (Like a flood) it may go left or right The myriad things derive their life from it, And it does not deny them. When its work is accomplished, It does not take possession. It clothes and feeds the myriad things, Yet does not claim them as its own... Because to the end it does not claim greatness, Its greatness is achieved. How did the great rivers and seas become the Lords of the Ravines ? By being good at keeping low. That was how they became the Lords of the Ravines. Therefore in order to be the chief among the people, One must speak like their inferiors. In order to be foremost among the people, One must walk behind them. Thus it is that the sage stays above, And the people do not feel his weight; Walks in front, And the people do not wish him harm. Then the people of the world are glad to uphold him forever. Because he does not contend, No one in the world can contend against him. I am not worried lest America may not be able to assert a leadership of force and power; I am worried lest she may. I am concerned to see America assume a moral leadership, a leadership of humility, so that the world may pay her glad homage and uphold her forever. Like the great river that nourishes life along its valley, she shall by the exuberance and richness of her life be a blessing upon the peoples of the earth. She shall stay above, and the world shall not feel her weight; she shall walk in front and no one will wish her harm. For she shall then lead in kindness and unselfishness and justice and by that secret of unused power bring a new era of brotherhood to mankind. No one can dethrone her because of her power for goodness, and no one can take away from her, because she does not take possession, She shall not contend, and no one in the world can contend against her, and because she takes no credit, the credit can never be taken away from her. This is my Dream America. Will it come true? Man has done it before. Abraham Lincoln did it. George Washington did it. In a world of evil chaos, great men have stood up and with the strength of their goodness and their simplicity and the innocence of youth proclaimed that the good in men can outweigh the evil, and they have acted upon that assumption.

Note: Lin did note, interestingly, that there were occasions where war was unavoidable:
"Civil wars are necessary in a nation until an equilibrium is restored. Revolts against empires are necessary until the invader is driven out. The only stable equilibrium in the world is the equilibrium of equality. Only when such equilibrium is reached can we have peace. Small countries have the right to fight, perhaps to settle an old boundary dispute. Big countries have no right to fight, ever, because when they fight they involve the whole world.

Lin Yutang on "Big Neighbors":

...Of all the fifty or sixty nations in the world, only three or four big powers are upsetting the peace of the world. These powers have run over this earth, kicking down people's fences in bad temper and worse manners, robbing them of their liberty and independence, and taking possession of their goods and have then
fought wars among themselves for these goods. First they fought among themselves, and then they called upon the entire world to fight for them to keep what they have. This makes little sense, and it makes still less sense to say that we can have peace only by giving greater power to the big powers and disarming the small powers, on the plea that the small powers may combine to attack them!

Big Powers, at least behave as if you were not scared! But now we suddenly hear about policing the world, as if the Greenlanders and Samoans and Formosans and Burmese were threatening the world peace, while the big powers don their uniforms, strutting about to club the small powers on their heads with a baton if they do not behave. It would seem that we could well police the big powers for a while and leave the poor Samoans and Balinese and Eskimos alone. But, no, we cannot disarm the big powers, because the big powers will not be disarmed, after having so heroically fought and triumphed in this war. Very well, then, let's have wars eternally. The first thing we know the police will start shooting among themselves and scare us poor humble neighbors out of our wits.www.amoymagic.com

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Proof: U.S. Government is Taoist!

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
At long last I have discovered the secret behind how the U.S. government works: both Democrats and Republicans alike are Taoists. Need proof? Just consider the following passage from Lao Tse's "Tao Dejing" (Taoist Scripture). Though written five centuries before Christ, the following passage sounds just like a manual for modern government:

"The ancients who showed their skill in practicing the Tao did so, not to enlighten the people, but rather to make them simple and ignorant.
The difficulty in governing the people arises from their having much knowledge. He who (tries to) govern a state by his wisdom is a scourge to it; while he who does not (try to) do so is a blessing." 65 道德经:古之善为道者,非以明民,将以愚之。民之难治,以其智多。故以智治国,国之贼;不以智治国,国之福。

If people ruled by leaders without wisdom are blessed, we are very fortunate in this day and age! But seriously, Old Lao Tzu did have some shrewd insights on good government. Consider verse 57:

"In the kingdom the more prohibitions, the poorer the people become...the more laws, the more thieves and robbers there are." 57道德经:天下多忌讳,而民弥贫...法令滋彰,盗贼多有。

No wonder Mark Twain said we had so many cons in Congress.

Not that I'm complaining--at least much. For all America's faults, at least we are allowed to complain about them--a freedom that in itself covers a multitude of sins. If dissent is allowed, change is possible--at least in theory.

Lao Tse's Three Treasures Lao Tse, by the way, had some priorities that it might do for our modern rulers to adopt. He said his three treasures were gentleness, frugality, and not putting himself first. He explained, "Gentleness lets me be bold, frugality enables me to be liberal, not putting myself above others allows me to take the place of highest honor. " He then said, "Now-a-days [2500 years ago!], they give up gentleness for boldness, frugality for liberality, and the hindmost place to be foremost--all ending in death."

Maybe Lao Tse knew what he was talking about after all!

In closing, here is Lao Tse on Over-Government:
"The people starve because overtaxed by officials. This causes famine. The people are hard to govern because they are governed too much. This makes them ungovernable." 75 道德经:民之饥,以其上食税之多,是以饥。民之难治,以其上之有为,是以难治

Well, I hear the bells of nearby Nanputuo Temple ringing; Congress must be back in session. Ommmmmmm.

Reference: Lao Tse's 3 Treasures: 道德经: 我有三宝,持而保之。一曰慈,二曰俭,三曰不敢为天下先。慈故能勇;俭故能广;不敢为天下先,故能成器长。今舍慈且勇;舍俭且广;舍后且先;死矣!
www.amoymagic.com

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

This Folder is Shared with Other People [ cannot move error]

Bill Brown .. Xiamen University
This blog entry is not related to Xiamen...but then it again, it is, since we all use computers, and someone out there may be able to help! (By the way, when I came to Xiamen University in 1988, we had no computers in the MBA Center's office, and the Foreign Affair's first computer was one that I put together with parts that I brought in from Hong Kong. How times have changed!).

Here's the problem. With Microsoft Vista, quite often it gives me an error message when I try to moved a folder. A box pops up with the warning "This folder is shared with other people. If you move this folder, it will no longer be shared." It then gives me the option to continue or cancel. If I cancel, it freezes, and if I try to then cancel, I cannot. But a few minutes later (sometime 15 minutes later), I get a message
"Buffer overrun detected! Program:...PowerCinema for TOSHIBA\KERNEL|CLML\CLMLSvc.exe A buffer overrun has been detected which has corrupted the program's internal state. The program cannot safely continue execution and must now be terminated."

One, my folders are NOT shared with anyone else, and I've even closed the Power Cinema Program, which appears to be a Power Problem. But nothing helps. I've even completely disabled the Cyberlink PowerCinema and rebooted; no use. Does anyone have any idea what to do--other than to chuck the computer and send a letter to Osama Bin Laden asking him to pay a visit to Microsoft? Thanks.
Enjoy Amoy-- anyway!
Dr. Bill
www.amoymagic.com

20 Ounces or 12?

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
Dr. Tom sent this about stress. Of course, Dr. Tom is one of those folks who forwards several things a day--but this one has some very choice quotes, and deserves to be shared. I especially liked the very last quote--perhaps because I'm always getting sidetracked--but sidetrack or main track, I enjoy the ride! Enjoy.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water?' Answers called out ranged from 8oz. to 20oz.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.'

'In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.' He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.'

'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again, when we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work or life down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.

‘Life is short. Enjoy!’ And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burden of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

* Never buy a car you can't push.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
www.amoymagic.com

Ambassador von Royen in Xiamen!

Bill Brown .. Xiamen University

Last week, I was very honored to spend two days guiding a team of Dutch tourists around Gulangyu and Xiamen, and one of them was the well-known former Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Jan Herman von Royen (accompanied by his wife Caroline). Von Royen was most instrumental in engineering the agreements that gave birth to Indonesian Independence. Below is an article about him.

By the way, von Royen loved Xiamen, but had never heard of it. But when he bought a copy of my book Discover Gulangyu and asked me to sign it, he was shocked to learn that Xiamen was the same as Amoy! Western history books are full of stories about exotic Amoy; there is nothing in Western history about Xiamen. Chinese complain that "Amoy" is a foreign name, but in fact, it is what almost all Overseas Chinese call Xiamen. So if we are to attract the attention of the world, we should use the name Amoy, as well as Xiamen. [Click here for "Why Amoy?"]
Enjoy Amoy!

TIME, Nov.14, 1949: BIRTH OF A NATION
Source is Here
A few hours before dawn, a bleary-eyed night porter at The Hague's stuffy Hotel des Indes (named for The Netherlands' once vast and profitable colonies) opened the heavy oaken door for a weary guest, who went promptly to his room, and to sleep. He was slim, patient Jan Herman van Royen, able career diplomat and chief Dutch troubleshooter at The Hague Round Table Conference, which had been called to settle the differences between Indonesia and The Netherlands (TIME, Sept. 5). Van Royen had just wound up a crucial committee meeting which seemed to assure the conference's success. The way was clear for the birth of a new nation.

Nationalists in Indonesia sputtered that they did not like the agreement which Van Royen and the Indonesian representatives had worked out. Nevertheless, after four years of bitter fighting and endless negotiations, it looked as though Indonesia would get the freedom it fiercely wanted, and yet would retain some of the economic ties with The Netherlands which are necessary for the survival of both countries.

During its ten weary weeks, The Hague conference had often seemed close to failure. The Indonesians had wanted as much independence as possible, the Dutch had wanted to retain as much sovereignty as possible. But eventually the Dutch and the Indonesian delegates grew to trust and understand each other. One weekend motor trip to Namur, in Belgium, helped to break the ice; Indonesia's Premier Mohammed Hatta and the Dutch Minister for Overseas Territories, Johan van Maarseveen, reached some important decisions chatting in their car. Explained Van Royen: "It doesn't pay to try to be too clever. The only way to gain confidence is to treat people as normal equals. The fortunate thing is that our interests run parallel. They can't do without us, nor we without them."

One of the thorniest problems of the conference was the public debt incurred by the Dutch administration in Indonesia, which the new republic would have to take over. The Dutch had originally set the figure at 6.3 billion guilders ($1.7 billion), but the U.N. Commission on Indonesia, which hovered anxiously over The Hague talks, helped persuade the Dutch to scale down their demands to 4.3 billion ($1.1 billion). Another tough nut was the future of New Guinea, a large part of which is still held by Dutch troops. Under the compromise which Van Royen had engineered, both parties agreed to defer a decision on New Guinea for a year.
www.amoymagic.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Xiamen Vacation!

Bill Brown   ...  Xiamen University
A few years ago, Sue and I decided that since we are always encouraging people to visit Xiamen, we should visit it ourselves!  Of course, we've lived here since 1988 so we should know our own town well, especially since I've written so many books about it.  But like most people, we tend to take our own home for granted, so we set out to experience Xiamen like a tourist, and we came away with an even greater appreciation of this magic little island.

Off Season Specials During the off seasons, many local Xiamen hotels with low occupancy rates are delighted to give a discount rate to locals who want to explore their own home, and Sue and I checked into a hotel by Yuandang Lagoon on Friday afternoon, and spent until Sunday exploring the beauty of the Night Lights on the lake, and the scenery, classic colonial architecture, and shops on Gulangyu Island.  We rode a tandem bicycle to enjoy the unmatched scenery of the Island Ring Road, and walked along our beautiful Xiamen Board Walk.  Xiamen also of course has dozens of fine parks and gardens, the finest being the 10,000 Rock Botanical Garden, which has more rocks than our Xiamen University cafeteria rice.  We explored the old back streets of downtown Xiamen, in some ways unchanged for centuries, but in others (the chic shops, for instance) so different from the town I knew a mere decade ago.

We also enjoyed sampling the many great restaurants.  Though I moved to China only because Chinese food was too expensive in America, I also enjoy sampling the other cuisines from dozens of nations—Vietnamese, French, Italian, American (if there is such a thing as American cuisine).

Sue and I had such a great time that we have made it our goal to vacation in Xiamen at least once every three months!

It just goes to prove… there’s no place like home!

My Favorite!  Xiamen Millennium Harbourview Hotel


Millennium Hotel's Official Website
www.amoymagic.com

Dutch Retake Xiamen & Tigers

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University

The Dutch Recapture Amoy!
Well, I've found my new career--Tour Guide! I've been asked many times over the years to guide groups, especially on Gulangyu, but I've never done it, except for family and friends (and the U.S. Ambassador a couple years ago). But Mr. Olivier Sieuw, in Beijing, asked me several times to lead a group of 11 Dutch folk on a tour of historic Gulangyu colonial architecture--and it turned out to be a lot of fun. What was really surprising was that one of the guests, who was a former Dutch Ambassador, had no idea that Xiamen used to be Amoy until I signed his copy of "Discover Gulangyu" with "Enjoy Amoy."

The group fell in love with Xiamen, once they came to understand our rich history, and centuries of relations with Europe. And the former Dutch Ambassador told me that he saw in an antique market in Holland a beautiful large oil painting of Amoy harbor in the 19th century, with foreign ships flying their flags of many nations! He'll try to get a photo of it for me, and permission to use it in my upcoming book "Old Xiamen in Foreigners' Eyes."

The Dutch group were surprised to learn that the Netherlands and Amoy have a history together of almost 500 years, and that the Chinese-European Art Center at Xiamen University was started by a lady from Holland, Mrs. Ineke Gudmundsson.

But one thing the Dutch had a hard time believing was that Xiamen had tigers right on Xiamen island and Gulangyu Island! I told them the story of little Nancy Theobold finding the tiger in her backyard on Gulangyu. And below are a couple of tidbits about Amoy Tigers (or South China Tiger, but called Amoy Tiger because this is the area they roamed). By the way....a friend of mine had an aunt killed by a man--eating tiger not far from Xiamen--in the 1960s.

TAME CHINESE TIGER in AMOY!
(by Miss D’Almeida, 1863, p. 285)
A gentleman took us to see a young tiger, between six and seven months old, which was so tame that it followed him about like a dog, and seemed quite pleased when we patted his head. The gentleman told us he paid ten dollars for him when he was first caught, a few months prior to the time we saw him, and that he had now sold him to the English Consul for a hundred pounds. I believe it is intended for the Zoological Gardens in London, where it will figure as the first from China ever seen there, and where we may some day renew our acquaintance with the tiger of Amoy.

“Mr. H. R. Bruce brought into Amoy the largest tiger that had ever been seen in that place, measuring over nine feet from nose to tip of tail.”
September 20th, 1888. Diary of Events in the Far East, Chinese Recorder, Vol. 19, Nov., 1888, p. 540

"Two things in Fukien impressed Marco Polo: the beauty of the women and the size of its tigers." Mackenzie-Grieves, 1959, p. 69

Chinese Vampires in Old Xiamen! (Think tigers are bad? Check out the true story of these horrible creatures!).
www.amoymagic.com

Friday, April 24, 2009

Napoleon of Nanputuo Temple! (Xiamen)

Bill Brown .. Xiamen University

Napoleon seemed to think he was god--and evidently so did the Chinese--at least here in old Amoy (former name for Xiamen). In the succinctly entitled book published in 1853, "An Aide-De-Camp's Recollections of Service in China, A Residence in Hong-Kong, and Visits to Other Islands in the Chinese Seas," by Colonel Arthur Augustus Thurlow Cunynghame,

"There is still one very superb temple, [Nanputuo Temple] by far the best specimen I had yet met with. This, as usual, was filled with gods and demons of all denominations and attributes. The entree of these figures does not appear to be exclusively restricted to Chinese deities, a clay statue of Napoleon having been found in one of their temples at Amoy, in his cocked-hat and boots; how he got there, it would be difficult to determine." "(p.115)

I've not seen the Napoleon idol, but Nanputuo Temple has literally thousands of idols. It may well have been spirited off by some idle British soldier during their occupation of our fair isle of Amoy. I'll still have a go at looking for it, but I suspect it could well be in the British Museum in London, which has millions of artifacts from all over the world, hundreds of which were honestly acquired.

Who knows--maybe it was the Amoy folks' worship of Napoleon that led to the idea of the People's Liberation Army Temple in Quanzhou's walled city of Chongwu--a very unique temple with little green statues of --no, not leprechauns--27 PLA soldiers, replete in green uniforms, and surrounded by incense, fresh fruit and dried fruits and candies, and offerings of booze, soft drinks, cigarettes, and even cell phones and toy plastic tanks, helicopters, battleships and aircraft carriers (Just saw on the news yesterday China wants to build a real aircraft carrier).

But if you find the Napoleon of Nanputuo Temple, please let me know!

Dr. Bill
Some Fujian Temples
www.amoymagic.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I Wanna Hold Your Hand!

Bill Brown ...
Adapted from "Magic Xiamen--Guide to Xiamen"
Copyright Bill Brown

I nearly fell off my trusty rusty Forever Brand bike when I saw a gate guard sitting in another’s lap, arms about him, eyes locked intimately.

Chinese men are very intimate -- unlike us Westerners who religiously defend our inviolable body space (about 30 inches, according to space cases who study such stuff).

Chinese view privacy and body space differently because with 1.3 billion people there isn’t a lot of room for either one. Men have no qualms holding hands, arms, or bodies, which is all well and good for Chinese who know the ropes, but not for foreigners.

Consider the simple handshake. Americans grab, squeeze, pump for oil 3 times, and escape, but Chinese may grab your hand and hold it intimately in theirs, even stroking it throughout the entire conversation. It still unnerves me, even after 12 years.

I eventually gave a lecture on how not to shake hands or other body parts with unsuspecting Laowai. And the very next day, I ran into Foreign Affair’s Lao Huang, (Lao means “old” or “venerable”), one of my sons' favorite Chinese grandfathers, and handholder par excellence.

Lao Huang grasped my hand and caressed it for a good 15 minutes while he chatted away. He eventually asked, “Xiao Pan” (which means “Little Pan,” not “Unvenerable Pan”), “Do you feel awkward holding my hand?”

“A tad,” I confessed.

He roared with laughter, threw his arms about me (that I could handle), and confessed, “I heard about your hand-holding lecture yesterday!”

And ever since then, the old rascal has greeted me with an American pumping-for-oil handshake—and a sly chuckle.
www.amoymagic.com

Friday, April 17, 2009

100 Mayors TV

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
This afternoon, I was one of 3 guests on a TV special, "100 Wenming City Mayors," 《百位市长》, with Mayor Liu Cigui. I've never figured out a good way to translate "wenming." Civilized? Cultured? Since I helped Xiamen win the international Livcom Award in 2002 in Stuttgart, Germany, the city has gone on to win numerous other international honors, including the coveted U.N. Habitat award (I was impressed too, once it was explained to me; I had thought habitats were what you put hamsters in).

I'm surprised at all of the changes in Xiamen even over the past year. I didn't know we had almost 100,000 Taiwan residents in Xiamen now! Makes sense, though; 3/4 of Taiwanese are from S. Fujian anyway.

I also saw a middle school student who wrote a letter of complaint to the mayor about environment problems in relatively remote Xiang An (where the undersea tunnel will end up; Xiamen University is building an extension there, and Xiamen YMCA was talking about building some kind of retreat center out there).

But back to the student who complained...she was shocked when Mayor Liu gave her a handwritten response, and then showed up at her home to see first hand what she had complained about. She said, "What we can do for ourselves, we should do for ourselves--but if we can't handle it, the government should." And, I suppose, they did!

I gave a short talk, and was glad they can edit it. I forgot the very first paragraph and after stumbling, grabbed my notes out of my pocket, reviewed them, and then went on--fairly smoothly from there. Even after 21 years here, I'm still not a "natural" at doing TV in Chinese--though this time I did the first few lines in the Amoy Dialect, which was fun. And that's probably why I forgot the rest of the lines. It's still my dream to take some time to study the dialect for a year or two. Maybe when I retire?

I enclose my talk below. I only have it in Chinese, but basically I say we love Xiamen, it's changed a lot in 20 years, I've been to over 100 cities in over 30 countries and lived in a dozen, but Xiamen is one of the most special--and more and more foreigners thinks so as well, and want to move here from Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. because they not only want business success but a good living environment for their family--and Xiamen gives us that. I also threw in for free that our sons love Xiamen as well, and that Shannon, who works at the Xiamen Millennium Harbourview Hotel, just married a beautiful local Xiamen girl (and showed a photo of Shannon and our beautiful new daughter), and I said that I hope they get busy and give us some Sino-Chinese grandkids soon. And that was about it. Except for taking a couple of breaths here and there.

The photo, by the way, is of them making me up for the program. Someone said, "He doesn't need make-up. He's white enough!" Chinese, as you know, think the whiter the better. But the make-up girl said, "We're making him darker, not lighter."

我爱厦门(普通话),我是厦门人(闽南话)。我们全家是1988年来到厦门的,从来到这里的第一天起,我们就有一种感觉。我曾经走访了30多国家的数百个城市,并且在其中的十几个城市居住过,但我感觉厦门市世界上最好的城市之一。
实际上,许多在这里的外国人也赞同这个观点。十几年前,很少有外国人会待在厦门超过一两年。现在,厦门变得如此美好,很多人都不愿意离开了。

每周我都要受到好几封电子邮件,咨询来厦门访问的事。现在的厦门,在城市建设与发展上不亚于欧美一些先进城市,甚至在某些方面比美国,欧洲的一些知名城市还要好。

现在,不仅是我和妻子决定在厦门过一辈子,我们的两个儿子也有同样打算。我的大儿子娶了厦门姑娘做老婆,现在在厦门千禧海景酒店工作。我还要介绍更多的外国人来厦门参观访问。我经常收到读过我的书或者访问我介绍厦门网站的外国人给我来的信,他们希望移居厦门。他们中的许多人已经在中国的上海或广州生活过,并希望留在中国。同时,他们也想在商业上有发展,给他们的家庭提供一个良好环境,正如厦门提供给我的环境一样。

www.amoymagic.com

Friday, March 20, 2009

Xiamen-Hotel California of China (1860s)

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
Our family expected to spend a year or two in Xiamen and we're still here 21 years later, but Xiamen has been the "Hotel California of China" since at least the 1860s. You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave--and probably won't want to!
Enjoy Amoy!
Dr. Bill

Why Seven Becomes Fourteen!
From Boehm, Lise, “China Coast Tales,” Kelly and Walsh Limited, Shanghai, 1897. “In the Sixties,” Part 1, page 1-3 pp. 7,8

As everyone in China knows, at the end of his first seven years of service a Customs Assistant may apply for two years' leave on half-pay, which period he may spend anywhere usually "at home," viz. Europe his return passage to China being paid for him. But of those Assistants who may take their leave, under such favourable conditions, there are a great many who do not find themselves in a position to do so, and this in spite of having received regular and excellent pay during their period of service. At the end of his first seven years in China a man has often saved nothing, his brain having been turned by the mere possession of money, seemingly inexhaustible to one who has perhaps been brought up in narrow circumstances. Or, he has been bitten rabidly by what is known as "Sinology," and lives, speaks, thinks, and dreams of nothing but the Chinese language and literature. Or, he has been drawn into the ring of speculators, and has risked, even if he has not lost, all his savings in strange and wonderful mines and companies. Or, he is drinking himself into an untimely grave. And as it is far easier to live on nothing at all, and to die leaving your family to your friends, or to be a Chinese student, or to be a speculator, or to be a hard drinker, in the East than in the West, the man of seven years generally stays out fourteen.

note from Bill...
There you have it, folks! Even 150 years ago, Xiamen was the Hotel California of China! But what a delightful place to be stuck.
Enjoy Amoy!
www.amoymagic.com

Spring Cleaning in Xiamen, 1860s

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
While working on my "Old Xiamen in Foreigners' Eyes" book, I came across Lise Boehm's delightful account of Spring Cleaning in Amoy in the 1860s....
Enjoy Amoy!

Boehm, Lise, “China Coast Tales,” Kelly and Walsh Limited, Shanghai, 1897. “In the Sixties,” Part 1, page 1-3
…a grand cleaning, scrubbing and dusting had been going on for a fortnight in the house of the Commissioner of Imperial Maritime Customs, Amoy, South China.

Now the Commissioner was a man who usually left his servants to do just as much, or as little, as they chose to do. His was precisely the establishment a Chinaman delights in, where there is no troublesome "missisy" to demand monthly, weekly, or even daily accounts, to compare expenses with some experienced friend, and to generally make herself obnoxious. Provided his meals were served punctually, Mr. Watkins was fairly indifferent as to what he was made to swallow. Provided his own particular armchair held together, he did not care if the rest of his furniture was allowed to crumble away through neglect or white ants.

Such was the normal state of Mr. Watkins and of Mr. Watkins' household for eleven months in every year.

But when the twelfth month, marked in the calendar as May, came round, the aspect of the great dreary house on the top of the hill changed. Every available coolie, both in Mr. Watkins' house and in his office, every Customs boatman, every watchman, every odd man, was pressed into the work of cleaning.

The odour of carbolic fluids, of patent soaps and insect-destroying powders pervaded the whole compound, and made the house smell like the disinfecting ward of a hospital. Scrubbing cloths and dusting brushes, sufficient to last an ordinary Chinese household for a generation, were recklessly given out. Mosquito-nets were repaired, centipedes and lizards were terrified from their resting places, boxes of stores arrived from Hongkong, the official servants received fresh uniforms, and Mr. Watkins himself spent a whole day picking out white trousers, and coats which were neither frayed at the cuffs, nor shaky about the buttonholes, nor badly ironmoulded. For Mrs. Ratcliff was expected for her yearly visit.

Everybody in China knew Mrs. Ratcliff, or at any rate knew all about her…. (read the book to find out just what everyone knew about her, and why her annual pilgrimage to Mr. Watkin's home in Amoy so titillated the foreign community...
And, again, Enjoy Amoy!

www.amoymagic.com

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Xiamen 4th of July, 1891

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
With the U.S.'s increased presence in Xiamen (former Amoy), and 4th of July only a few months away, I was startled this afternoon, while working on my book about Xiamen history, to come across this article about a 4th of July celebration in Xiamen in 1891. What is really amazing are the Fujian governor's prescient remarks about the role of the U.S. and China in the coming 20th century. With a little revision, they still hold true--as do the hopes for our two countries peaceful cooperation. Bill

Amoy 4th of July, 1891--a Toast to America & China
[Chinese Recorder, Vol. 23, January, 1892 p. 18]
"China's Power.—At the celebration of the Fourth of July at Amoy, China, by the Americans, the governor of the province was invited to the banquet, and made a remarkable speech, which shows his intelligence, and suggests some things worthy of consideration.

"Tsin Chin-chung was called upon to respond to the toast, 'The Emperor of China.' In part he said: 'China, having followed its own principles of advancement during more than 5000 years, is now compelled to change and move along European channels. It has begun to own steamships and railways. Its telegraph now covers every province. It has mills, forges and foundries like those of Essen, of Sheffield and of Pittsburgh. China is to-day learning that lesson in education which Europe has obliged her to learn,—the art of killing, the science of armies and navies. Woe, then, to the world if the scholar, profiting by her lesson, should apply it in turn. With its freedom from debt, its inexhaustible resources and its teeming millions, this empire might be the menace, if not the destroyer, of Christendom. No matter what happens, it needs no prophetic gift to know that the 20th century will see at the forefront of the nations of the world,—China in the East and America in the West. Well may we pray that, for the welfare of humanity, their purposes will be as peaceful and upright as to-day.'"
www.amoymagic.com