Side-by-Side: Geography Special!

This is a slightly different and more complicated Side-by-Side and has taken quite a bit longer to put together.

As a bbc who has lived most of his life in London and spent some time in HK, I am fairly familiar with the geography of both places (more so with London than with HK). What I didn't have was any sense of how one place related to the other in terms of scale and distance.

For example, that train ride from Kowloon to the New Territories seems like a long journey but is it? What would be the equivalent journey in London? How big an area is Central, when compared to London? People often think of Hong Kong as a small place, yet it never feels small when you are there. So how big or small is it, really?

I thought it would be interesting to use Google Maps to shed some light on this. The key was getting the maps of both Hong Kong and London at the same scale. Differences in global maps mean that Google does not display all locations at precisely the same scale on the same screen (there may be some trick to doing this but I don't know what it is). What I had to do was view both maps separately at roughly the same scale, screengrab these views and then in Photoshop resize the images more accurately using the on-screen scale key to ensure that 1km on the Hong Kong map was the same (as near as possible with the naked eye) as 1km on the London map. Once I'd done that, it meant I could compare them visually:

 No doubt an expert would have been able to do this more accurately but I got some interesting observations from this crude experiment.

For example, the whole of Hong Kong, including the massive Lantau Island, just about fits within the M25.

If you line up the southern tip of Kowloon to London's Embankment, Mong Kok and Prince Edward are roughly where Kings Cross is. I never realised that distance was so great. It's just a couple of MTR stops, right?

If you place Sheung Wan MTR station (over in west HK island) on top of Marble Arch, you can see that the distance to Heng Fa Chuen in the east is roughly the same as Marble Arch to Poplar, way out in the East End. An epic journey by London standards.

If you line up Hong Kong's Central with Oxford Circus in London, Admiralty is roughly in the middle of Shaftesbury Avenue.

The TST area up to Jordan is very approximately the same size as the Mayfair area in London, from Bond Street down to Piccadilly

And to answer the question I initially asked: A journey from Hung Hom interchange to Tai Po Market in the New Territories is very roughly the same as the journey from Paddington to Uxbridge, give or take a few metres.

Hope that's been of interest, and do drop me a line with any other geographical Hong Kong and UK comparisons!

The Lowdown on the HK$6000 payout

Word has probably reached you by now that the Hong Kong government is offering all its permanent citizens a one-off payment of HK$6000 over the next couple of years.

Similar to but not the same as the US 'stimulus check', the move has been prompted by pressure from Hong Kong citizens who are becoming increasingly frustrated at the rising costs of living on the SAR, especially for housing.

An initial plan to make payments into citizen's state pensions schemes was scrapped in favour of an immediate handout.

Rather than get into a lengthy explanation of the scheme, I thought I would just direct readers to this blog , where everything you need to know has been posted already by ben.ism.

And this is the link to the official HK government website for the scheme.

Will you be applying? HK$6000 equates to roughly GBP460, which might cover a return flight from London if you're lucky.

Bear in mind you have to either have an active HK bank account or be able to collect a cheque in person from a Hong Kong Post office. There is also a set timetable for when to apply and when your cheque will be ready (see official website)

Takeaway chefs from HK/China excluded in new immigration quotas

As part of our coalition government's promise to 'clamp down' on non-European Union immigration, the Home Office has announced new restrictions on the number and types of people who can migrate to the UK from outside the EU to work.

The new rules mean that, for example, someone from China or Hong Kong who wants to come to the UK to work as a chef in a takeaway will no longer be allowed to do so.

It's a blow to the Chinese catering industry which has been calling for special dispensation to employ migrant workers as part of the Strangers into Citizens campaign (see video above).

Chinese chefs will still be permitted to work in UK restaurants as long as they meet certain criteria (minimum five years' experience, income of £28,260 after accommodation and food) but takeaways are excluded.

The BBC reports:

"Immigration Minister Damian Green: "These changes will allow firms to bring in people with necessary skills without migrants becoming the first resort to fill a wide range of available jobs.

"This government is also determined to get people back to work and provide business with the skills they need from the British workforce - reducing the need for migrants at the same time as we reduce their number."

I understand the move might be logical from a domestic and political point of view - when there is record unemployment in the UK it does not make sense to encourage businesses to bring people in from faraway countries to do jobs that might be done by a British person.

But should that apply to ethnic catering? After all, can you really say that a Chinese chef working in a takeaway has actually deprived a British person of a job? Isn't the job, and the business itself generated by the ethnicity of the people involved? If British chefs are now supposed to be considered for jobs in Chinese takeaways, who is going to train them?

Personally I don't think it is that undesirable (for either the shop owners or the customers) for a Chinese takeaway to employ Chinese staff to cook Chinese food. It makes you wonder if in this case the law has been used to target something that was not actually doing any harm.

Story: BBC

Story: The Guardian

New website explains Right of Abode in Hong Kong

A big thank you to Harry Li who has told me about his highly informative website that explains in depth the issue of Right of Abode in Hong Kong.

This is what I think a lot BBCs have been waiting for; a clear, informative website in English by someone who understands the complicated issues involved.

Head over to Harry's website here.

Related: Old Hong Kong ID cards to become invalid

The Changing Sound of Chinatown

I read an interesting report in the New York Times that could equally apply to the UK Chinese community.

Most bbcs are descended from a generation that migrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s, and many Chinatowns around the world were founded by migrants from Cantonese-speaking regions of South China as well as Hong Kong. Cantonese can therefore be regarded as the main language of the world's dispersed Chinese population.

But all that could be about to change as Chinese migration is now predominantly made up of Mandarin speakers and they naturally gravitate towards existing Chinese community hubs rather than generating their own. So bit by bit, Chinatowns around the world are becoming Mandarin-ized. This effect is already well under way in London's Chinatown as I'm sure many readers will have noticed.

For those of us who are Cantonese Chinese, there is a real and strange prospect of going to Chinatown one day and not understanding what half the Chinese people there are saying! Weird, huh?

Immigration reform in 1965 opened the door to a huge influx of Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong, and Cantonese became the dominant tongue. But since the 1990s, the vast majority of new Chinese immigrants have come from mainland China, especially Fujian Province, and tend to speak Mandarin along with their regional dialects.

“I can’t even order food on East Broadway,” said Jan Lee, 44, a furniture designer who has lived all his life in Chinatown and speaks Cantonese. “They don’t speak English; I don’t speak Mandarin. I’m just as lost as everyone else.”

Story: New York Times

Related: Memories fading, places changing

Barrio Chino - Peru's Chinatown

Photo: diariodelviajero

It won't be a surprise to any bbc that Chinese communities can be found in some pretty far flung corners of the world. But how about Lima, Peru?

It turns out that Peru has a large Chinese-descended population and the capital even has its own Chinatown. In fact, the Chinatowns of Lima and Havana, Cuba, were the first to be established in the Western hemisphere thanks to the influx of Chinese workers who accompanied the Spanish colonists who settled in the region.

Check out this intriguing profile of San Joy Lao, one of the most popular restaurants on the 'barrio chino'. How strange is it to see Cantonese being spoken on a street in Peru? :)



Related: Tripatlas.com, Chinatowns in Latin America

Racism scandal at British university

I found this incident quite appalling, especially as it allegedly involves a member of staff at what is meant to be a place of higher learning.

It is also, in a way, a type of incident that I feel a lot of bbcs can identify with.

Mongolian-born Odgerel Hatenboer wanted to apply for a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants course at Glyndwr University, Wrexham. At the time she was already a masters student in economics and had a diploma from the Association of Accounting Technicians.

When she discussed this with a member of university staff, she was shocked at what she was told:

She said: "The man said something like 'I'm not saying you're Chinese but people like you, Oriental people, tend to accept what is written in the books and what the lecturer says, whereas this kind of course is nothing like you have studied in the past, it requires more analytical skills, you will have to do more yourself."

"This didn't happen on the street or in a shop, this happened in a university which is supposed to be multi-racial institution with educated people.

"I think it's outrageous. I can not believe it happened. It's appalling that a member of staff commented on an individual because of their race. He didn't even ask about my background or qualifications."

I accept that this is one person's account of an incident but if it's true then damn right it's outrageous. However, I'm sorry to say I think this the kind of thing isn't rare. At times it seems we are last race left in Britain that people happily and openly stereotype without a second thought.

To hear stuff like this is bad but in some cases it might have been dismissed as a 'harmless' comment that had perhaps been taken the wrong way.

However, in this case the prejudice behind the comments may have been underlined by the fact that the student's application form was not submitted to the university by the member of staff even though it had been completed.

Had he just unilaterally decided the course was not for this 'Oriental' and chose to deny them even the right to apply?

(Another point: I notice that this condescending, racist person used the word 'Oriental' to describe us, which I've never liked. It's totally out-dated and has a rather patronising, colonial sound to it.)

Odgerel Hatenboer is reportedly planning to take legal advice. Meanwhile, the university has responded by saying it has taken appropriate action but does not say what.

It also says Mrs. Hatenboer's application was 'misplaced' and not deliberately held back. I guess they found it again then, eh?

Full story: BBC News

Related: The Daily Post (North Wales)

Mystery surrounds the deaths of two mature students in Newcastle

Police have just released video footage of the victims of a double killing in Newcastle named as Zhen Xing Yang, 25, and his girlfriend Xi 'Ci Ci' Zhou, also 25. Both had graduated with MAs at Newcastle University. There seems to be no apparent motive for the killings.

The Newcastle Chronicle reports:

Ci Ci hadn’t been seen by friends for two days and she failed to turn up for her shift at Wagamama’s restaurant in Old Eldon Square, Newcastle, where she worked from 11am to 3pm.

When one concerned pal went back to the flat with a former tenant and two other friends, they couldn’t get a response. They managed to get in through an unsecured window at the back and then unlocked the door.

Northumbria Police were alerted at around 4.30pm on Saturday. They arrived to seal of the rented ground floor flat in Arthur’s Hill, in Newcastle’s West End.

Police have been trying to trace their next of kin and detectives have carried out inquiries with the Chinese community, particularly the Chinese students’ association in Newcastle. It is believed ritualistic or Triad connections have been ruled out.

Detectives are looking at the couple’s background, associates, and their last known movements. They are working on the theory they may have been targeted by a killer or killers who knew them.

Full story.

A terrible end to two young lives. Anyone with information is asked to call Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043.

British Chinese Society Wild West Party, Sat. July 26th

Must be party season or something. News reaches my Inbox of another event that might be of interest to bbcs: A Wild West themed party being organised by the BCS (British Chinese Society).

Canapes, competitions (including the best dressed title) and great music are on the bill, and attendees are asked to get into the Wild West spirit by donning suitable costumes. There will also be a raffle for a new Nokia 6300 phone (courtesy of sponsor CMC Markets).

The party is being held at Oneonefive Bar. 115 Chancery Lane, London on Sat 26th July, 8:00 pm - 2:00am

It's too late to get discounted early-bird tickets but entrance will be £12 on the door. Email social@britishchinese.org.uk
for more details!

Earthquake fundraising in Chinatown

British Chinese associations have moved quickly to start fundraising in response to the Sichuan earthquake. Volunteers from the London Chinatown Chinese Association, the BC Project (British Chinese in politics), Dimsum and others were out in force on Sunday helping to raise money.

via Richard H's Blog

HK vs. UK Statistics

Many bbcs are in the position (because of dual nationality) of having a choice between living in Britain or Hong Kong and quite a few of us will - at some point in our life - have to weigh up the benefits of staying in either country.

So I thought it would be interesting to try and gather some statistics to compare the two places. We all have personal opinions about which country we prefer but perhaps looking at some actual data might change those opinions?

The statistics are from the website Nationmaster where you can find a wealth of information about various countries. It's generally considered to be a reliable website for facts and figures.

I was limited by the data available from the site so whilst I was hoping to compare all kinds of stats such as quality of life, cultural diversity, arts etc. there simply weren't that many categories that have figures for both the UK and HK.

For some reason, it's crime that has the most comprehensive data so this article will be dominated by crime-related stats.

All the figures are proportional (e.g. per 1000 people) so the figures should provide a fair comparison.

So here we go, let's have a look at 'HK vs UK Statistics':
http://british-chinese.blogspot.com/
Total Crimes per capita
Ranked #6 of 60 United Kingdom: 85.5517 per 1,000 people
Ranked #43 of 60 Hong Kong: 11.6817 per 1,000 people

The UK experiences massively more crime per capita than HK and surprisingly the stats show that only 5 other countries in the world have a higher crime rate than Britain.

But crime comes in all shapes and sizes, so let's look in a little more detail...

Robberies per capita
Ranked #8 of 64 United Kingdom: 1.57433 per 1,000 people
Ranked #35 of 64 Hong Kong: 0.497608 per 1,000 people

A surprisingly high ranking for the UK with only 7 other nations in the world worse for robbery.

Murders per capita
Ranked #46 of 62 United Kingdom: 0.0140633 per 1,000 people
Ranked #59 of 62 Hong Kong: 0.00550804 per 1,000 people

Both countries rank low, but the UK figure is over twice as high.
http://british-chinese.blogspot.com/
Assaults per capita
Ranked #8 of 57 United Kingdom: 7.45959 per 1,000 people
Ranked #30 of 57 Hong Kong: 1.07987 per 1,000 people

UK figure is 7 times higher.

Burglaries per capita
Ranked #7 of 54 United Kingdom: 13.8321 per 1,000 people
Ranked #35 of 54 Hong Kong: 1.30004 per 1,000 people

HK is known for its dense housing yet this figure more than 10 times higher in the UK. Those metal gates on all the doors obviously do their job.

Software Piracy Rate
Ranked #53 of 84 Hong Kong: 52%
Ranked #79 of 84 United Kingdom: 29%

The one crime where HK scores higher. You're probably not surprised, right? Interestingly, HK is still way down the league table, though.

Drug Offences
Ranked #12 of 34 United Kingdom: 214.3 per 100,000 people
Ranked #24 of 34 Hong Kong: 34 per 100,000 people

Drugs seem to be a lot less common in HK.

Fraud
Ranked #2 of 61 United Kingdom: 5.28324 per 1,000 people
Ranked #24 of 61 Hong Kong: 0.737788 per 1,000 people

UK is nearly the world leader in fraud. Germany is 1st.

----

That's a selection of the various crime stats I found on Nationmaster, and as you can see the UK out-scores HK massively in every area ... except software piracy.

An interesting thought is that the difference is so huge in so many areas and yet Hong Kong was a British colony for almost a century, in theory being run under a British system and British values.

It occurred to me (although it wasn't what I set out to prove) that for those who say Hong Kong is what it is mainly because of the British influence, these stats show that the British influence didn't really permeate Hong Kong that deeply. Because if they had, you could argue, the differences wouldn't be so huge.

So what else can we look at besides crime? I tried to find more lifestyle and health related stats and the ones I was able to pull are as follows:

Suicide amongst Females
Ranked #12 of 81 Hong Kong: 11.3 per 100,000 people
Ranked #51 of 81 United Kingdom: 3.3 per 100,000 people

Suicide amongst Males
Ranked #43 of 81 Hong Kong: 13.4 per 100,000 people
Ranked #47 of 81 United Kingdom: 11 per 100,000 people

Similar numbers for males but both are higher in Hong Kong, and a lot higher for HK females.

Seeing this statistic, I was reminded of melodramatic scenes from those Hong Kong TV dramas where a distraught woman can see no way out but to take her own life. I wonder if Chinese/Asian society is more tolerant of suicide and whether this might explain the higher numbers for HK? Culturally is there a difference between how suicide is perceived? Is it more stigmatised in the West?


GDP per capita
Ranked #13 of 195 United Kingdom: $36,508.663 per capita
Ranked #29 of 195 Hong Kong: $25,592.286 per capita

The UK remains a financial force to be reckoned with, and the GDP reflects this. However, considering Hong's tiny size and limited resources, its GDP is pretty impressive.
http://british-chinese.blogspot.com/
And finally...

Life expectancy:
Ranked #6 of 220 Hong Kong: 81.68 years
Ranked #36 of 220 United Kingdom: 78.7 years

Despite it's reputation for smelly air and the lack of a welfare state, only 5 countries in the world have a higher life expectancy than HK.

----

So there you have it: A selection of stats comparing HK to the UK. Did any of them surprise you?

BBC launches British-born Chinese Writers Project

Bbcs on the BBC: part 2.

Tina, author of Diary of a Chinese Brummie Yogini has emailed me a link to what could be a really interesting project being run by the BBC.

They are looking for "bite-sized film scripts with an original and contemporary take on the British Born Chinese experience" and to help any aspiring bbc writers out there, they are holding special 'how-to' seminars in cities across the UK.

The workshops will be held at the following venues:

BBC Merseyside
31 College Lane, L1 3DS
Tuesday 12th February 2008 6pm – 8pm

BBC Manchester
Courtyard Room, New Broadcasting House, Oxford Road, Manchester, M60 1SJ
Weds 13th February 2008 6pm – 8pm

BBC Birmingham
Room 083B, The Mailbox, Royal Mail St, B1 1RF
Thurs 21st February 2008 6pm – 8pm

BBC London
Room 108, Henry Wood House, 3/6 Langham Place, W1A 1AA
Weds 27th and Thurs 28th February 2008 6pm – 8pm

The site says ten shortlisted writers will be selected for Masterclasses in April, and up to five selected writers will receive development commissions. The deadline for submitting scripts is 17 March 2008

So come on guys. This is a great opportunity to tell your story, your way.

Get the full details from the BBC website.

'Banana in a Nutshell' - Can Chinese parents still love you if they do things that upset you?

I've been meaning to post about this for a while. Banana in a Nutshell is a short film that I saw on a plane (in fact, I think it was a flight to HK) and I thought it was a really interesting short film that quite a few bbcs can relate to.

It's a documentary about a young New Zealand Chinese (NZBC?) girl called Roseanne and her relationship with a white boy. The film shows the anxious build up to the boyfriend meeting Roseanne's father, and Roseanne's stress concerning her parents' reaction. The film's official website is here: http://www.banana-film.com/index.html.

The boyfriend situation is the main event depicted in the film but it actually covers Roseanne's entire relationship with her parents and siblings and the East vs. West conflicts that come with being 2nd generation Chinese.

The film is very heartfelt, especially one scene in which Roseanne tearfully tries to understand why her parents never show her any outward signs of affection. Does this mean they don't love her, she wonders? Yet why would they have worked so hard to provide for her, if not out of love? This is something I think many young bbcs will have thought about at some point in their lives.

If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend 'Banana in a Nutshell'.

As for my own thoughts on this, I think there will always be a big difference between how we, as a westernised generation, expect parents to behave and how our parents have been brought up to behave. We have different ideas about what is 'right.'

It is a lot to ask of the older generation to totally chance their demeanor and personalities just to fit what we, as 2nd generation, have come to regard as 'good parenting' - a view that has been shaped by a totally different upbringing.

Differences exist between the generations, but I think the key is to acknowledge that and learn to accept it, rather than isolating one side or demanding that one side changes to match the other.


UPDATE: 'My Wedding and Other Secrets' - a NZBC movie

London Chinatown to 'go on strike' over immigration arrests

Some businesses in Chinatown are expected to close for a 3 hour period today in protest at the arrests made by the Borders and Immigration Agency on October 11th.

Over 40 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested and taken from their places of work by the BIA.

Source: 'Diners stunned by Chinatown raids' (BBC)

The London Chinatown Chinese Association condemned what they called the heavy-handed methods used during the raids which took place during a busy lunchtime and involved some officers wearing bullet-proof vests.

For their part, the BIA has said that they are not targeting Chinese businesses in particular, and that they carry out around 60 raids every week, on different businesses all over London.

Source: 'Chinatown protest at police raid' (BBC).

Clearly Chinatown businesses are in a difficult position: It is true that an illegal immigrant is breaking the law and the authorities cannot really turn a blind eye to this.

Furthermore, illegal immigration from China is known to be closely linked to organized crime gangs and anything that can be done to break up this trade is a good thing, since it so often involves the exploitation and intimidation of workers.

However it is also true that Chinatown's busy restaurants need staff and if they want those staff to be Chinese, there simply aren't enough Chinese workers around who are both legally entitled to work and who want those particular jobs.

I think it's fair to say Chinese immigrants come here by and large with the sole intention of working and working hard, and not to take advantage of the UK's state benefits.

So whilst it is certainly a good thing that the authorities crack down on gang-related people smuggling, is there not some compromise that can be reached that would enable businesses to employ immigrant staff and still stay within the law?

The US has been examining the possibility of introducing a special 'guest worker program' to deal with situations just like this:

"Under the plan, foreign workers -- including the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States -- could apply to work for three years. Each would be matched with an employer, provided with a biometric identification card to help track his or her whereabouts, and released in the country.

"You see, we got people sneaking into our country to work. They want to provide for their families. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River," [President George W.] Bush said.

"People are coming to put food on the table. But because there is no legal way for them to do so, through a temporary worker program, they're putting pressure on our border."

Source: Washington Post.

Related: Borders and Immigration Agency
Related: London Chinese community figure named in DVD and people-smuggling investigation

London Chinese community figure named in DVD and people-smuggling investigation

A BBC South East reporter has infiltrated a group of Chinese immigrants and uncovered what is alleged to be a pirate DVD selling operation that is closely linked with people smuggling from China. Furthermore, a main player in the operation is said to be He Jia-Jin, who was previously the Vice-Chairman of the London Chinatown Chinese Association.

He Jia-Jin is said to be linked to properties that were used to house the smuggled immigrants (allegedly up to 18 in one house). He is currently standing trial in Hong Kong for money laundering offences and has been arrested in the past in relation to people smuggling offences.

In 2004, Mr. He's assets were frozen by the British authorities investigating his activities. This prevented £14,000 that he had raised from the Chinese community for the families of the deceased Morecambe Bay cockle pickers from being sent to China (Source: The Times)

People smuggling is a lucrative criminal activity that burdens the smuggled immigrants with huge debts that are often enforced with threats of violence against relatives back home.

It's something that's been mentioned on this blog before but I think this shows that (as with many parts of London) behind the surface appearance of Chinatown there are murky goings on that the average tourist or restaurant diner has no idea about.

Source: BBC News.

Related: BBC South East investigation.

Related: He Jia-Jin found guilty of money laundering in Hong Kong (BBC News).

Sweet Mandarin - the schools tour

The success of Helen Tse's bbc-themed novel Sweet Mandarin (currently sold in 33 countries) continues with an international schools tour. The ideas behind the tour such as teaching awareness of one's roots and "if I can do it so can you" certainly seem like positive messages to be taking to schools:



Well done, Helen!

FBI investigating 'college spies' in Chinese student associations?

This article was quite an eye-opener when I read it...

When you think of overseas Chinese student associations, you probably think of barbecues, badminton and other fun activities. What had never crossed my mind was the idea that a Chinese student association might be linked to and even managed by the Chinese Communist Party!

Surprising as it may sound, the FBI is said to be investigating the relationship between Chinese consulates and the leaders of Chinese student associations at American universities.

To be clear, this report is talking about official, overseas Chinese student associations not ABACUS or bbc-style uni social groups.

It's reported by the Epoch Times (a newspaper that is distributed free in London's Chinatown) that local Chinese consulates (which serve under the Chinese Communist Party) not only appoint the leaders of these associations but also control some of their activities turning some into quasi-spying operations on U.S. soil.

They quote Xu Shuiliang, editor of the Chinese Net Digest and a democracy activist:

"Almost all CSSAs [Chinese student asssociations] are under the control of Chinese Consulates and become part of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] special organizations. The CSSAs are not officially connected to the CCP but they work under the cover of social recreational activities.

According to Mr. Xu, not only American students, but also a lot of Chinese students, do not know about this. Of course, not all students in CSSAs are the CCP's members or special agents, but normally the leaders of CSSAs are appointed by the CCP.

This dates back to when the CCP was established, as it has always used underground groups such as union workers or students to achieve its goals."

The report says that the current FBI investigation has forced a number of students to return to China, presumably fearing that will be 'unmasked' as spies and arrested.

However, the students who are involved in these operations are usually not 'spies' in the sinister sense, but rather pawns in a game of espionage:

"According to Mr. Xu, many Chinese students don't really understand the system and laws in the United States and still live under the shadow of the CCP. They think the CCP can still provide protection for them in the United States, and they work for profit and out of fear.

These students may not even know what they do is illegal in America. They are also victims."

There are reports that some students disown their links to the student associations after graduating (removing their names from past member lists etc).

This second article is a more in-depth look at one particular student association in Minnesota and how it got caught up in the machinations of Chinese politics and the propaganda battle with the Falun Gong organization.

It does seem that the students in these cases face a dilemma: Do you disobey the Chinese consulate and risk intimidation or punishment of your relatives back home and harming your future prospects, or do you follow the consulate's orders (perhaps doing something you don't agree with), get in the party's good books but risk being 'outed' as a spy?

--

If it's standard practice amongst Chinese student associations in the U.S., does that mean the same thing happens here?

It's certainly strange to think that something that's seen as fun and non-political such a Chinese student association might be so closely linked to the Chinese Community Party!

Source 1: FBI Questions Chinese Student Leaders at Eastern U.S. Universities

Source 2: How the Chinese Consulate Took Control at the University of Minnesota

'My Father' - A new Asian-American film

Thought I'd share this trailer for 'My Father' I saw on Asianpopcorn.com. The movie stars Asian-American model-turned-actor Daniel Henny and is about a Korean child adopted by an American family who returns to Korea to find his natural father, only to discover that he is in jail for murder. Looks pretty good.



Source: AsianPopcorn.

'Sweet Mandarin' becomes a worldwide phenomenon

Little did I know when I first mentioned the bbc-themed novel 'Sweet Mandarin' back in February that it would go on to become a worldwide literary phenomenon.

It's a success story that has taken author Helen Tse around the world and introduced the 'bbc' story (albeit a quite remarkable one) to a whole new audience.

If you're in Edinburgh this month, you can catch Helen discussing her book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 24th.

And here's a compilation of news clips about 'Sweet Mandarin' and some of the plaudits it has received:




Related: Helen Tse talks about her bbc-themed book, 'Sweet Mandarin'

bbc novel 'Sweet Mandarin' reaches Hong Kong

In a sense, the bbc story as told in Helen Tse's book 'Sweet Mandarin has come full circle, since readers in Hong Kong will now be able to read about the bbc experience.

For Eric and Mabel Tse, seeing their three ambitious, aspirational and professional daughters being drawn back to the very trade they had worked so hard to escape was a recipe for disaster. But for 29-year-old tax lawyer Helen, this was not just a business enterprise. It was a gesture of gratitude to an extraordinary family history that included brutal murder, ruinous gambling, triads and 70 years of devotion to cooking.

Her extraordinary memoir, Sweet Mandarin, stretches across four generations and encompasses a journey from rural Guangdong to 1920s Hong Kong, on to 1950s Britain and beyond.

But it was so nearly never written.

Article in the Hong Kong Standard

Perhaps this will provide a rare insight for Hong Kongers into life as a bbc?


Related:
Helen Tse talks about her bbc-themed book, 'Sweet Mandarin'