Oh China, my China!
Thousands of miles away, I’m still thinking about my home away from home. Granted, there are a lot of things about China that make me angry/cringe/want to barf. But right now, as I watch the latest nasty Nor’easter wash away New York’s grime from my tiny-ass, overpriced apartment, I am struck with a bit of nostalgia for my quasi-Homeland. Here are some things that I currently love about China:
The Chinese art scene – so hot right now. This past week, two good friends of mine launched Neocha.com, a smart, customizable social networking site for Chinese artists, designers, musicians, and other creative folks to meet one another and share their work. The founders threw a huge launch party on Saturday at a warehouse near Suzhou Creek (pictures here). Thousands of art/party-lovers attended the event, while over 60 vendors, artists, and musicians showcased their goods and talents.
China finally steps up to Sudan (thanks, Hollywood!). Finally, China listens to its conscience (and PR consultants): last week, Zhai Jun, a senior Chinese official, traveled to Sudan to persuade the government to accept a UN peacekeeping force in the face of the Darfur crisis. China, holding strong ties to Sudan through business and oil, has been under mounting pressure to address the killings in Darfur and push the Sudanese government to do something about it. This sudden giving-a-f is attributed to the success of Mia Farrow’s campaign to connect the Beijing Olympics with the killings in Darfur, which China has, until now, turned a blind eye towards. More about this here and here.
China gives aging musicians a second chance (unironically). I love anything that reminds me of junior high, so I was pretty pumped to find out that NOFX played in Beijing on April 13, and that Shanghai would host Sonic Youth later this month. And for you older-generation hip hop heads, the Roots will be rocking Yunfeng Theater Monday night, despite the government’s notoriously low tolerance for Western rap and hip hop acts. The way things are going, it’s only a matter of time before Blink 182 and Snoop Dogg find their way to the Shanghai Concert Hall…
