Author Archive

Ben’s Five Year Plan: 2011-2015

ben.piscopo
Mar 14 |10:01

Creating a New World...

The Chinese 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP) is being decided upon by the National People’s Congress this month; March 2011. It’s a tradition for centralized, authoritative governments to use this kind of policy making “plan”. Of course, The Party has drifted away from its soviet roots into the protector of the current socialist market economy. We’ll probably keep hearing about these plans in global news media for years to come.

Hearing this news got me starting to think about my FYP. My father often thought about our family plans in 5-10 year increments… especially when moving house. So how would I consider my last fiver years compared to my next five years?

I moved to China in 2005, but found the cozy city of Zhuhai in 2006.  Technically, I’ve been in Zhuhai for 5 years studying Chinese, exploring some website ventures, teaching English, and travelling around Asia. But the next five years are going to look pretty different.
Here are my tasks and goals: Read More…

 

Don’t Donate Money to Japan?

ben.piscopo
Mar 11 |18:08

Non-MonetaryDonationCash Donations Post-Disaster

A clever writer at Rueter’s stirred up controversy recently with an opinionated article titled “Don’t Donate Money to Japan“. He has a point, although written quite offensively to many, which has made me think twice about sending cash immediately after a disaster.  A Yahoo Japan donation page recently showed that over $7,100,000 has been raised since the earthquake. You might be thinking, “Go us!”… but it certainly is peanuts compared to what governments shift around on a daily basis for foreign aide and one-off assistance. I’m not saying we should stop donating money to disasters like the recent one in Japan, but we should use our brains a little more before doing so.

It’s true that we feel good about ourselves afterwards, but there are MANY other ways we can help out. The donation issue has motivated me to do something about it. I’m going to put direct links on AL.ME to non-cash requesting organizations. The delivery food, drink, clothing, toys, study materials, etc. You send them products that haven’t expired or are in good condition, and they will wholeheartedly deliver to those in need. Yes, they also need money to run their organization, but they will find that money in other ways… the common man need not worry!

One of the needy organizations at this moment, which isn’t getting much attention is Second Harvest Japan.
* Food & Beverage (MUST be unexpired): rice, canned items, retort-pouch food, food for elderly people, baby formula and baby food
* Items for Baby & Elderly People (MUST be unopened): baby diapers and adult diapers
* Items for Soup Kitchen(MUST be unused): paper plates, paper cups, plastic spoons, plastic forks, chopsticks and saran wraps.

Donated food and supplies will be used both in the disaster zone and outside the zone to reach those in need.

Or send donations directly to local governments:

1. Foods (instant foods, dietary supplements, baby foods)
2. Warm blankets (That north part of Japan is still really cold now)
3. Clothing
4. Baby clothings, and DIAPERS!!!!

Attn: Earthquake relief supplies
Miyagi Prefectural Office
3-8-1, Honcho
Aoba-ku, Sendai city, Miyagi
980-8570, JAPAN

Attn: Earthquake relief supplies
Iwate Prefectural Office
10-1 Uchimaru Morioka city, Iwate
020-8570,JAPAN

Attn:Earthquake relief supplies
Aomori Prefectural Office
1-1-1 Nagashima, Aomori city,
Aomori, 030-8570, JAPAN

Attn:Earthquake relief supplies
Fukushima Prefectural Office
2-16 Sugitsuma-cho, Fukushima City
960-8670, JAPAN

 

Japanese Radioactive Rain

ben.piscopo
Mar 10 |08:57

"Japanese Earthquake! That's great!"

In the past few days, since the earthquake/tsunami crisis in Japan, a lot of rumors have spilled over into the rest of Asia. With a death toll climbing, there has been an awkwardly friendly tone between the Chinese and Japanese. Chinese QQ groups often send each other a gif (animated picture) of laughing Chinese farmers with a caption about how the great news happening in Japan… I guess we (Americans) aren’t the only ones with twisted humor!

Visit Second Harvest Japan to donate food and supplies to victims who still need assistance. Thank you!

But with all the political rhetoric that exists we are merely human and quite gullible! Since the nuclear reactor explosions, there have been notices about how we should not go outside during rainstorms because of the acidity circulating in the “Asian weather system” right now. It’s possible that the Koreas and Northeast China might be effected, but its really hard to believe this would effect Southern China… about 2,000 KM away from Japanese ground zero. The jet stream makes it literally impossible.

Fukushima, Japan

As far as dangerous rain, we should be used to it here in the industrialized parts of China. Pollution has been spewing into rivers and lakes for decades! For the sake of the locals, let’s hope that the current situation isn’t deemed “acceptable” now that the acid rain rumors have been washed out to sea.

–

Neighbors of Japan have also expressed legitimate fears of what has emptied out of rain clouds immediately after the nuclear power plant in Fukushima (ironically translated as “Good-Fortune Island”) exploded. After spewing illegally-toxic radioactive water into the sea, many neighbors of Japan have begun to react. People are keeping children home from school on rainy days all across Northeast Asia.

organizations

 

Ben’s Trip to Thailand: A Surprise in Phuket

ben.piscopo
Mar 7 |14:16

Jake and Me in Phuket

If Phuket was a sound it would be “Ngaaaaa,” which starts low and gets high pitched. That is the sound walking down any major street near the beach village. What is making this strange sound you ask? That would be the masseuse/working girls which wear the look of a decade’s experience and heavy make-up on their faces.  My cousin and I were curious about the “massage” that was being offered, but decided against it. On a budget, and getting “taxed” as Jake likes to say, the prices of most things in Phuket didn’t allow us a chance to make it rain, so-to-speak. So we had more beer instead. Read More…

 

Tibetan New Year in 2011

ben.piscopo
Mar 4 |13:36

What we learned from our guide and how he perceives life in Tibet with the top 2 spiritual leaders in exile.

Tibetan man and Me in Lhasa

Talking to Tibetans about how they see modern Tibet is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time now. I often discuss modern China with Taiwanese, because they also live in a politically sticky environment. Superficially, Taiwan is considered a renegade province of China but their license plates say “台湾省” (Taiwan Province). There are also noticeably squeamish times of the year when international sporting events encompass all of Asia. Taiwan becomes “Chinese Taipei” and their flag is often an Olympic symbol on top of a white background. And as Mainland China grows its clout around the world, it is fair to say that fewer and fewer countries will recognize Taiwan as they once did decades ago.

But back to Tibet! The Lonely Planet guide doesn’t recall the Chinese history of Tibet in as bright a light as Chinese history books. For the Chinese, Tibet “has always been a part of China”; for Western historians, Tibet has been fighting foreign powers for centuries to keep its independence. In fact, two separate dynasties of China maintained territorial control over Tibet, and that is why The Party claimed Tibet after the civil war with the KMT (Kuo Min Tang: the previous Chinese government, which fled to modern Taiwan). Read More…