A Chance Chat in the Park with a Uyghur in Southern China

Another park in another Chinese city

Not so long ago on a quiet day at a park in southern China, I saw a man with two energetic children. After saying hello to them, the man and I started talking. I soon learned he was Uyghur and from far away Xinjiang, where he still had family. Having recently read reports about deteriorating conditions for Uyghurs there, I asked about their situation.

Sounding and looking like he had felt compelled to utter the exact same words not just now but many times before, he first explained his pride in being a Chinese citizen and his support for the Chinese government. Then he returned to his gaze to me and explained how the situation in Xinjiang wasn't at all good for them. What he shared was depressingly consistent with what I had previously learned.

I thought of the conversation today while reading a piece recommended by Josh Chin:

“The phrase adem yoq (‘everybody’s gone’) is probably the one I’ve heard the most this past year.”

It’s virtually impossible for Uyghurs to talk about what’s happening in Xinjiang. That makes this account from Gene Bunin, the rare foreigner who speaks Uyghur, a vital read. https://t.co/Po8pfJsuM1

— Josh Chin (@joshchin) July 31, 2018

An excerpt from Gene Bunin's piece:

At one point last year, I made an effort to see a friend in Xinjiang who had deleted me [from WeChat] but whom I really wanted to see. Navigating our friend networks, I set up a time and a place, and we met. In retrospect, I almost wish we hadn’t. Our lunch together was an incredibly silent and awkward one – there was too much to say but everything felt taboo, and there were entire minutes when we just sat there. It didn’t look like anyone was monitoring us, but my friend looked really worried all the same. When I passed him samples of a book I was working on, he only cast them a glance but didn’t flip through the pages. When I asked him if a mutual acquaintance of ours was still around, he told me that he “didn’t know” that person anymore, before adding: “Right now, I don’t even know you.”

I too will recommend reading "How the 'Happiest Muslims in the World' are Coping with Their Happiness". And I will wonder what has happened to the man, his children, and the rest of his family since our chance discussion at the park. I didn't ask for a way to contact him in the future. That might have been better for him.

A Cat and Dog Debate the Best Peppers for Steaks in a Restaurant Chain Ad in China

Houcaller (豪客来) is a widespread Western-style steak restaurant chain in China, and I have seen it, and some imitators, in numerous cities. A recent promotion of theirs recently caught my eye as I was passing a bus stop in Shenzhen.

The ad features a red pepper steak with bones and black pepper steak without bones. The ad asks who is more correct in their tastes. The cat apparently prefers the red pepper steak and the dog prefers the other. I would have associated a preference for bones more with dogs, but maybe the black pepper would win them over after all.

Beside the dog is a Chinese phrase which can be interpreted as "Dare to be black" or "Of course, black". But it's also a bit of pun, presumably intended, because in slang the phrase means "dare to mock yourself".

I haven't tried either of these steaks, so I can't help settle this debate. I think the last, and perhaps only, time I went to a Houcaller was about 8 years ago far to the north in Anyang, Henan. It was a fascinating experience. I'll save that short story for another day. No cats or dogs were involved.

A Room With Better Views than Internet Connections

Regarding the tale of my problems uploading photos and such, all is much better now. A change of location did the trick. After easily connecting to the internet with a VPN, I tested things out by uploading a photo to Blogger which, like most of Google's services, is blocked in China. All went well. And I haven't had any major problems since.

To celebrate, here are two photos taken from the room in Shenzhen where I experienced much frustration with my internet connection:

At least I enjoyed the view, even though you could say that some of it was blocked.

Dreams of Being Able to Easily Upload a Photo

My uploading / VPN woes continue. By this time tomorrow, I hope to be somewhere where I don't need to walk to an elevator lobby and stand with my laptop in order to upload a photo or send an email. Yes, I dream big.

Since the previous two posts touching on this topic include photos of shirts I have seen in Shenzhen, I will continue that theme.

Now, I might visit some sites that aren't blocked in China. Oddly enough, I'm finding that browsing online without using my VPN is unusually fast, including for unblocked U.S. sites. I don't think it's a dream.

An Accumulation of VPN Frustrations in Shenzhen

Fives days ago I wrote:

I had planned on sharing so much more this week, both in terms of photos and thoughts. And I have more than enough to share. That's not the problem.

I didn't identify the problem though. It had to do with something I mentioned eleven days ago:

Yesterday I spent a lot of time troubleshooting why sometimes websites loaded at decent speeds yet I couldn't upload anything. As I am in mainland China, I wondered if the Great Firewall had something to do with it, since I was using a VPN to access blocked sites.

The problem significantly worsened. Browsing online with my VPN had become painful. And even one inconvenient trick I had found to upload photos no longer worked. However, visiting sites not blocked in China while not using a VPN was rather painless. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen video from a U.S. site load so quickly in China before.

I am still not sure what is causing the problem. But I suspect my best hope is in something that has worked in similar cases before: change locations. Fortunately, at least in regards to this issue, I will be doing that soon.

Along with what I wrote five days ago, I also shared a photo of a shirt on sale at Dongmen in Shenzhen. Two days ago at Dongmen I saw somebody wearing the same shirt. Tonight I finally managed to upload it.

And the world turns.

An Accumulated Thought From Shenzhen

I had planned on sharing so much more this week, both in terms of photos and thoughts. And I have more than enough to share. That's not the problem.

For now, here is a shirt I saw tonight for sale at Dongmen in Shenzhen.

Hard to argue.

Signs You Can Visit in One Day an Apple Store and the Happy Valley Theme Park in Shenzhen

In front of the Apple Store at the Holiday Plaza shopping mall in Shenzhen

World Cup Spirit at Restaurants, Bars, and Urinals in Shenzhen, China

Unlike at a mall in Hong Kong, I didn't come across any malls in neighboring Shenzhen showing every FIFA World Cup match. However, I did see some bars and restaurants in different parts of Shenzhen which were promoting the World Cup or showing games, such as these two eating & drinking establishments which are next to each other at the Central Walk Shopping Mall:

There were other bars, at least some of which are popular with foreigners, showing matches at the same mall. For part of the third place playoff match between Belgium and England, I went to The Brew. Even though I showed up late, I was still able to get a table with a great view.

For the championship match between France and Croatia, I decided to watch from my hotel room, in part due to it beginning at 11 p.m. China time. Fortunately, my a combo of a fast enough internet connection, a fast enough VPN connection, and Telemundo meant all went reasonable well. I couldn't understand most of the Spanish commentary but "GOAAAAAALLLLLL!" was pretty clear.

And finally . . . I saw an especially unexpected sign of the football spirit in Shenzhen in restroom urinals at several different malls.

I didn't hear anybody shouting "GOAAAAAALLLLLL!"

A Bubble Wrap Cat and Uploads

Yesterday I spent a lot of time troubleshooting why sometimes websites loaded at decent speeds yet I couldn't upload anything. As I am in mainland China, I wondered if the Great Firewall had something to do with it, since I was using a VPN to access blocked sites.

So . . .

I have one photo I took in Shenzhen which I managed to upload as a test.

Yes, that it is a cat proudly standing next to a fine roll of bubble wrap.

Yes, I had to walk to the elevator lobby with my laptop to make this happen.

Yes, it is more complicated than that.

Maybe this post will publish. Maybe it won't. But that cat will have plenty of bubble wrap regardless.

An Apartment Visit and Another Activist in Jail in China: Two Post Liu Xia Departure Links

After years of detainment despite never being charged with a crime, yesterday Liu Xia left China. Here are links to two relevant articles, both from Agence France-Presse, published today:

1. In "On the eve of freedom, a glimpse inside Liu Xia's flat" Becky Davis shares her recent visit to Liu Xia at her home in Beijing:

Judging by her apartment on the eve of her departure from Beijing to Germany, Liu Xia seemed completely unaware of her impending freedom -- or perhaps unwilling to believe it.

AFP on Monday evaded tight security to gain rare access to the fifth-floor duplex apartment.

Perhaps the Chinese government deliberately allowed Davis to slip by security as a test to see if Liu Xia would follow a "request" not to say anything about an upcoming departure.


2. In "Chinese democracy activist sentenced to 13 years for 'subversion'" Joanna Chao reports an example of how human rights remain a significant issue in China despite Liu Xia now being free:

A prominent Chinese political campaigner was sentenced to 13 years in jail on Wednesday, a court in central China said.

Qin Yongmin was found "guilty of subversion of state power," the Wuhan City Intermediate People's Court said on its official website. . . .

The European Union on Wednesday criticised a "deteriorating situation of civil and political rights in China, which has been accompanied by the detention and conviction of a significant number of Chinese human rights defenders."

And the world turns.

Liu Xia Free and Out of China After Years of Detainment for No Crime

Post updated with additional tweets and attributions at 5:42 p.m.

Nearly one year ago, Liu Xiabo died in China. Today his wife Liu Xia, who faced her own long and difficult journey, is finally free under more positive conditions — as reported by Suyin Haynes in Time:

Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, has left China for Europe after eight years under de facto house arrest.

Family friends said that Liu Xia boarded a flight from departing from Beijing on Tuesday headed for Berlin . . . .

An accomplished poet and writer, Liu Xia was placed under house arrest by the Chinese authorities in 2010, after her husband won the Nobel Peace Prize but was unable to collect it due to his detention on political grounds. She had never been charged with a crime and was placed under close state surveillance. Concerns for her health mounted after she was heard in an April audio recording saying that she was “prepared to die” under house arrest following the loss of her husband.

The recent lack of high-level official condemnation over Liu Xia's previous ongoing detention was striking. Jane Perlez in The New York Times reports Germany played a key role in her release and provides one reason for the relative quiet:

European diplomats had said over the last several months that China had left Ms. Liu in limbo as a show of resolve against Chinese human rights dissidents, despite aggressive efforts by Germany to press for her release.

After Ms. Merkel’s visit to Beijing in the spring, the Chinese authorities let the Europeans know that if Ms. Liu’s case was not publicized, her release would be possible, a European diplomat with knowledge of the case said.

Although Liu Xia is now in Europe, as reported by Catherine Lai and Tom Grundy in the Hong Kong Free Press she may not yet be entirely free.

Patrick Poon, researcher for Amnesty International, told HKFP: “It’s really wonderful news to hear that Liu Xia is eventually able to leave China. She has been suffering depression. It’s good that she can receive medical treatment in Germany now. Her brother Liu Hui is still in China. Liu Xia might not want to talk much as she would be worried about his safety.”

So some are calling for her brother to take a similar voyage.

Incredible news that poet and artist Liu Xia may finally be free after eight years of house arrest without ever being charged with a crime. We celebrate her freedom and hope her brother Liu Hui will be permitted to join her soon. https://t.co/YBvP50H9d1

— PEN America (@PENamerican) July 10, 2018

Some see positive signs in the news that extends beyond Liu Xia's freedom.

Liu Xia's belated release and departure from China shows pressure on China can work if governments are willing to exert it. She's the long-disappeared widow of Liu Xiaobo, the detained Nobel Laureate who died in Chinese prison. https://t.co/Alcn2JKTfl pic.twitter.com/qWYeT2TxKR

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 10, 2018

Some don't see Liu Xia's release as a sign of broader positive change inside of China.

It’s very good that Liu Xia is on the way to Germany. However, I do hope people dont read too much into this one positive development, do remember that the human rights situation in China remains truly mind blowingly horrible, and that this is not a sign of any change at all.

— Kevin Carrico (@kevincarrico) July 10, 2018

I met Liu Xia, at a dinner in Beijing in 2006 with Liu Xiaobo. They were the electric, magnetic life of the party. What she endured since is monstrous. Her freedom is cause for celebration, but also a moment to reflect on the utter injustice of her captivity and now, exile.

— Susan Jakes (@susanjakes) July 10, 2018

But the news may still suggest something about changes outside of China.

Important to consider that this is the work of Germany, and not the US. https://t.co/AuU1HKskOH

— Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) July 10, 2018

Angela Merkel, leader of the free world. https://t.co/VmZmkOdppr

— Jeremy Goldkorn (@goldkorn) July 10, 2018

I found Liu Xia's detainment extremely troubling and feared she would meet final circumstances similar to her husband's. So it is heartening to see she will now be in a far better situation, to say the least. Hopefully she can recover her health. And may she find it possible to safely express herself.

"Created by Liu Xia during the time of Liu Xiaobo’s labor reeducation in 1996-1999, the 'ugly babies,' as Liu refers to the dolls, are positioned in tableaux that evoke confinement and repression."
Source: Columbia University's The Italian Academy

A Hong Kong Mural: Donald Trump and Barack Obama Still at a Noodle Cart

Early last year I came across the Cart Noodle Expert (車仔麵專家) — a restaurant in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong — and noticed the mural on its side. Remarkably, its depiction of a line of people waiting for noodles cooked at a cart included both Donald Trump and Barack Obama.

So a few weeks ago I was curious to check up on the restaurant. Much had changed in the world since my previous visit, but I found the mural appeared to be exactly the same.

See the earlier post for close up photos of the mural. Obama is smiling while he waits in line. Trump isn't in line and is making a familiar definitely-not-smiling expression. I had eaten just prior to passing the restaurant, so I am still not able to offer any opinion on the noodles. But it seems that if there's a line, nobody gets to cut in front.