Last summer, when our son was in China, he had email from home but all blogs were blocked. Many are too political. They filter internet communication. Foreign students at Southwest University (where Andy was) were warned not to download or access any political or religious sites. Violation would cancel their privledges. They would probably be sent home as well.
Dinnertime conversation last night was about China. The Olympics are quickly approaching and we are hearing more about Chinese preparations. Andy told us another way the Chinese government is preparing their population for the world's visit. On the 11th of each month they practice standing in line. No, not one big line of a billion plus people stretching up and down the Great Wall. They are to stand in line at store counters etc. This is not their custom. They usually cluster.
Foreign visitors are also shocked at Chinese customs of public spitting. Even women, especially older women, spit in public. What we would consider rude in the west is not rude there. Acceptance for this by China is due to their rejection of western manners decades ago. They wanted to purge the country of western (British?) influence. The pendulum swings.
Andy said when he was in London he noted they always stand "on queue". We would say we stand "in line", not "on line" or "on queue". On line here means we are on the Internet.
(Did you know in-line skates, Rollerblades" were invented in Minnesota?) One sociologist noted Minnesotans are more likely to stand in line than other parts of the country. Do we treasure good manners? Do we have a sense of fairness? Are we all conformists? Have we been to New York City and reject public pushiness? Are we sheep?
Good old Minnesota where we try to keep our spending in line, our behaviour in line, and our people in line. We pass so many laws regulating behaviour that we dub ourselves; "Minnesota. Land where everything is illegal."
Perhaps that is why we accept those mavarick politicians like Jesse Ventura and Al Franken. Deep down we are yearning to live free. Live free or die. But that is another state. We'll have to get in line to use that motto. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Free_or_Die
Dinnertime conversation last night was about China. The Olympics are quickly approaching and we are hearing more about Chinese preparations. Andy told us another way the Chinese government is preparing their population for the world's visit. On the 11th of each month they practice standing in line. No, not one big line of a billion plus people stretching up and down the Great Wall. They are to stand in line at store counters etc. This is not their custom. They usually cluster.
Foreign visitors are also shocked at Chinese customs of public spitting. Even women, especially older women, spit in public. What we would consider rude in the west is not rude there. Acceptance for this by China is due to their rejection of western manners decades ago. They wanted to purge the country of western (British?) influence. The pendulum swings.
Andy said when he was in London he noted they always stand "on queue". We would say we stand "in line", not "on line" or "on queue". On line here means we are on the Internet.
(Did you know in-line skates, Rollerblades" were invented in Minnesota?) One sociologist noted Minnesotans are more likely to stand in line than other parts of the country. Do we treasure good manners? Do we have a sense of fairness? Are we all conformists? Have we been to New York City and reject public pushiness? Are we sheep?
Good old Minnesota where we try to keep our spending in line, our behaviour in line, and our people in line. We pass so many laws regulating behaviour that we dub ourselves; "Minnesota. Land where everything is illegal."
Perhaps that is why we accept those mavarick politicians like Jesse Ventura and Al Franken. Deep down we are yearning to live free. Live free or die. But that is another state. We'll have to get in line to use that motto. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Free_or_Die
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