China Blog Awards

Jottings from the Granite Studio has been nominated for the 2007 China Blog Awards. First of all kudos to Chinalyst for organizing the voting and to Ryan at Lost Laowai/Life in Suzhou for designing the cool logo/image.

Now: shameless plug time…if you like the blog, give us your vote. As of the last tally, we’re hanging out in third place after one week of voting. The polls are open until July 31.

The competition is broken down into different categories and, for reasons not easily explained, we’re classified as “news.” Doesn’t matter. You can vote as often as you like for as many blogs as you like so, as they say back home in the Granite State…Vote early and vote often. (Oh yeah, and vote for us!)

July 16th, 2007

Lin Biao, rehabilitated?

Mao’s “closest comrade in arms” Lin Biao is finding his way back into Chinese history, 36 years after the former defense minister died fleeing from a failed coup attempt against the Chinese leader.

From the IHT:

A portrait of Lin Biao is included in a display of the “Ten Marshals,” a group lauded as founders of China’s armed forces, at the Chinese Military Museum in Beijing, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

“With objective thinking, we decided to put the picture of Lin Biao together with the other nine marshals,” Jiang Tingyu, senior researcher at the museum, was quoted as saying. “We have to show history as it was.”

Analysis of Lin’s military accomplishments by academics has been more objective since the 1980s but his portrait has rarely been displayed with the other nine Marshals since his death in 1971. The latest display, which still comes as a surprise, indicates that the Communist leadership is recognizing his contributions.

In 1971 Lin Biao, Mao’s handpicked successor and the compiler of the Little Red Book, got tired of waiting for the Great Helsman to finally go and meet Marx. Wary of Mao’s record with sidekicks (where have you

July 16th, 2007

Urban Hiking Beijing: The Forbidden City

I’m starting at a new gig this autumn. I’ll write more about it as the details get finalized but it looks like one of my responsibilities is to lead field trips.

The problem is that I am very much a book-and-document historian. Buildings and “stuff” have never been my strong points. I tend to get bored in museums and I once fell asleep at the Summer Palace. So in the interest of learning how to fake interest, I’ve set aside some time each week to re-explore those tourist sites in Beijing that most of us only visit when family comes in from out of town.

I actually do like the Forbidden City. I’ve been there about six times but I’ve always felt there were things I missed. So in honor of Friday the 13th–here are thirteen random musings from today’s urban hike around Gu Gong:

1) They’re having some work done on the house. Two of the three centerpiece buildings (The Hall of Supreme Harmony and The Hall of Preserving Harmony) are covered in chicken wire and the tinker-toy reject collection that passes as scaffolding here. Also a huge chunk south of the Western Palaces is under renovation. There are

July 13th, 2007

This is getting ridiculous…50% of water coolers in Beijing have fake water

As the dog days of summer descend on Beijing…word from The China Daily that 50% of the water used in water coolers across the city of Beijing is probably fake or substandard: either straight tap water or water from smaller brands with lower quality standards repackaged with ‘seals of quality’ for sale to Beijing homes and businesses.

This one hits close to home. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a large mammal from a cold climate forced to live in the sauna/industrial coal elevator that is Beijing in July. I drink A LOT of water. Now you can’t even trust that.

So when I read this article, I went into full Pacino mode (think GF2 when Michael surprises Frankie Pants at the old Corleone home in New York):

“The water…IN MY HOME! IN MY BEDROOM! What my wife uses to make zhou… and what my hamster drinks, when he’s done…playing…on his wheel!”

Okay, so the line works better if you’re a Mafia don with children, but you get my point.

From the CD:

Up to half of the water used in water coolers across China’s capital could be “fake,” or not as pure as its manufacturers claim, state media said

July 10th, 2007

独立宣言–The Declaration of Independence in Chinese

Today is July 4, American Independence Day. On this date in 1776…not much happened. The document had been completed two days earlier. As John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail: “July 2nd will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

Okay, so he was two days off. Actually the final vote to declare independence and ratify the document did happen on July 4. The assembly then sent the declaration out to the printers and adjourned for lunch. At which time everyone went home to get ready for the British to invade Pennsylvania and politely hang them. Most signatories waited until August 2 before putting their names on the document and it would be a little while after that before the British court got around to reading it.

It

July 3rd, 2007
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