It's 2 AM and I have a flight out of London to Rome in 5 hours. I arrive in Rome at 10 AM and then have about 12 hours to roam around Rome, then I will take a midnight flight to Addis Ababa, arriving in Ethiopia around 8 AM local time. So 2 days without any real sleep.
Ciao, Europe!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Liverpool England
Here are some photos of the Liverpool Chinatown celebration
This last one is the president of the Chinese freemason society having a ceremonial lunch with the mayor of Liverpool.
This last one is the president of the Chinese freemason society having a ceremonial lunch with the mayor of Liverpool.
Happy Chinese New Year
I'm writing from Liverpool, the only, and incidentally, the oldest, Chinatown in Europe to be celebrating Chinese New Year today. Today is actually Chinese New Year Eve, and almost all cities have their official celebrations on the first Sunday following Chinese New Year.
I rather like Liverpool. Whereas Birmingham was simply postindustrial, Liverpool is charmingly postindustrial. Apparently the Chinese arch is the largest ceremonial arch outside of China. You get the feeling that Chinatowns are competing for the biggest, the oldest, the goldest, the most expensive. Wing Yip -- the richest Chinese person in the UK, who made his fortune in groceries -- had a pagoda built in Fujian and shipped piece by piece to Birmingham, where it was then gifted to the city, and is currently at a rotary in the city (have pictures, but not here)
Liverpool Chinese gate
This is my mom's ancestral hometown (although my mother grew up in Guangzhou), "Hai yan," 海演, in Mandarin.
I rather like Liverpool. Whereas Birmingham was simply postindustrial, Liverpool is charmingly postindustrial. Apparently the Chinese arch is the largest ceremonial arch outside of China. You get the feeling that Chinatowns are competing for the biggest, the oldest, the goldest, the most expensive. Wing Yip -- the richest Chinese person in the UK, who made his fortune in groceries -- had a pagoda built in Fujian and shipped piece by piece to Birmingham, where it was then gifted to the city, and is currently at a rotary in the city (have pictures, but not here)
Liverpool Chinese gate
This is my mom's ancestral hometown (although my mother grew up in Guangzhou), "Hai yan," 海演, in Mandarin.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Lakes district, England
I know I haven't posted project-related photos recently, mostly because the 12 megapixel photos tend to clog my computer's memory. As a result, you get mostly "fun" photos, when I'm not taking out my fancy schmancy camera, but my little camera. These are from England's Lake district, a beautiful area about two hours north of Birmingham in northwestern England that I visited over the weekend. Mom also complained that I wasn't posting enough photos. So here.
Cold and windy in the Lakes district
Cold and windy in the Lakes district
Friday, January 16, 2009
You didn't tell me about second dinner!
I'm now in Birmingham, the "armpit of England," the second most populous city in England and definitely one of the most ethnically diverse. The city looks like how I might imagine a stereotypical English city -- rather grimy, post-industrial, gray, old pubs on every other corner. I came to England for about six days when I was in seventh grade, and all I can really remember is some famous tower in London and my pilgrimage to Legoland, also known as Heaven.
I'm too tired to post anything substantial (again), but, I just had two dinners, with a very nice family friend of a family friend who I address as "Uncle" and "Auntie." I may or may not have been cajoled into singing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. I chose "I want you back" by the Jackson freely, however.
I'm too tired to post anything substantial (again), but, I just had two dinners, with a very nice family friend of a family friend who I address as "Uncle" and "Auntie." I may or may not have been cajoled into singing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. I chose "I want you back" by the Jackson freely, however.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Best and worst food after 6 months
I've just arrived in Birmingham, UK, and it's now been a little over six months on this journey, which means I'm more than halfway through my yearlong journey.
Countries I've been to on this trip -- Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the UK (this includes countries I've just passed through)
Best Chinese food:
1. The UK (ok, I don't really know, but just had pretty decent dim sum)
2. Brazil
Worst Chinese food:
1. Italy
2. Peru (Peru's Chinese food isn't terrible, but it is really overrated and vastly inferior compared to Peruvian food)
Best food:
1. Italy
2. Peru
3. Argentina
Worst food:
1. Bolivia
2. Spain
Countries I've been to on this trip -- Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the UK (this includes countries I've just passed through)
Best Chinese food:
1. The UK (ok, I don't really know, but just had pretty decent dim sum)
2. Brazil
Worst Chinese food:
1. Italy
2. Peru (Peru's Chinese food isn't terrible, but it is really overrated and vastly inferior compared to Peruvian food)
Best food:
1. Italy
2. Peru
3. Argentina
Worst food:
1. Bolivia
2. Spain
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
España!
I just got to Madrid! Haven't done anything, but it'll be nice to speak the language once again. In other news, I miss speaking Portuguese, not because I was very good at it (I wasn't), but it's a really nice language to speak.
Now... to find the Barrio Chino...
Now... to find the Barrio Chino...
Monday, January 5, 2009
$70,000 USD
This is the cost of paying a Chinese smuggler -- or "Snakehead" -- to get you (a hypothetical Chinese person) into the United States. At least according to some of the Chinese immigrants here in Milan. For reference:
$14,000 USD into Europe. France, Italy, Spain seem like popular destinations.
$10,000 USD into Brazil. Brazil obviously doesn't have the same appeal to Chinese immigrants, but it comes with a nice little legal bonus: if you have a child born in Brazil, you can become a legal resident, and eventually a citizen.
$70,000 is a lot of money. A lot a lot of money. Where this money goes -- bribing officials, obtaining ill-gotten passports or visas, or otherwise, all depends on a case to a case basis, I am told. I find it incredible people would pay this (or go into debt by this amount) in order to pursue the "American dream," which as far as I know, is alive and well for Chinese emigrants.
$14,000 USD into Europe. France, Italy, Spain seem like popular destinations.
$10,000 USD into Brazil. Brazil obviously doesn't have the same appeal to Chinese immigrants, but it comes with a nice little legal bonus: if you have a child born in Brazil, you can become a legal resident, and eventually a citizen.
$70,000 is a lot of money. A lot a lot of money. Where this money goes -- bribing officials, obtaining ill-gotten passports or visas, or otherwise, all depends on a case to a case basis, I am told. I find it incredible people would pay this (or go into debt by this amount) in order to pursue the "American dream," which as far as I know, is alive and well for Chinese emigrants.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Observations of Italy's "Centri Sociali" during New Year's
January 1, 2009 marks the midpoint of my fellowship, and of course, a new year. The Chinese New Year doesn't start until January 26, when Chinese communities will welcome the Year of the Ox -- my year -- which means I'm turning twenty-four this year. Aside from being vaguely frightening at the thought of turning twenty-four, I'm also supposed to be watching my back this year, according to a friend from the Buddhist temple in Sao Paulo. Apparently one is more prone to bad luck during when the Zodiac revolves to their year (For those unfamiliar with the Chinese zodiac, the zodiac revolves around a twelve year cycle. I was born in 1985 in the year of the Ox; 1997, 2009, 2021 are thus also years of the Ox ... or oxen?).
But what I want to talk about is how I spent my New Year's Eve at a Centri Sociale, yes, a "social center," here in Milan.
I can't remember where I first read about Italy's Centri Sociali, which are basically squatted warehouses and other unused urban sites, started by students and other left-leaning Italians. I went to the biggest Centri Sociale in Milan, Leon Cavallo, currently located at Via Watteau, 7. Apparently, the center moves every few years as city authorities arrive to kick out the squatters. I'm sure the police know about Leon Cavallo's current location -- they make no secret about it -- but like the "illegal" favelas in Brazil's cities, it's probably more hassle to kick out the social centers than to just leave them be if they're not causing any trouble. As far as I could tell, the social center used to be some sort of warehouse and included a few smaller buildings in a courtyard. The buildings reminded me vaguely of art district 798 in Beijing -- although the usage of the buildings was quite different. And because the center makes little effort to comply with the law, basically everyone was smoking inside (smoking inside is illegal in Milan).
The center offers free language classes to Milan's many immigrants; it also pushes an agenda for greater social integration of Milan's immigrant communities. Indeed, one of the themes of the New Year's Party was a "new year free of racism." The center also includes a kitchen with cheap and delicious food, as well as pretty fantastic bookstore. Of course, one of the main focuses of the social center is to offer social events that provide a welcome respite from Milan's otherwise elitist social scene -- offering free or cheap concerts, movie screenings -- and is apparently the birthplace of Italian hip-hop (I can't say, however, whether or not this is a worthy distinction).
When midnight struck, there was no anticipatory count-down or ball-drop -- the music simply went on. Okay, a few people threw some firecrackers in the courtyard. But I suppose the party was only getting started: the hours were officially 11 pm to 9 am or something insane like that. The place featured four rooms with different music in each room, although the largest room was devoted, regrettably, to electronic music.
The demographic at the Center was very strange, and I spent most of the night speculating on why the Center drew the crowd. I'd say the Center was probably evenly divided among white Italians, Arab immigrants (I think mostly from Egypt), and African immigrants (mostly from various West African countries). But whereas the white Italians were more or less evenly divided among males and females, the Arab and African attendees were exclusively male, except maybe one or two Arab girls I saw. This meant the whole male to female ratio was probably about 10:1. Also absent were south Asians (Sri Lankans, Indians, Bangladeshis...) and Chinese immigrants. As a result, I seemed to get a lot of unwanted attention among the Arab attendees, for whatever reason, the African and white attendees didn't seem to give me any unusual attention.
What I found most strange was the lack of Arab and African females at the place. Okay, there were essentially no south Asians or east Asians, but that I could more or less comprehend. But why were there Arab and African people, but only males?
Milan's large immigrant community is relatively recent, so I'd guess the majority of ethnic minorities are first-generation immigrants, with a few exceptions. First-generation immigrants generally draw heavily upon value systems from their country of origin. I began to think that perhaps engaging in public social life is probably frowned upon for many women in the developing world, and this prejudice is carried over (and in some cases, even worsened) during emigration. Perhaps immigrant families are wary of exposing their daughters in unknown social environments, where social values and gender norms are unknown quantities. Patriarchal protection is unnecessary for male immigrants, who are probably curious to explore the contours of gender relations in their adopted country.
I used to think that preventing women from engaging in public life -- whether through social life or income-earning work -- was the principle factor that contributed toward gender inequality. Although I still believe that engagement in public life is critical toward greater gender equality, my experiences in Chinese culture suggests that the picture is much more complicated. For instance, in one Chinese immigrant family I met in South America, both the father and the son did not work, whereas both the mother and daughter worked full shifts everyday. Apparently, certain work is considered "fit" for women, mostly low-paying labor-intensive work, whereas men are expected to fulfill higher-paying, more "honorable" work positions. For the father of that family, it was probably more honorable to remain unemployed than to do "woman's work." The son told me he did not to do low-paying labor, and that was okay.
So, back to the Centri Sociali. The social aims of the Center are undoubtedly noble. But who is actually showing up to the Center? Or rather, who isn't showing up, and why not?
But what I want to talk about is how I spent my New Year's Eve at a Centri Sociale, yes, a "social center," here in Milan.
I can't remember where I first read about Italy's Centri Sociali, which are basically squatted warehouses and other unused urban sites, started by students and other left-leaning Italians. I went to the biggest Centri Sociale in Milan, Leon Cavallo, currently located at Via Watteau, 7. Apparently, the center moves every few years as city authorities arrive to kick out the squatters. I'm sure the police know about Leon Cavallo's current location -- they make no secret about it -- but like the "illegal" favelas in Brazil's cities, it's probably more hassle to kick out the social centers than to just leave them be if they're not causing any trouble. As far as I could tell, the social center used to be some sort of warehouse and included a few smaller buildings in a courtyard. The buildings reminded me vaguely of art district 798 in Beijing -- although the usage of the buildings was quite different. And because the center makes little effort to comply with the law, basically everyone was smoking inside (smoking inside is illegal in Milan).
The center offers free language classes to Milan's many immigrants; it also pushes an agenda for greater social integration of Milan's immigrant communities. Indeed, one of the themes of the New Year's Party was a "new year free of racism." The center also includes a kitchen with cheap and delicious food, as well as pretty fantastic bookstore. Of course, one of the main focuses of the social center is to offer social events that provide a welcome respite from Milan's otherwise elitist social scene -- offering free or cheap concerts, movie screenings -- and is apparently the birthplace of Italian hip-hop (I can't say, however, whether or not this is a worthy distinction).
When midnight struck, there was no anticipatory count-down or ball-drop -- the music simply went on. Okay, a few people threw some firecrackers in the courtyard. But I suppose the party was only getting started: the hours were officially 11 pm to 9 am or something insane like that. The place featured four rooms with different music in each room, although the largest room was devoted, regrettably, to electronic music.
The demographic at the Center was very strange, and I spent most of the night speculating on why the Center drew the crowd. I'd say the Center was probably evenly divided among white Italians, Arab immigrants (I think mostly from Egypt), and African immigrants (mostly from various West African countries). But whereas the white Italians were more or less evenly divided among males and females, the Arab and African attendees were exclusively male, except maybe one or two Arab girls I saw. This meant the whole male to female ratio was probably about 10:1. Also absent were south Asians (Sri Lankans, Indians, Bangladeshis...) and Chinese immigrants. As a result, I seemed to get a lot of unwanted attention among the Arab attendees, for whatever reason, the African and white attendees didn't seem to give me any unusual attention.
What I found most strange was the lack of Arab and African females at the place. Okay, there were essentially no south Asians or east Asians, but that I could more or less comprehend. But why were there Arab and African people, but only males?
Milan's large immigrant community is relatively recent, so I'd guess the majority of ethnic minorities are first-generation immigrants, with a few exceptions. First-generation immigrants generally draw heavily upon value systems from their country of origin. I began to think that perhaps engaging in public social life is probably frowned upon for many women in the developing world, and this prejudice is carried over (and in some cases, even worsened) during emigration. Perhaps immigrant families are wary of exposing their daughters in unknown social environments, where social values and gender norms are unknown quantities. Patriarchal protection is unnecessary for male immigrants, who are probably curious to explore the contours of gender relations in their adopted country.
I used to think that preventing women from engaging in public life -- whether through social life or income-earning work -- was the principle factor that contributed toward gender inequality. Although I still believe that engagement in public life is critical toward greater gender equality, my experiences in Chinese culture suggests that the picture is much more complicated. For instance, in one Chinese immigrant family I met in South America, both the father and the son did not work, whereas both the mother and daughter worked full shifts everyday. Apparently, certain work is considered "fit" for women, mostly low-paying labor-intensive work, whereas men are expected to fulfill higher-paying, more "honorable" work positions. For the father of that family, it was probably more honorable to remain unemployed than to do "woman's work." The son told me he did not to do low-paying labor, and that was okay.
So, back to the Centri Sociali. The social aims of the Center are undoubtedly noble. But who is actually showing up to the Center? Or rather, who isn't showing up, and why not?
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