The social network of backofthebook.ca, Canada's online magazine
i don't know where china is
So according to Dick Pound, former vice-president of the IOC, Canada was in ‘full boycott mode’ until the earthquake in Sichuan province of China. I’ve had more than my fair share of experiences with earthquakes lately and understand their power, and I was truly surprised by the devastation in Sichuan province, with most of the casualties coming from collapsed middle schools and high schools. But I don’t think this particular natural disaster, as this particular time is the opportunity to wipe the slate clean with China and get together in the spirit of brotherly love and free competition.
I opened with a quote from one of my junior high school students, who’s just still learning to speak and write English. Just like small children, EFL students learning English can often say the strangest and sometimes unintentionally profound things. I was trying to engage them in a cultural exchange, trying to get them to respond to the question of “What is culture?’ After rifling through a number of countries, including getting the ‘maple syrup’ answer for Canada, we arrived at China. At this point most students were just making stuff up to get me stop asking them questions, and finally one student joked “I don’t know where China is.” This is the same girl who’s responsible for such quotes as “I think you should poop everyday,” - but nevertheless I think it’s a rather profound statement.
There’s a lot of history behind a comment from a Japanese person such as “I don’t know where China is.” Typically the Japanese don’t care what goes in China or anywhere else in Asia for that matter. There was a time when they cared entirely too much, but that’s another story. But like the Japanese, I can’t quite feel the Olympic fever right now. I have yet to get an enthusiastic response from anyone I talk to over here, but that’s mostly because many didn’t even know the start date for the Olympics. The Japanese media is in an uproar about the role and restrictions on the media in Beijing, and the doping controversies, and now, the doping related murder controversies. They also follow their own bizarre internal-interest stories. The kind of story that only two countries with such a history could create, such as NHK (public broadcaster) reporting on the developments of the Japanese PM not being able to clear up the issue with a poisoned Chinese dumpling brand that wound up in Japanese grocery stores before he makes an official visit to the Beijing Olympics. Nowhere to be found is a report on the state of their athletes and their expectations, but that’s mostly because Japan never really does very well at either the Summer or Winter Olympics.
There was a time when I would follow medal counts for sports that I didn’t even know existed and performances by athletes whose names would be forgotten once the games were finished, but now I’m following protester expulsion counts, and Chinese security beat downs. - - - Tiananmen Square, dedicated protester locations, and dedicated protester locations in Tiananmen Square. This corner over here, but not that corner over there where the tanks were in 1989. Camera-less media, and media-less cameras, otherwise known as surveillance - China is determined to control it’s image output during it’s fist ever Olympics.
Some say the Olympics aren’t met to be political, but then why even bother putting on another stage play every two years if they’re just going to place them in a political and human rights wasteland? The Olympics were originally created in Ancient Athens and reinstated in 1896 to be a world setting for celebration of the spirit of competition. Which is why it now allows professionals to compete but not before 17 rounds of drug testing, and why it takes billions of dollars and 12 years of planning in advance, and are awarded not by random lottery, but by extensive, political style campaigns and marketing routines by supposed representatives of world cities. All in the name of friendly competition.
I guess I really don’t feel the spirit right now. Maybe if some one was allowed to hold a Free Tibet sign while watching a track and field athlete shot-put a five pounder onto the turret of a Chinese tank – I’d be a little more accepting. But right now, I’m still in boycott mode, at least until Canada wins a medal or two.
Other interesting answers from random Japanese students.
“What is Japanese culture?”
Shuka S. – “I don’t know.”
“What is Canadian culture?”
Eri M. – “Maple syrup, maple trees, maple leaf....all maple.”
“What is American culture?”
Sara S. – “Sensou.” - the Japanese word for ‘war’
“What is Japanese culture?”
Sara S. (again) – “Sensou.”
I opened with a quote from one of my junior high school students, who’s just still learning to speak and write English. Just like small children, EFL students learning English can often say the strangest and sometimes unintentionally profound things. I was trying to engage them in a cultural exchange, trying to get them to respond to the question of “What is culture?’ After rifling through a number of countries, including getting the ‘maple syrup’ answer for Canada, we arrived at China. At this point most students were just making stuff up to get me stop asking them questions, and finally one student joked “I don’t know where China is.” This is the same girl who’s responsible for such quotes as “I think you should poop everyday,” - but nevertheless I think it’s a rather profound statement.
There’s a lot of history behind a comment from a Japanese person such as “I don’t know where China is.” Typically the Japanese don’t care what goes in China or anywhere else in Asia for that matter. There was a time when they cared entirely too much, but that’s another story. But like the Japanese, I can’t quite feel the Olympic fever right now. I have yet to get an enthusiastic response from anyone I talk to over here, but that’s mostly because many didn’t even know the start date for the Olympics. The Japanese media is in an uproar about the role and restrictions on the media in Beijing, and the doping controversies, and now, the doping related murder controversies. They also follow their own bizarre internal-interest stories. The kind of story that only two countries with such a history could create, such as NHK (public broadcaster) reporting on the developments of the Japanese PM not being able to clear up the issue with a poisoned Chinese dumpling brand that wound up in Japanese grocery stores before he makes an official visit to the Beijing Olympics. Nowhere to be found is a report on the state of their athletes and their expectations, but that’s mostly because Japan never really does very well at either the Summer or Winter Olympics.
There was a time when I would follow medal counts for sports that I didn’t even know existed and performances by athletes whose names would be forgotten once the games were finished, but now I’m following protester expulsion counts, and Chinese security beat downs. - - - Tiananmen Square, dedicated protester locations, and dedicated protester locations in Tiananmen Square. This corner over here, but not that corner over there where the tanks were in 1989. Camera-less media, and media-less cameras, otherwise known as surveillance - China is determined to control it’s image output during it’s fist ever Olympics.
Some say the Olympics aren’t met to be political, but then why even bother putting on another stage play every two years if they’re just going to place them in a political and human rights wasteland? The Olympics were originally created in Ancient Athens and reinstated in 1896 to be a world setting for celebration of the spirit of competition. Which is why it now allows professionals to compete but not before 17 rounds of drug testing, and why it takes billions of dollars and 12 years of planning in advance, and are awarded not by random lottery, but by extensive, political style campaigns and marketing routines by supposed representatives of world cities. All in the name of friendly competition.
I guess I really don’t feel the spirit right now. Maybe if some one was allowed to hold a Free Tibet sign while watching a track and field athlete shot-put a five pounder onto the turret of a Chinese tank – I’d be a little more accepting. But right now, I’m still in boycott mode, at least until Canada wins a medal or two.
Other interesting answers from random Japanese students.
“What is Japanese culture?”
Shuka S. – “I don’t know.”
“What is Canadian culture?”
Eri M. – “Maple syrup, maple trees, maple leaf....all maple.”
“What is American culture?”
Sara S. – “Sensou.” - the Japanese word for ‘war’
“What is Japanese culture?”
Sara S. (again) – “Sensou.”
Comment
About
Badge
© 2009 Created by Frank Moher on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of Bobalicious to add comments!
Join this Ning Network