The Interview gets 5 stars from me. Here are some bits I’ll never forget and neither should you:

• Hilarious! By far the funniest take on US-North Korean, geopolitical affairs I’ve ever seen.
• Unkorean – So much Hollywood /slash/ American culture, with a speckling of Korean bits.
• James Franco – Looks like my cousin! “They hate us cuz they ain’t us!”
• Suuk – When did Eun Jae start her acting career?! (@MiahCouhie, @KimEunJae)
• Manja manja! – That’s what people want, “Give us some shit!” So, true, people want the shit…
• 50 KM west of DanDong – “Did you just say China? And did you just say Dong?” Awesome hat tip to China’s DongBei region with a Jay Chow (周杰伦) soundtrack.
• Sleeper car – Such an awesome sleeper car shot with a mixed group of Chinese. The smoke-wherever-you-want thing is spot on!

• Honeypot – What’s the translation for getting Honey-potted (and honey-dicked)?
• Same, same – “Inside we same-same… but different!” Brings me back to Thailand (@JakeBurgess)
• Supermarket – “This looks like the Wholefoods in my neighborhood.” Ahhh, so accurate…
• Dragon Dog – “It’s like a big, orange, stripey dog!” So awesome that they filmed in a tiger patch.
• Hairy like a bear! – “And your nipples are so pink!” Oh, the fascination with white guy truly exists out there…
• Kim! – Great casting of Kim Jong Eun. Lovable yet crazy. “Yes, I have a butthole, and it’s working overtime.” (@RandallPark)
• Potato yields – Such a classic way to draw attention away from major political faux pas of the past.
• Slow mo ending – Kim’s head blowing up in slow mo with the boom-boom track. Not a terrible ending for a comedy.

It’s August and I’ve been living in Boston since I moved back from China at the end of 2013. A LOT has happened over the course of 9+ months back in America and I thought it was time to check in with AL.ME to recap what’s happened and the hidden challenges of my repat experience. Enjoy installment #4!

~

Speaking a foreign language everyday for 8 years is without a doubt a great way to build up that skill. You not only learn how to express yourself in a translated form, but you also experience social interactions in a whole new light. However, you will begin to find yourself behaving differently in your work and at home, with friends and your lover(s).

For years I’ve made specific comparisons between the way Chinese and Americans view and interact with the world around us. We have a lot more in common than we think, but the differences are noticeable. Here are a few changes that I’ve definitely noticed while I’ve been back in America the past year.

Being literal: Chinese is full of euphemisms but the communication style in China is still very literal. By that I mean things like sarcasm don’t usually translate very well (or at all). And over time I’ve gotten used to understanding what people say in a rather literal way.

Just the other day a friend said she “could get into salmon if it was fried,” not raw like sushi. And my brain immediately thought ‘gross, get into salmon?’ Like, physically. My mental image was a person climbing into a big tuna-looking thing like Luke Skywalker taking refuge in a Taun Taun.

And this kind of thing happens all the time… Ugh! During the winter I asked my mom what we call those sewer access tunnels that are everywhere on the streets. She said, “Oh, those are manholes!” *sigh* …disgusting…

Then, my coworker told me that our client desperately wanted a meeting with our VP of Product whose name is Richard. He said, “They want to meet with him but he’s too busy today. Dick’s getting pulled in so many directions all at the same time.” Hahaha… I literally had to take a knee for that one.

On a more serious note…
Texting: Now that I’m back in America I find that a lot of non-baby-boomers I care about prefer texting to calling – and it feels kinda weird. The feeling now is that a call is a distraction or somehow the caller is barging in on your life or devaluing your time. Like I’m a telemarketer! (I’m not, I’m actually your brother.)

I get that a call in the middle of your meal or work or tv show is kind of an interruption. But when are we not doing something that could be interrupted nowadays? When we’re not working, we’re playing, and when we’re not sleeping or eating, we’re watching tv or reading a book or driving somewhere. We’re always doing something, but I don’t get why I’m not worth answering the phone for. Why is catching up with the Kardashians more important than catching up with your family?

And when I text, it sometimes takes hours for a reply. Why is this considered appropriate even after a phone call gets unanswered. I’m not a chick you’ve just started dating – and you don’t want to seem desperate by replying too quickly – I’m your family, I’m your friend. By the same token, I will make sure to answer your call, text, or message promptly because I love you and you are always worth my time.

Am I losing my mind, or am I just a Repat?

2 years ago I told a troop of Duke University students visiting China that I intended to give my current projects (via Huajie Group) another 2 years to float or sink before returning home. This summer being the 2 year mark, I’ve decided it’s time to move the Benji Ming show back to the USA, for now. It’s not easy to leave a place that has been my 2nd home for such a long time, but I have decided that my real home and family are what matter more than anything.

So, what’s up next? Since I have academic credentials and a portfolio related to eLearning, I’m going to pursue a career in Instructional Design in the Boston area. I’m currently looking for opportunities in Beantown, with particular interest in Pearson, Cengage Learning, and McGraw-Hill.

Take a look at my self-introduction module developed using Articulate Storyline: bit.ly/benpiscopo2013

Longer term, I plan to continue a career in education. I’d also be very excited to leverage my Chinese language and cultural understanding in a leadership position in Asia again someday. But for now, I must stay focused on paying off student loans and gaining tangible experience in my industry.

Thanks again to my family, especially mom, for supporting my decisions and efforts out here for so many years!

~If you or a friend is in Instructional Design and interested in linking up, please visit my profile here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/benpiscopo

There’s plenty of debate about whether or not Asian kids are “smarter” than Western kids, but I think this discussion is a little over-simplified. Also, creating and implementing a test that accurately compares millions of students around the world has got to be crafty feat, especially if run by governmental agencies across the world.  The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has attempted to “rate” countries for years through “evaluat[ing] education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.” But others, including Prof Stephen Heppell and Carole Chapman share doubts about PISA, which is frequently leveraged by politicians to fuel educational policy changes. They may have a point, but I think the bigger issue is better highlighted by taking a closer look at the educational environments of Western and Asian countries more broadly.

If you are American, Canadian, or another nationality in the West, you might be looking at the 2009 PISA scores with concern… but you should first ask foreign students visiting your country for their opinion. Ask them: “What was your primary-middle-high school experience like? What did you like/dislike about school when you were home? Why do you think our students have lower international scores than yours?” They might not have an answer for every question, but you will get some intimate details about the way education is handled within their culture. You’ll probably find that the conditions that create the results you see in PISA might not be worth it…

Certainly there are improvements to be made in academic environments around the globe, but it only comes from proper self-evaluation. A poor example recently came out in China. The government of Ningbo, made a public initiative to cultivate 1400 Steve Jobs-like innovators through the “Ningbo Innovative Talent Training Program.”  It caused quite a raucous response around the Internet to say the least. The inkling that your institute could just “make” someone like Steve Jobs is uniquely Chinese, a place overwhelmed by mountains of intellectual property issues. The Japanese will also describe themselves as just innovators, but not inventors- a stereotype that they embrace publicly.

Western countries have higher educational systems that Asian countries envy. They constantly wonder what magic potion we put in the water to make our graduates masters of their own domains – whether it be technology, web, space exploration, etc.  In the US, we cultivate students who will impact the world in different ways. Not everyone is Steve Jobs, but we do know that there is a good chance another one is already out there making magic happen in his own garage now. The magic is not something that’s put into the water, but what comes out of an open society with believably achievable incentives.  A place where most people think “I’m a drop in the ocean” is not going to provide the results that come from a place like America. Let’s remember that, then be critical of ourselves again, and innovate the next phase of our educational legacy.

• Lie to me Because we’re Friends (asianliving.me)
• Future of learning: obsolescence of knowledge, return to real teaching (gigaom.com)
• Florida Educators: Yeah, We Think Asian Students Are Smarter Than Black Students, What’s Wrong With That? (oyiabrown.com)
• Most U.S. Students Lack Writing Proficiency: NAEP (huffingtonpost.com)
• What is PISA is all about? [animation] (olliebray.typepad.com)
• Australia unprepared for Asian Century (bigpondnews.com)
• Bella Book: Asian Faces (bellasugar.com)

Warning: These photos are rather Armageddony!
(Click images to zoom in)

I watched Titanic in 3D today in Zhuhai and was a little bit surprised- I actually shed a tear. Not because of the love story, but at the view of the Statue of Liberty near the end. (Sometimes the somewhat cheesy moments in Hollywood movies catch me at a sensitive moment.) But, its ok because most of the other (older) people in the theater  were crying too.

I went with my girlfriend, who clearly remembers watching the original Titanic in 1997, and was really looking forward to taking me to the show. While we were there she noticed something peculiar. There was no voice singing during My Heart Will Go On; it was just the score. I had to think about that for a minute and then I realized she was right. “Why did they take out the singing?” she asked in Chinese. I said I wasn’t sure, but it might have had something to do with the modern audience not really caring to hear an older song. “The song isn’t popular anymore” I told her. But maybe there was another reason. Who knows. But that wasn’t the only thing different about this Chinese re-release…

Censorship of the film actually caused more attention to grow around the scenes that were deleted. Although James Cameron said on Colbert Nation that the scenes were deleted because the authorities worried men would try to reach out and touch the screen; perhaps touching the head of others and disrupting their experience. Actually, Chinese tell me that since there is no rating system here, so the sexual content in the movie would be inappropriate for children. The point was to help parents protect their kids eyes, or so I was told.

What strikes me as odd is that scenes from Flowers of War were not censored… and as I wrote last January, that film has the ability to shock and awe. It was brutal in both sexual and violent ways. I couldn’t imagine a child seeing that movie, even with parents around. So, it still remains somewhat of a mystery as to why a little bit of flesh wasn’t allowed to be shown in Titanic 3D, but the bloody body of a woman being raped while strapped to a chair, then jabbed with a bayonet as penance for biting a soldier’s ear off… was acceptable.

These kinds of contradictions are not new, nor will they be the last (this week). It’s important to understand that what is said publicly in China is usually not what the speaker means in their heart. Speaking from the heart out loud is rare over here and if you aren’t prepared for this you will probably lose your mind quickly.

I remember seeing James Cameron’s face on the Colbert Report when he described the “reason” for deleted scenes. He had a very typical look on his face which was a mix of misunderstanding and disgust. And if he decides to move forward with co-producing Avatar 2 and 3 with a massive Chinese film company, he will certainly need to remember to keep his cool.

Related articles

• ‘Titanic 3D’ Sets IMAX Record In China (m.deadline.com)
• China to “Titanic 3D” viewers – look, but don’t touch. On second thought, don’t look. (fluffrick.wordpress.com)
• Kate Winslet Reunites With James Cameron and Billy Zane at Titanic 3D Premiere (popsugar.com)
• Movie Review: Titanic in 3D (dangerouslee.biz)

Just watched this Zhang Yimou film in a local theatre today with a Chinese friend. It was so powerful that I had to step out about halfway through to calm myself down. The last movie that brought tears to my eyes was probably The Game, which was a completely different type of movie, but a psychological thriller none-the-less. I was speechless after that movie and I feel the same with this one.

Since my friend was a woman whose mother came from Nanjing it was extra moving for us. All I could do was give her a shoulder and a hug at the moments when we both wanted to close our eyes.

I’m sure this movie will get mixed reviews, but I would say that a movie which can twist the audience in so many directions is truly a piece of work. There are reasons to feel love, hate, sorrow, and joy in this tri-lingual film. And the subtitles are as important to the experience as the blood that is spilled on the ash-covered Nanjing city streets; as searing as the colorful church glass that shadders from a heroic snipers bullet; as garish as the bodies mutilated by acts of inhumane terror.

The hatred many Chinese have for the Japanese is excusable after watching such a film based on the stories of survivors. But certainly there can be no repeat of such an event. And to see an American opportunist caught in a moral dilemma was also intriguing… I do wonder how he had the courage to protect the women as he did.

Certainly, my modern life here in China is no where near comparable to 1937, but I feel rather uncomfortable at the moment. In about 1 hour, I will teach my Japanese students online. I wonder if they’ve seen this movie. I wonder what they have been taught of the Nanjing Massacre. I wonder if the memories of their retired soldiers are as visceral as those of my friend’s parents. Either way, the Rape of Nanking is certainly one of the darkest stains on the scroll of  modern history and occasional reminders, such as the Flowers of War, are valuable to us all.

If you are interested in more movies about this subject, watch Nanking! Nanking! which was filmed in 2009.

Related articles

• Christian Bale in China to promote Nanjing movie (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Christian Bale discusses Nanking-set film Flowers of War (cbc.ca)
• Christian Bale defends Nanjing massacre film (guardian.co.uk)

Step 1: Go to Ninjacloak.com, which allows you to get over the wall anyway… but sadly, you can’t use all of the functions of websites requiring javascript. Most social sites and productivity tools require this, so you’re out of luck by using Ninjacloak alone.

After downloading the most recent update of FreeGate you’ll see this:

Step 4: Change the file name by hand. “Rename” the file to something like “fg.zip” which will make the file active. The icon should change to zip and then be clickable.

Step 5: Open the “fg.zip” file and drag the FreeGate executable file (ex: fg719.exe) out onto your desktop. That’s it!

You can now use the most recent FreeGate without any worry about updates being blocked down the road since you’ll ALWAYS have access to them.

You’re welcome

If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

All of my guests who have visited China notice the basics: delicious food, hospital people, beautiful landscapes, questionable hygiene, and ancient customs. One aspect of Chinese culture I often get asked about is tea culture. One specific part of the tea culture has been left untouched on AL.ME for years: Green Tea To-Go! So today I finally weigh in on an ancient custom that has been born through thousands of years of medical practice and remains a cornerstone in modern Chinese culture.

“Green Tea To-Go” is what I call the green tea containers which are ubiquitous among everyday Chinese (usually men). Bus drivers, office workers, teachers, and government officials can be seen carrying this simple hot beverage container with a strainer all day long. With all the benefits of (green) tea, it isn’t hard to grasp why they are so tea-crazy.  It has also become more obvious why they are so excited all the time. (Psst, they are high on green tea!)

For some, it is an addiction. They drink it at every breakfast, with lunch, and in the afternoon; They top off the bottle with steaming hot water every chance they get. It’s not hard to understand why… hot water is available everywhere, 24/7. You can top it off at your office, in the bus station, in the markets, and even in the police station! My recent visit to a PSB in Guangzhou proved that you can keep getting your fix practically anywhere! And when you’re surrounded by it, you’ll have difficulty shaking the habit. (i.e.:Dunkin’ Donuts lovers in much of the USA know what I’m talking about…)

Throughout my years in China I have also chosen to replace most of my coffee drinking with tea. I’m a product of my environment, for better or worse. Green Tea To-Go probably does more good than harm and should be considered as a reasonable way to cut-back on other drinking habits that we might develop over time.

Get some loose tea and a portable bottle, and then try it! Tell me how it goes

China is a very exciting country to be in for many reasons. For most foreigners here, you’ve come for business or travel. But with so many possible activities to do, there remains one thing you can’t avoid: communication. Communication in modern China is probably not much different than how it was a hundred years ago, before simplified Chinese came around. Contrary to one assumption, communication hasn’t gotten any simpler. In fact, if you aren’t prepared, it can be very easy to lose your mind. That’s where the group of foreigners in China gets separated… and the ones who can’t handle it end up going home “for good”. Here is what that group should have taken into consideration.

1) Laugh your problems away: This is one of the toughest things to get used to. It’s the awkward giggle/chuckle you hear when a something goes wrong. Perhaps you gave a direct comment that surprised your secretary. Maybe a friend didn’t help you do a task correctly. Anything that takes effort could potentially be done wrong, and a laugh is a way to combat losing face. In order to combat frustration, I usually make a game out of guessing what will go wrong. When a mistake is made, or a misunderstanding occurs, I compare it with my original guess. It is a little pessimistic, but it often helps me laugh the problems away.

2) Guess what the meaning is: Excuses for not being able to attend this meeting or going on that date are easy to spot. People around the world make excuses and this is not isolated to one part of the world in particular; however, giving direct answers to questions in China rarely occurs. “Have you eaten dinner yet?” would be answered with the following: “Well, are you hungry?” The assumption is that you are asking about dinner because YOU are hungry, not because the friend might be.

When I recently tried to pay the bill for a superior’s lunch, the restaurant owner said: “He’s your leader, you don’t have to pay for him.” After I insisted, and paid the money, the owner came back to me and said, “He actually already paid for it while you were in the bathroom.” Of course, this is not true. The owner was looking for a way to make me take the money back, while saving both of our faces. This dishonesty is often considered a “lie” in the West, but it is a very common way to communicate here.

Avoiding embarrassing moments allows people to do a lot of things out here. We might consider these actions spineless, but they are just happy no one has lost face. Harmony is then restored, which is supposedly good for society as a whole.

3) Respect and Expect Respect from others. Remember your age. Know your position. And anticipate when you can get away with things by being a “foreigner.” These are all very important things to consider in somewhat military-bound societies. Countries like Korea and Japan also have hierarchical cultures that give elders the most respected position. If you have a commanding position, you will make decisions when necessary. When you are the subordinate, you should follow directions with little grumbling. Unfortunately, if you are told to do something that ends in failure, you will be blamed for it. Subordinates help cushion a superiors face when things go wrong. You can also do this when little things go wrong under your command.

4) Wait until the last minute. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it is a common behavioral trait out here. Friends and colleagues will always wait until there is only about 1 hour or less to get something done. Since “anything could change at any minute” there is really no long-term planning for things done below the municipal level or across a major corporation. Restocking, making phone calls, arranging meetings, taking flights, etc. These events are all done just before they happen and no more than 1 or 2 days in advance. Expect things to be done last minute and don’t ask WHY when they do it that way. Asking someone to explain why something is done poorly, or last-minute, will only hurt your relationship.

5) Don’t take “Yes” for an answer. One of the most important things to remember is that “Yes” is used as frivolously as a head nod. You know when someone is talking and you just nod your head to show you are listening? That happens around Asia, but verbally. They say “Yes” to show you they are listening or just to say “I hear you.” Also, as their superior, people can’t say “No” to you. They will always agree to do it, but if they really don’t want to, they will find a way to reject or ignore the task later. So, expect flakiness and set your deadlines a little earlier. That way, when someone bails out on you, the task can still get done on time.

The above are just a few ways to keep from losing your mind in China. If you have some experiences yourself, please let us know below!

And, of course, Good luck!