Wednesday 28 November 2012

david drysdale

 Pro golfer called McDonald's worker a 
'stupid chinky' in drunken row


One of Scotland’s top pro golfers called a security guard a "stupid chinky" during a drunken row in McDonald's.

David Drysdale pleaded guilty to assault and racially aggravated breach of the peace at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old was with his wife Victoria when they went into McDonald's in Princes Street in the early hours of March 7 last year after a night out in Edinburgh.
The court was told the restaurant was very busy at the time of the incident and customers were having to queue for the one disabled toilet.
Security guard Hin Ho Li refused to let Drysdale upstairs to use closed toilets and an argument broke out. Fiscal depute Malcolm Stewart said when the golfer walked away from Mr Li, he called him "a stupid chinky".


Read the full article :STV Edinburgh

Saturday 24 November 2012

Is smoking a problem for BBCs?



In the above Nicorette advert, Alex, a 31yr old trainee accountant tells us how, at the age of 16,he started smoking because of associations of it being daring, risky, adventurous and a form of rebellion against his parents. 

Having tried to give up smoking 3 times, at the time, Alex saw smoking as a release, sometimes smoking 10-15 a day.  Alongside Nicorette products, taking up sport has distracted him from smoking and given more focus, and having successfully quit completely, now feels more upbeat in general.

According to the 2011 NHS Statistics on smoking, 

"In 2004 the HSE included a boost sample to increase the sample size" of people in ethnic minority groups. The relationship between smoking status and ethnicity was explored in Chapter 4: Use of tobacco products of the associated report Health Survey for England 2004: The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups (HSE 2004)20. 

Example findings include: self-reported cigarette smoking prevalence was 40% among Bangladeshi, 30% Irish, 29% Pakistani, 25% of Black Caribbean, 21% Chinese, and 20% in Indian men, compared with 24% among men in the general population. 

 Self-reported smoking prevalence was higher among women in the general population (23%) than most minority ethnic groups, except Irish (26%) and Black Caribbean women (24%). The figures for the other groups were 10% Black African,
 8% Chinese, 5% Indian and Pakistani, and 2% in Bangladeshi women."

 2.4.2 Regional prevalence
The GLF 2009 report presented variations in smoking prevalence in England in 2009 by Government Office Region (GOR). The sample sizes were relatively small, making them subject to relatively high levels of sampling error, thus interpretation of regional data has been treated cautiously. Among men, the prevalence of current smokers was highest in the North West (24%) and London (26%) and lowest in the East Midlands and South West (19% each). For women, the highest prevalence was found in the Yorkshire and the Humber (22%), the North East (23%) and the North West (22%) and the lowest prevalence in the South West (17%).

According to this June 2012 BBC news report regarding the British public smoking ban in 2004 entitled: Smoking Ban's impact five years on whilst the ban has had a huge effect on stopping smokers in public...

" there is no evidence as yet that smokers have given up smoking in huge numbers because of the legislation.
While overall levels of smoking among adults in Great Britain remained constant at 21% between 2007 and 2009, the north east of England saw a different trend.
There, the smokefree ban proved to be a trigger for some adults to quit with the largest drop in smoking in England - from 29% in 2005 to 27% in 2007 and down to 21% by 2011.

"It's children who start smoking, not adults. We need to prevent people starting in the first place, full stop."

For BBCs who are more integrated into British society, whether clubbing, dating, or work,  is smoking  more to do with 'fitting in' or like Alex, do we take up the habit to be 'rebellious' ? And how easy is it for us to give up, if ever?


Saturday 17 November 2012

British public schools exported to China

The BBC's George Alagiah reports on the rise of fee-paying schools in China which mirror British public schools.The schools are in contrast to the state system in China, with an emphasis on creativity and inquiry.


Amidst the growth of the glass and concrete grown of the city of Tianjin is Wellington College, a replica of the Berkshire school, there are 300 students mainly from the ex-patriate community but with a growing number of Chinese students. Mimi Zhoh is only 5 years old but her prestigious piano playing talent, has already seen her perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Mimi's parents pay more than £15000 a year in fees, they are doing more than buying an education,they are investing in a way of life. Her parents do not want her to endure the 24-7 life in China and in the future, want her to study abroad.

In light of the new visa restrictions for Chinese students coming to the UK,  David Cook, Master of Wellington College,in Tianjin, believes Chinese government should make it easier as possible for Chinese students to come to study in Britain, because the alternative means they are almost inevitable to go America to study.


Watch here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20259954

Monday 12 November 2012

Can BBC's Find Happiness In The Far East?

 

With the endless western media Sinophobia, enforced 'invisibility' of our British community, for BBCs who haven't completely embraced multiculturalism, being a 'minority', increasingly depressing economic times, even if you are relatively quite well off financially, if you have an ounce of social observation/sympathy, it can at times be difficult to 'switch off' from negative news around us.

In the East however, things are looking better comparatively, BBC's whose parents are from the New Territories often have village homes they can travel to and from, relatives they can stay with for some time, whilst looking for work, or even just for a break from being here in the UK. 

Culturally, for some BBCs although popular HK/Chinese music TV or Film may not compete in quality with western output, China is increasingly becoming westernised, and in both China and Hong Kong there are many English speaking students, not to mention many who want to learn the English language.

The main problem for some BBC's is the Chinese language, having already integrated with western society or encouraged to continue to speak Cantonese/Mandarin growing up, as well as we ought to,  though it may take some time to get back to a fluent level, if we are lucky to have helpful parents, and sometimes friends/relatives or spouses who do,we can have an advantage when it comes to improving our speaking ability which can obviously help us when it comes to finding work out there.

In the UK, It's clear western media will not tolerate Chinese,except at arm's length, BBC's will never create an independent media, FOBS will continue to run their FOB businesses and create their own exclusive FOB-only circles, all of which will do nothing for British Chinese social identity despite China's growing world presence.

Despite partnering with British Companies, until China buys up western media, which could be some time off, if ever, and British Chinese community takes more social interest beyond 'Self-interest', for BBC's who want to reconnect with our Chinese heritage, looking to the Far East as a serious option for relocation, if not a long extended stay, could be the missing piece in our culture-starved lives.


As an ethnic Chinese living in Britain,  how do you feel, about the fact you and future generations growing up in the UK may never be fully accepted by British society, and only tolerated? And if relocating to the Far East, is an option by contrast, is it one worth considering?

Friday 9 November 2012

The Orphan of Zhao play

 The Orphan of Zhao at the RSC

From the Guardian:
'This production of a Chinese classic has already caused controversy because only three actors out of a cast of 17 are of east Asian origin. But, although there are serious issues about the plight of east Asian actors that need to be addressed, it would be sad if that obscured the fact that this is a stunning act of theatrical reclamation. Gregory Doran, as the new head of the RSC, has unearthed a drama of which most of us were unaware and given it a superlative production.'

orphan of zao
 Graham Turner (Dr Cheng Ying) and Jake Fairbrother (Cheng Bo) in The Orphan Of Zhao. 
Photograph: Tristram Kenton

            

Friday 26 October 2012

Exactly how 'Chinese' is 'Chinese Speed-dating'?


Publicity photo for the home page of 'www.chinesespeeddates.co.uk'


As part of the UK speed-dating phenomena, since 03-May-2010 'www.chinesespeeddates.co.uk' takes place in the financial capital of the U.K, London, where for £20 and a total of 1hr 30 minutes, ethnic British Chinese city workers with working backgrounds such as Medicine, Engineering, Accountancy, and Law are given the opportunity to meet their potential ethnic Chinese spouse.

Exhibit A:

'Chinesespeeddates.co.uk'

One such event that regularly advertises on the British Born Chinese Facebook page is Chinese Speed Dates which describes itself as the following:

 "Chinese Speed Dates host stylish and trendy speed dating events for people with, or interested in meeting people, with an Chinese or oriental background."
From the above description, the actual event makes little sense - if 'Chinese Speed Dates' is aimed at Chinese, it should read ' for ethnic Chinese people only'. 

On the other hand, if the purpose is open invitation to white, black, brown, males and 'anyone' who wants to meet ethnic Chinese,  the obvious question is 'why'?

Above Image from the contact page .of the
 'Chinese Speed Dates' website

    Image from the 'Book now' page- Spot the 2 white males and one white female.

Concernedly, one wonders whether events like 'Chinese Speed Dates' run by web domain owner Brighton-based businesswoman Sutmung Cheung , presumably a white-washed British Chinese female, are deliberately designed to encourage interracial dating between ethnic Chinese.

Exhibit B:

'Chinesespeeddating.co.uk'

Here's  another similar event that takes place monthly at the Jewel Bar, Piccadilly Circus, London. Whilst it appears to be a 'free' event, as you can see from a selection of reviews, dated December 2011, from the following ethnic Chinese males, males are not allowed to find out their' matches' until they pay for it.

Lee:
'As for the girls, some very pretty, some interesting to chat to, and some both. All friendly and pleasant, but whether they 'tick' you is another story. It is difficult to win someone over in 4 minutes, and after the speeddating there was no mingling time as we were kicked out for the next age group to come in.

Overall, speed dating is good, but I have been to ones that are much better organised. You might argue this one was free, but its not really - its free to see how many girls said yes, but you cant find out whether they're the ones you liked - it doesnt give you your matches until you pay the 20 quid. And you cant contact each other til you've paid, either.'
<3:
'Four minutes, of course, goes by quickly in ...um...four minutes...so I ditch routine profiling (asking about jobs, hobbies, any prison record, etc.) in favour of cutting straight to the chase with insightful questions such as "Why so cute but single?", "Chinese or British Food?" and "I'm prepared to lie about how we met". Poor things. How can they resist my charm offensive?

I speak to some lovely ladies but there's a minority who seem to have a hard time accepting that they are at a speed dating event. Unfortunately, there are no ladders available for them to get over themselves, so they're stuck in ambivalence, reciting the "I'm just here because my friend asked me to come" speech. I'm sure it's just as boring for them to watch my eyes roll as it is for me to listen to this.'
Wan Lee:
'Beware Chinese Speed Dating is not for the faint hearted, you will see how two-faced some of these girls actually are, they may be pretty, smile and sound as if they are interested in you, but the next day when you get your results you will see that you are on their reject list, and they don't even want to be a friend at least?!

However a good experience as it is free, but don't forget to read the small print! ;)'

Knowing how segregated and dispersed Chinese are in Britain, gaping lack of tradition the majority of British Chinese have retained in their own culture such as 'arranged marriage', the deliberate British media mismatching and non-representation of ethnic Chinese couples; in the heart of the cosmopolitan capital, where a considerably higher concentration of Chinese diaspora exists than anywhere else in the UK,  it's shocking that not one canny ethnic Chinese businessman/woman has yet organized an ethnic 'Chinese only' dating event.

And with Chinese speed-dating clearly designed to attract Chinese women to find non-Chinese multi-racial partners...Chinese males, who are viewed only as a reluctant inclusion at such events, maybe ought to look elsewhere, for their ethnic Chinese female date.


Whilst most single females have no problem dating a non-Chinese, at  multiculturally designed events such as 'Chinese Speed-dating', what alternatives are there for  ethnic Chinese males who are serious about finding a Chinese female partner?



Wednesday 17 October 2012

China’s Success Creates Further Racism For BBC's and China Nationals Living In The West




In Britain, there is no question that ethnic minorities are slowly finding their voices. Afro Caribbean Black people, African Black people, Indians and Pakistanis form sizable groups, all quite well established and more importantly proud of their individual status and also part of an ethnic group with its own culture.

Amidst all this, ethnic Chinese seem to form fragmented communities punctuated by Chinese supermarkets dotted around large cities where once a week or month, Chinese people may come together to do their shopping specific to their personal needs.

Dig deeper and it’s very evident that many younger Chinese are no longer going to these places to shop and more and more have merged into the host nation’s culture. This is natural of course, after all, we are all living in Britain and will form friendship with people indigenous to this country.

Please see below an article about our history, a study done in London 2009 to help find out the changing needs of the Chinese community within London. I’m sure many can recognise and relate to the findings:


Many cultures that have formed in Britain, the ethnic minorities that have grown strong in political power and religion tend to all have been part of the British empire. Yet China, no stranger to foreigners pillaging its treasures can still argue it had never officially been colonised. It’s this one single fact that I believe determines our struggle to gain acceptance and even respect.

The simple matter is many Chinese nationals enter this country quickly work their way up the social ladder through education or hard work. You compare this with other ethnic groups, and will quickly see that we can work our way up the ranks in job titles or in earning power. This is mimicked across all western developed countries too. A study in June 2012 conducted in America showed precisely how Asian Americans rose quickly up the ranks in a short space of time compared to other ethnic immigrants.


Based on these statistics alone, you would think that we would have more say and  respect, and yet Black Africans and Pakistanis can command more rights and respect which tells me two things. You need to be a victim (colonized before) or you need to show struggle to get something in life. The British love a sorry case. Both not really linked to the Chinese communities here in Britain.

Whilst we are busy integrating, China has been growing stronger. Many BBC's will have watched from far mostly disinterested in what’s happening. But unknown to many BBC's, the media in the meantime have been building a slow hate campaign against China. Only able to get away with it because of the sheer fact that the ‘challenger’ had never been colonized. The brazen press go into over-drive very often with little evidence, claiming China’s closed society as the reason for the sketchy research and potential lies.

China might be emerging and about to take on America. BBC's growing up here do not seem to form any kind of link or opinion on China. Probably thanks to our parents’ ignorant views on Mainlanders formed from decades before. I find it strange that many either are ignorant or ‘choose’ to not link or discuss things relating to China. Even this blog sometimes can be accused of failing to discuss China, which is very narrow minded since we all have a history, and it pays to understand the whys and where because in the end, to form a sub-culture or new culture, you need to have started from somewhere to get here.

Many BBC's fail to link this issue, and I believe failure to do this either comes from our upbringing because many of our parents are still riding this fake high believing it’s pre-1997 Hong Kong and being part of the empire makes them extra special. Many are ignorant towards China, almost distancing themselves, therefore creating this separation for us to believe to be true when half of the British population can’t tell China from Taiwan let alone Hong Kong. We are all Chinese to them…

Many minority groups in Britain are very interested in their history, whether vaguely or detailed. Many also have parents that have taught them to be very proud and stand up for their own rights as a minority. Chinese people living abroad tend to do the opposite. They tend to teach their kids to bury their heads and beaver away through education. I have even witnessed some telling their children to forget about their past.

What do we get in the end?  Someone who can perform in their jobs and earn a lot of money. But collectively, BBC's are possibly invisible, with no kind of culture or strong presence that speaks for the BBC's. Why? Because we have more or less adopted this country with our arms open. We do this because our parents did. We do not view this country with suspicion like other minority groups here do in Britain. The Empire thing helps to cement that suspicion. But for BBC's, we are led (falsely) to believe we are one of Britain’s specially protected regions. Simple fact is, hardly anyone knows the full difference of Hong Kong and China nowadays.

With our parents failing to teach us a full account of our own history. We blindly go about our days never asking the questions. Questions like: Why are we not looked upon with any kind of respect.  Why are we expected to take insults more readily and accept slurs at the drop of a hat.

The answer lies in China. It was never part of the empire and, now able to challenge the west on capitalism after years of manufacturing. The political powers and the media controllers are unable to contain themselves with the bitter jealousy. Even more annoying is the fact that China was not expected to rise in any shape or form, especially after communism.

BBC's in Britain can gain acceptance if they either merge themselves in British culture and clear themselves of any traces of Chinese heritage. Many BBC's are already more closely linked to British culture than Chinese culture. Quite a few play ignorant regarding anything to do with China. There are many that don’t want to discuss Falung Gong, Dalai Lama’s exile and the struggles of Uighurs’ independence etc, because they are deeply unpopular subjects for Britons rather than ourselves, possibly blurring our boundaries of BBC's and Mainland China.

My question is, by doing these things, it’s denial and turning down a chance to face head-on where we are in Britain. Why are so many highly educated staying silent on subjects that should be close to our hearts? Many ethnic minorities who are very passionate about their past, their heritage and yet, they are able to incorporate that in with their culture here in Britain. They then also enjoy the victim status awarded to them by the western nations, which Chinese nationals do not get because the Chinese are not victims but villains.

Why? Because we are not victims in the eyes of the west because we were never officially colonised. A problem for BBC's living in Britain today. Our voices are made even more weaker because we are actually viewed with suspicion.

A couple of cases proved this in America when ABC's were even accused of being spies when they were working for a computer chip company. Many of the allegations die down and you never hear from them again. Because they are unsubstantiated. Such headlines are now part of the norm because the media are normalising this image of untrustworthy Chinese people who cannot be trusted, even if they’re brought up in America. Chinese students that are highly educated are routinely accused of being spies for China if they so happen to make a tiny mistake for a computer company. If they hack, expect the police to be at their door within minutes.

Below are just some links and examples that are regularly littering the headlines and internet:

According to Sir James Dyson , ‘he thinks’ the Chinese come here to study for dubious reasons. To steal secrets for their own technology. These unchallenged claims are able to fill even the broad sheets, where one of Britain’s leading inventors  can openly accuse a whole nationality of such actions speaks volumes. Not only is it now some kind of an open secret, his claims are receiving nods from others too. He would certainly receive a reprimand very quickly if he had said Nigerians did that.


The Telegraph found time to tell us how the French intelligent service had warned how the pesky Chinese are partial to stealing information for company gain. Read the article carefully, and you soon recognise it’s an exercise to tell French companies to be more smarter since all techniques employed by the Chinese companies are perfectly within their rights. When the Chinese are smarter in business, they are spies apparently.


Finally, BBC’s highly in-depth report on ‘China’ sending thousands to developed countries to deliberately gather important data to help its development. They reluctantly accept that some are just rich families who want their children to do well, so choose to study abroad, but note, the general tone is Chinese only get to where they are because they are cheats and spies. China can’t get to where they are through merit, it has to be something sinister and nasty. More slanderous news reporting.


In the end, it means we as an ethnic group can be despised rather than admired. So for those that bury their heads, merging in with the host nation’s culture, thinking Britain will accept them, I think not. Not until the day China collapse, we will never have a sympathetic voice or able to draw government money to help with the Chinese communities because we are not one of Britain’s victims. Even more damaging, we may be witnessing a new-wave of racism directed at us, more intolerant and more blatant. All because of China’s ability to stand up without the hand-out and help of the west.

We as BBC's must admit this. Until we open our eyes and accept this, we will never have a fair voice. We need to rise up and fill the internet with pages of the media hatred and unjust reporting going on daily. We need to wake up from the comfortable surroundings and understand that if we believed in equality as the western education taught us, we need to look closer for equality.

If we don’t start now, in a decade’s time, we may be seeing full-on hatred. People from the streets, our colleagues and neighbours could one day turn against us, all because of our failure to speak up and say how we feel and utilise our knowledge of our rights and demand respect and fair reporting. It’s time for BBC's to fight back, show pride in ourselves and our ethnicity here and in China.


(By Guest Blogger- BBCNewAgenda is a British Born Chinese Female living in the UK)

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Do BBC's Occupy A Lonely On-line Condition?

From the rabid idiotic posturing of the British Born Chinese Facebook page, to mundane mother-at-home  forum tips on how to save money, on-line culture for BBC's is a trivial way of passing time, and anything but a potent force of critical or creative intellectualism.

But when it comes to on-line blogging, a real chance for our geographically dispersed ethnic group to voice opinions that can help shape our unique social identity, it is an opportunity, that is regrettably squandered...

That said, in my opinion, here are the top 5 blogs that epitomize the loner state of BBC on-line social identity.

Sitting comfortably? Let us commence:


            TOP OF THE BBC LONER BLOGS 
...comfortably gliding into 5th place is....
5:  BBC Expat Living in Macau
For many BBC and ethnic Chinese males, technology is an obsession.It's almost as if the incessant fascination with society's latest fad gadget is there to occupy the dull hollow void of their own ethnic social identity.

A random blog found whilst perusing profiles of the British Chinese On-line forum, the murmurings of the self declared 'BBC Expat Living in Macau' are of a classic BBC techie-geek nature. To date, the blog's one article on gadgets - yes, to be precise, Setting-up Data for Smart phones (Android)/i Phones in Macao, and a rambling article about his honeymoon in Macao, which he has deleted, since the original writing of this article. But the proof is below.


4: Mr Andy Lo
Mr. Lo has been a follower of this blog since the very beginning. However it's dubious as to whether he has ever commented on BBC Zeitgeist. And upon closer inspection of his on-line self musings,  it's not hard to see why he probably wouldn't... he's a football obsessive.


3: Almost Witty 

Whilst dull pictures of architecture and tediously geeky technology related articles, are the norm here, 'Almost Witty' describes himself as:
"a reluctantly thirty-something father in London mildly obsessed by the web, film, comedy, media, pop/digital culture, people and randomness."
'Almost Witty' is a perfect example of a middle-class white-washed comfortably apolitical BBC in social identity denial. Convenient also, is how this pathetically musing BBC works for that Sinophobic white-centric institution, also known as the British Broadcasting Corporation.

One of the most commented articles was giving Hong Kong government 'handout advice'.Yes, that classic pacifier of  British Chinese political activism, and avoidance of racial and ethnic accountability...'money talk'.


2: ChroniclesOfXepher

In his 'about' section, the Chronicles Of Xepher cringe-worthily describes himself as a:
 'God fearing, mother loving, British born Chinese procrastinator extraordinaire with a slightly melancholic outlook of life looking for a bit more direction and self control.'
As the self-absorbed maestro of procrastination and melancholy shares with us, his blog is indeed a platform to mainly archive his long standing hobby' And what a boring platform it is.

Like many on-line BBC's, this nerdy collector of 'Wraith Lords', 'Dark Elder Helions', and lead miniatures apparently has no interest in his ethnic Chinese social identity and like many on-line BBC's, despite having a creative hobby, ultimately holds interest in becoming yet another a cypher for white geek culture.

and at the number one spot we have...
1: Biancarosa
http://beancah.blogspot.co.uk/

From the tiny peace sign embedded next to her URL to the neatly arranged ' wacky but only in acceptable portions' passport-size photo duck-lip collective on the top right hand of her home page, Biancarosa Cheung or 'Beancah' as she fondly appears to like to be known as, is a:

 'British Born Chinese daydreamer since Nov'1992 , studying Economics at University and enjoys the miscellaneous things in life'

With 49 members, Biancarosa deserves the number one spot for being the ultimate cool little BBC girl , with her pretty little blog perched comfortably in the narcissistic 20-something corner of the Internet cyberspace. Indeed, one need look no further for piteous, but perfectly cake-moulded girly self- indulgent insipidness, than her September entry entitled 'Goodbye September' that shares with us her 'September goal list'

1. Cook a 3 course meal from scratch
2. Blog at least every other day
3. Write a handwritten letter to someone
4. Learn new skills on Photoshop
5. Give my parents a call once a week 

Ho hum. So far, so overachieving 'Model Minority'. Is there even the slightest modicum of interest found within the pathetic warbling of this goal-keeping bore? Perusing her other posts we can find other similar banal entries such as 'Back to School' 'Outfits for university and college' '32 questions to get to know her' 'Beauty and non-beauty' and 'Hello Canterbury'  ( presumably a reference to the University she currently attends).

Yes, yet another BBC spoilt by her hard-working, but illiterate FOB parents who have scrimped and saved for her British Chinese white-washing assimilation dream come true, it wouldn't be an over-generalization to assume that in a few year's time, we can admire Biancarosa the Canterbury-educated graduate, having successfully passed the school of white-washing with flying colours, parading the echelons of the City Of London with her stereotypical self-effacing, but comfortably high-earning white male professional, in arm.

Knowing how BBC's have little culture to talk about, it would in some ways be more logical for these same BBC bloggers to take up that challenge.

Instead of recognizing this, however, these BBC bloggers choose only to share the misunderstood predicament of their consumer lifestyle than take time to share and discuss our social predicament.

Like certain BBC Facebook pages, many of these loner blogs have 'friends' that have not commented in ages. 

No doubt, the first typical defensive BBC knee jerk reaction would be to remark ' Are you trying to make out this is a competition'? Typically, missing the point.

From the above cross-section of examples, we can see BBC blogs are vapid exercises of consumer-led tedium rather than of creative or social relevance.

With that said , it's time to... 
Cue the music

If we exclusively choose to endorse characteristics of a navel-gazing pathetic on-line loner, it's no wonder BBC's don't have a defined ethnic social identity. And if blogs are the best way for BBC's to share their thoughts with others on-line, why not choose to share a common value, rather than drivelling out of self-interest? 

Tuesday 2 October 2012

PSY Gangnam Style

PSY Gangnam Style made history as the first East Asian pop single to make it to number one in the Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart over the weekend.



Gangnam Style Youtube Video has attracted 3billion hits worldwide

Whilst naive British East Asians jump for joy that another East Asian FOB cultural craze has taken off in Britain, The Guardian's Arwa Mahdawi in her article 'Whats So Funny About Gangnam Style' explains Gangnam Style success in the west and hits home the reality of media representation of East Asian men in British society...
'South Korean Park Jae-sang ("Psy" for short) is promoting upmarket frocks and luxury fridges is somewhat ironic, considering Gangnam Style's lampooning of the rampant consumerism that pervades what has been described as South Korea's Beverly Hills. The song's lyrics, for example, poke fun at soybean-paste girls who eat cheaply in private so that they can afford to drink mocha frappe lattes in public. Of course, this social commentary is largely lost on non-Korean speakers who don't know their kimchi from their Kim Lee; it's hardly Gangnam Style's political message that is behind its success in the west.'
'Gangnam Style is just an over-the-top video where a fat man does a comical dance and sings repetitive lyrics that don't make sense to most of us. Which basically describes every Flo Rida song ever. This is partly the point of the video, which parodies not just cultural mores specific to South Korea, but cultural excesses easily recognisable to western viewers. Gangnam Style's lyrics may be in Korean, but its visuals are in clear American.'
'The last time the west laughed so uproariously at a Korean singer was when an animated Kim Jong-il bewailed how "ronery" he was in the film Team America, and how nobody took him "serirousry". The puppet had a point: popular western media doesn't tend to take east Asian men seriously – even when they're brutal dictators. The stereotype of a portly, non-threatening Charlie Chan-type who speaks "comical" English is still very much alive, apparent in everything from hungry Kim Jong-un memes to Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirts. And it's hard to escape the uncomfortable feeling that this stereotype is contributing something to the laughter around Gangnam Style.'
Other Article:  UK X Factor Representation of East Asian Men 

Sunday 30 September 2012

zadig and voltaire racism

- NO DOGS AND CHINAMAN -
 
Zadig + Voltaire’s New Hotel Will Ban ‘Chinese Tourists’

  

Thierry Gillier,  Zadig + Voltaire founder

If you make a mistake on the web, people will most definitely see it. And if you try to cover it up, well, that just makes it worse. Case in point: a racist remark in an article about Zadig + Voltaire‘s new hotel in Paris’ Left Bank.

The brand’s founder Thierry Gillier told WWD that a mansion in which the spring 2013 show was just held would become a “high-end hotel” opening in 2014. He calls it “a project dear to our hearts”, and it’s apparently going to be so exclusive that certain people, specifically “Chinese tourists”, are not allowed.

Read more: http://www.styleite.com/media/zadig-voltaire-hotel-racist/

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Chinese Plastic Surgery


Being born in Britain, our parents wanted the best start in life for us. Indeed, many British Born Chinese excel beyond their parents’ expectations. Whilst British Born Chinese females get on with life, few feel a need to alter their looks to fit in with the western ideal of beauty. I know no-one that feels compelled to try out the outlets in South Korea or Hong Kong that perform the “double eye-lid” surgery, none that want to buy skin whitening cream, nor spend precious earned cash on calf reduction.

Opening a Chinese gossip magazine or seeing the hordes of fresh faced East Asian female students entering the UK, it’s apparent that many East Asians take their appearance very seriously, their skin is often lightened, their eyes widened, their eyelashes extended and their breasts don’t sit naturally on a slight frame - in many ways they look like a celebration of the western identikit.

In Britain, whilst many of our role models are white, British Born Chinese women do not feel a need to go under the knife to look white. FOBs on the other hand have been marketed to look up to white culture, its not uncommon for East Asian female stars to get by on their looks alone. The way the media markets beauty to East Asian women seems to be about the superficial things in life, especially in Hong Kong and China, this transforms into a copied culture often seen on the internet.

Statistics from The Asian Plastic Surgery Guide showed that in 2009, an estimated 74 out of 10,000 people from South Korea had gone under the knife. Typical Korean plastic surgery procedures include the classic double eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) and jaw re-alignment surgery. Other popular procedures include shaving cheek-bones to create a more smoother silhouette and calf reduction. Surprisingly, breast enlargement was not among the top procedures. Many believe a core is made up of Chinese nationals favouring top rated surgeons in Korea. 


The running theme is altering our natural Asian looks and replacing them with western ideals of beauty. Magazines are filled with western products designed mainly for the western market, but are pushed in magazines for Oriental women and modelled by Caucasian or Asian white mixed Eurasian models. This is the norm.


I believe that for many East Asian women, the competitive nature that has been well documented with the pushy Tiger mother/father upbringing has led to many seeking much more than academic achievement. Those lacking in that department, should at the very least have a presentable and enviable physique. Insecurity occurs when there is no real pride in our natural form. Our parents are ashamed, so we might as well be too. If parents spend more time criticising instead of encouraging us, how can we feel comfortable in our own skin?

As a British Born Chinese female, criticising and belittling was part of my upbringing. Being tall and pale was a measure of success. This can often lead to rebellion, or caving in to seek what our parents expect of us. Further from that, imagine being self-conscious and then being fed the idea that western beauty is the pinnacle of beauty. Yet, despite that, on closer scrutiny, there is a silver lining, our parents have inadvertently created a more robust British Born Chinese ready to rebel against all this superficial nonsense.

Here in Britain, you are living at close quarters, seeing things with warts and all, it soon hits you, aspiring to look like a white person is delusional. Perhaps in China, society is more competitive, looking like a white person may get you a better job, but here in Britain, you can’t fool the people here. Looks are not the answer, aspiring to look white will not earn you respect.

(By Guest Blogger- BBCNewAgenda is a British Born Chinese Female living in the UK)

Friday 21 September 2012

A Tale of Two Chinas Channel 4

A Tale of Two Chinas Channel 4 More4

Channel 4 documentary following Anglo-Chinese businesswoman Carrie Waley, who runs a school for Chinese students eager to learn British culture and etiquette and make it big in the UK, as she returns to her roots in China. 


Body language, eye contact, social kissing – all are a minefield for Chinese wannabe Westerners. And that is where Carrie Waley steps in. At 48, she doesn’t have the qualifications or stellar CVs that many of her protégés possess. But as someone who was born in Beijing and lived much of her adult life in the UK as the wife of an Eton- and Cambridge-educated barrister, she has found herself uniquely placed to bridge the East/West social and cultural divide.  

Carrie Waley is a Mandarin consultant. For fees of £500 upwards, she offers coaching to job-hungry candidates from China and, conversely, teaches British executives how to ingratiate themselves with leading players in the Chinese economy. ‘We all prefer our own customs, but we know that learning each other’s will help us to get ahead,’ she says. Well-spoken and immaculately groomed, Carrie is everything you would expect of a woman running an image-conscious business. Her company has grown rapidly since she set it up single-handedly five years ago – she now employs ten staff as well as ten consultants.

 Carrie arrives in Beijing and listens to her mother recount the family's plight during the Cultural Revolution, and questions whether the country can reconcile with its past and embrace the future. Part of the First Cut strand. Read More Daily Mail

More4 (Plus 1) 11:05pm Mon 17 Sept
More4 1:55am Tue 18 Sept
More4 (Plus 1) 2:55am Tue 18 Sept
Channel 4 2:05am Fri 21 Sept
Channel 4 (Plus 1) 3:05am Fri 21 Sept

Thursday 13 September 2012

Racist Attack On Chinese Man In Northern Ireland


 Chinese man hospitalised following a brutal gang attack.






John Wu, a 44-year-old Chinese man was punched and kicked by a gang of four men and a woman in the Long Commons area of the Co Londonderry town on Tuesday 11th September at around 9pm.

He was in his kitchen with his wife and three-year-old daughter when they heard a commotion and the sound of breaking glass at the front of the property. He went to investigate and upon confronting the gang, he was attacked.

Ruoyin Luo told UTV she found her husband John "holding his head and eyes and blood was running down everywhere...I kept screaming and screaming and tried to call the ambulance and police."

A neighbour, who came to the victim's aid with a wet towel, said he was "very shocked" that someone could be beaten "so viciously."

Dr Wu, a doctor at a Chinese medical clinic at the Diamond shopping centre in the Co Derry town, remained in the Causeway Hospital last night being treated for facial injuries and concussion.

Ruoyin Luo said she may leave the area.  "Probably we will find a new house - that is the first step. Then we will see whether or not [we will] leave."

David McClarty, Independent Unionist MLA for East Londonderry, said news of the attack left him feeling appalled. "Chinese people are extremely well regarded in Coleraine - they're hard workers and they contribute so much to community life in Coleraine," he added.

Police would like anyone with information to get in touch.

Full Article With Video Report - U.TV News Racist-attack-on-Chinese-man-in-Ireland

Monday 10 September 2012

Louis Walsh Racist To Jason Viet Tien


X Factor judge Louis Walsh has been branded a racist by a section of the Twitter community for repeatedly correcting Vietnamese contestant Jason Viet Tien mispronunciation of 'Tulisa' as 'Tulisha.' 


Jason Viet Tien, an 18-year-old student from Hanoi, Vietnam, sang a version of Whitney Houston's 'I have Nothing' in a thick Vietnamese accent, declaring his love for judge Tulisa Contostavlos despite mispronouncing her name - much to the amusement of the audience.



During the X Factor broadcast at the weekend, Jason's mispronunciation resulted in #Tulisha trending worldwide on Twitter as thousands of tweets reacted with sinophobic humour.

Not adverse to racial controversy, Louis Walsh also said of Jason Viet Tien - "You remind me of a young Bruce Lee."

Reminiscent of the 2010 series of X Factor, when Louis Walsh described young black contestant Pajie Richardson as "You’re like a little Lenny Henry,” the only link between Pajie Richardson and Lenny Henry, Jason Viet Tien and Bruce Lee - is race. As an illustration of ignorance, Bruce Lee is not Vietnamese and Jason Viet Tien is not Chinese nor does he resemble Bruce Lee. Its an analogy of casual racism and racial stereotyping of East Asians, typically - 'they all look the same,' 'Bruce Lee is the only famous (East Asian) Chinese man I've heard of.' Through its broadcast, ITV, XFactor and in particular Louis Walsh, instigated and legitimised racism against East Asians.

Jason Viet Tien is not dissimilar to William Hung, a buck tooth FOB male caricature blissfully ignorant of western social and racial environments. In an interview prior to the audition, 'White Fever' Jason Viet Tien embarrassingly describes his craving for White British girls. Jason Viet Tien is a dupe, to further the media representation of East Asian men as 'sexless' short nerds with ghastly accents, out of their depth and out of their league, with no hope of winning the affection of alpha White females in her native country except through pity and derision, their FOB delusions of self-importance are pitied as a means of creating entertainment for the audience to laugh at - they're laughing at you Jason, not with you. (BBCZeitgeist)

Sunday 9 September 2012

BT Ripping Us Chinese Apart For London 2012


Media advertising during the 'multicultural' London 2012 Olympics and London 2012 Paralympics focused on crossing demographic boundaries with British Citizens unified behind the Union Jack. There's multiculturalism and there's agenda driven multiculturalism, the latter is a visionary yet artificial representation of British society. Two examples include the middle class interracial Black White family in the Olympic opening ceremony and the Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO advertisement 'BT Bringing Us All Together,' this advert will be played throughout the London Paralympics until September 15th.



In the advertisement, a lower class Black family share a barbecue with their White middle class neighbours, they sit in unison Black-White-Black-White-Black in support of Great Britain. British Blacks are not always portrayed as inter racially dating Whites (Black families in Eastenders are a further example), however the same rule does not apply to East Asians, typically British Chinese are represented as multiculturally integrated (and inter racially dating) with Whites, Blacks and Indians, but segregated from their Chinese peers.

Representation 1. Chinese female is cheering on Great Britain in the Olympic Stadium in the unlikely company of a turban wearing Sikh male.

Representation 2. Chinese female is alone with her White boyfriend in the middle of the English countryside.

Representation 3. In this crowd scene, Chinese female is intentionally placed in the front row to fill the ethnic diversity quota, she is standing in front of a Union Jack with a Black, a White and an Asian.

'BT Bringing Us All Together' advertisement attempts to normalise the segregation of the Chinese female from her Chinese community, segregation from her Chinese family, segregation from her natural partner - the Chinese male and segregation from her Chinese heritage (hence support for Great Britain not China), whilst calculatingly circumventing representations that run contrary to the interests of British Multiculturalism - three invisible examples in the British media are Chinese with a group of Chinese friends, Chinese male/Chinese female same race couples, ethnic Chinese families in the UK, not the Far East. This is media agenda driven multiculturalism through stealth, subliminal representations with designs to erase the traditional ethnic Chinese family. (BBCZeitgeist)

Monday 3 September 2012

Celebrity Wedding Planner

Neighbours veteran Ryan 'Toadie' Moloney is in town to take up the challenge along with fellow Aussie and former Ramsay Street resident Joe Mangel (otherwise known as comedian Mark Little). Will the pair manage to arrange a wedding in a matter of weeks, with just £12,000 to spend?

Putting their faith in this chaotic combo are brave British-born Chinese couple Kap and his 27-year-old bride-to-be Gigi, from London. They do not find out who is planning the biggest day of their lives until it is too late to back out.

Used to getting her own way, Gigi wants her wedding to be a whimsical, magical affair. After a wet and windy wakeboarding hen do, how will she cope when she discovers that she will be taking her vows in Longleat  Zoo and the guests will be entertained by an aboriginal storyteller accompanied by a didgeridoo player?

BBCZeitgeist Commentary: Rarer than Halley's comet, this could be the only chance in our lifetime to see a British Born Chinese ethnic Chinese same race marriage on a national terrestrial television channel...in a Zoo. Don't miss this programme, observe how a modern British Born Chinese couple live in the UK before our BBC community becomes ethnically cleansed by inter racial marriage. 

Celebrity Wedding Planner Series 2, Episode 3 - Monday 3rd September Channel 5 10pm  (Repeated Sunday 9th September Channel 5 11.20am)

Monday 27 August 2012

Do Addicted Chinese Gamblers Deserve All The Punishment They Get?


Peter Chan at the Christian Centre for Gambling Rehabilitation in King’s Cross
Peter Chan, of the Christian Centre for Gambling Rehabilitation in King’s Cross

RECOVERING gambling addicts this week joined activists calling on the government to toughen up gaming laws that will restrict the soaring number of betting shops.

Members of the Chinese community, who say their lives have been ruined by gambling, added their voices to a campaign being orchestrated by figures including Peter Chan of the Christian Centre for Gambling Rehabilitation in King’s Cross.

The sufferers, who agreed to speak to the Tribune, told of how they had lost a fortune in betting shops and casinos.

Their intervention comes as the government examines whether to amend new legislation brought in by the previous Labour administration, which has allowed large numbers of bookies to open up in areas including Archway.

In a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary screened last week, Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman admitted that her party had been “wrong” to liberalise gaming legislation – a move which has allowed increasing numbers of betting shops to open on the high street.

Members of the Chinatown Gambling Concern Group, which believes Chinese people are particularly vulnerable to getting into debt through gambling, wants a consultation being run by the Department for Communities and Local Government to result in more obstacles being placed in the path of companies wishing to open new betting shops.

If Casinos and Betting shops are the only social option for Chinese who feel left out from  mainstream British Culture, and a lack of strong British Chinese leadership cannot provide a better social alternative for our community , then is the Christian religion the only solution for addicted Chinese gamblers?

Read more:  http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2012/aug/addicts-taking-bookies-campaign-curb-rise-betting-shops

Other reading: http://bbczeitgeist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/dear-nat-wei-british-chinese-dream-or.html

Sunday 26 August 2012

Exploring China A Culinary Adventure


In a four-part BBC Two Series - 'Exploring China A Culinary Adventure,' Ken Hom and Ching He Huang rendezvous across China on a R&D mission to discover if there are any 'authentic' Chinese dishes that they haven't yet appropriated for their corporate culinary empires in the west. Its an easy task for Mandarin speaking charm school graduate Ching He Huang as she entices the local Mainland Chinese to open up their kitchens for the cameras - unaware these two corporate goons will purloin their secrets to shore up their already bulging balance sheets.

The programme's hidden word is authenticity, only an authentic Chinese chef can provide an insight into authentic Chinese cuisine, but who could be less authentic than South African raised Ching He Huang, who arrived in Britain at the age of 11, she makes a remarkable admission in the programme that as a teenager Chinese culture was so unappealing that she wanted to dye her hair to blend in with her White peers, it was her mothers love of Chinese food that reconnected her to her Chinese heritage. Ching hasn't quite shed her white fever, her partner is blanched Eurasian Jamie Cho, clearly Ching likes a bit of White in her as a reminder of the good old days. 

In previous cooking shows, Ching He Huang Chinese Food in Minutes and Chinese Food Made Easy, her trademark is an irresistible compulsion to crunch wise old Grandma tales of Chinese emperors and their concubines into her exoticised dishes, titillating the White audiences taste buds for the mystical orient.



Ching He Huang's incurable oriental proverbial tourettes overpowers her..."Don't waste rice, each grain of rice is like a bead of sweat." She should save some lines for her next series - 'Chinese Folklore Made Easy.' 

And Uncle Ken's homecoming? Throughout the series Ken Hom has looked overwhelmed by the whole mainland Chinese experience, its almost a quarter of a century since he last visited the mainland, he has lost touch with China and looks awkward relying on Ching to translate Mandarin to English, rumour has it that Ken's highly secretive long term unmarried partner of 37 years is in fact a gay man, maybe a presenter and locality swap replacing Ching He Huang with Gok Wan, China with Thailand, would be more appropriate. Gok Wan and Ken Hom Gayventuring, man-flirting their way across Thailand reporting on the culinary skills of Pattaya ladyboys would be a ratings thriller.

Overlooking the overplayed dung-dung-ding-a-ling-ling music and the unnecessary use of English subtitles for the 'broken Engrish' speaking chef, Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure reminds me of 'Gorillas In The Mist,' Ching and Ken are primatologists from the west exploring creatures that are genetically similar to themselves lurking in the jungles and villages of the orient, only to find these feral creatures and their cultures similar, endearing and human, if you could stir fry the National Geographic Channel into a wok, this programme would be the outcome.

(Exploring China A Culinary Adventure Review by BBCZeitgeist)

Exploring China A Culinary Adventure Episode 3 - Sunday 18th August, BBC2, 8pm

Watch BBC iPlayer - Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure Episode 1 - Click HERE
Watch BBC iPlayer - Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure Episode 2 - Click HERE

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Bad Education BBC3 Racist Sitcom

Bad Education is a BBC3 sitcom written by Jack Whitehall, set in Abbey Grove School, a fictional state secondary school overrun with puerile predictable yawn-festing caricatures - the draconian deputy headmistress, the dexterously challenged teacher and the delinquent school children. Comatosed by this worthless piece of impoverished white-centric 'comedy' writing, any eye twitching interest is limited to the racist portrayal of Chinese student Jing played by Kae Alexander.

   
   
   
   
   


Racially humiliating the Chinese for the pleasure of generating cheap laughs for the White audience is considered ironic cutting edge British comedy. Bad Education's Facebook fan base (predominantly White, some Black) were highly amused by the Sinophobia...'that was so funny!'
It begs a question, why do British East Asian actors continually play these racially debilitating roles? Is she blonde? 'She's Chinese you muppet!' Really? With a 'Chinese' name like 'Kae Alexander,' we shouldn't really be surprised by the actions of these white-loving anglicized Asians, should we? (Bad Education Review by BBCZeitgeist)
  
Bad Education BBC3 10pm Starts Tuesday 14th August 2012
Watch BBC iplayer: Bad Education BBC Comedy Click HERE

Sunday 12 August 2012

Kenneth Tong

Kenneth Tong Insults Gary Barlow's Stillborn Baby 

Kenneth Tong Big Brother contestant turned Twitter troll, has caused a stir with his latest tweets insulting Gary Barlow's stillborn daughter Poppy. The offending tweets made tabloid news, with many celebrities including Piers Morgan urging Kenneth Tong's Twitter account be shut down.

Unperturbed, Kenneth Tong boasted to The Sun newspaper, 'People will know my name and that’s all that matters...My tweets aren’t offensive to the point where they are illegal. I’m not worried about the police coming to my door. I have the best legal team.'


Kenneth Tong, a Hong Konger, claimed to be a millionaire playboy when he first appeared as a late contestant on Big Brother (Series 10) as the psychopathic boyfriend of Karly Ashworth, he quit the show after being reprimanded for threatening Rebecca 'Bea' Hamill. Although his 15 minutes of fame expired three years ago, Kenneth has remained in the public eye by trolling the internet.

In 2011, he faced death threats after launching a pro-anorexia campaign on Twitter. His tweets included: “Don’t let the fat masses oppress you from your goals. You deserve a skinny body” and “To be thinner, skip dinner." After complaints by Rihanna and thousands of other Twitter users, Tong declared the campaign was a hoax, claiming it was a dare to prove he could become a trending topic on Twitter.

BBCZeitgeist Commentary: British Chinese that have encountered racial abuse in the UK will know that if a White person is offended by a Chinese person (even if the offending Chinese has not referred to the White persons race or nor his/her racial characteristics), the White person instinctively retaliates with Sinophobic racism. Examining the Twitter backlash against Kenneth Tong, whilst the majority of tweets have refrained from racial insults (perhaps the precedence of the Stan Collymore case acts as a deterrent), others have reacted more instinctively...

Monday 30 July 2012

I Feel British - But Not British Enough To Support Team GB At The London Olympics


Whilst patriotic Brits industriously paved the roadside with Union Jacks for 140km from Dorking to The Mall to inspire road racer Lizzie Armitstead to claim Britain’s first medal of the games, observing this as a discombobulated British Chinese, the feel good factor is hard to masticate let alone swallow, I feel British, but not British enough to fly the Union Jack in support of 'Team GB.'

We’re constantly reminded by the British multiculturalism debate that ethnic representation promotes both inclusion and the feeling of being part of something bigger, whilst it maybe partly true, the argument is not entirely convincing. In the run up to the London Olympic Games 2012 there was East Asian representation aplenty. The Olympic torch passed through the hub of London's Chinatown, carried by popular Spectrum Radio DJ Steven Cheung (half Chinese half Filipino speaks fluent Cantonese).


Judging by his Twitterings, Steven Cheung appears somewhat enamoured by the British monarchy, so is pianist Lang Lang for that matter, nonetheless it's still East Asian paper representation, not to mention British Chinese musicians Andy Leung and Liz Liew who were commissioned to compose XX/XY for the games.

Roll on the opening ceremony, East Asian faces were bountiful but none were given a prominent role. Instead Black producer Catherine Ugwu and ebony obsessed Danny Boyle - blatantly agenda driven by his own inter racial relationship with mixed Black actress Rosario Dawson, intentionally over-hyped and over-represented Blacks with their Windrush, their urban music, their inter racial relationships and even their mixed Black offspring, however, our Chinese culture, our struggle, our journey was absent from the ceremony, tokenism is not to be taken lightly - as usual our identity is only tolerated within the narrow context of being multicultural rather than being Chinese.

Onto the games itself. Who am I expected to cheer for if there are no British Born Chinese sportsmen nor sportswomen representing Team GB? Of the 564 athletes representing Great Britain at the London Olympic games 2012, only two are of East Asian origin. Laotian Anne Keothavong is British Born East Asian, she's not a big name, nor is Chinese immigrant Na Liu. Hypothetically if high profile Chinese legend Wang Hao jumped ship to become a British citizen to compete for Team GB, would that be persuasive in supporting Team GB unequivocally? The answer would probably still be No. Its not that I'm anti-British nor anti-English, as a Londoner I paid my contribution to the games, I recognised all the ‘Best of British’ references in the opening ceremony...William Henry Monk’s Abide With Me, Blur, Brunel, Jk Rowling and I'm proud of the NHS, however none of the aforementioned will ever rescind my Chineseness, I will never willfully fly a Union Jack flag nor sing God Save The Queen, nor am I alone - five Team GB footballers including Welshmen Ryan Giggs snubbed the British national anthem.

To put it in perspective, University of Essex's Institute of Social And Economic Research recent household study Understanding Society revealed that of Britain’s ethnic groups, Whites (Scottish and Welsh hold strong non-British identities), Chinese and Afro-Caribbeans associate least closely with Britishness, though as expected, identification with Britishness was higher among the children and grandchildren of migrants.  Evidently, for those of us who take pride in being Chinese and consider our mother roots to be important, our ethnic identity as 'Chinese' remains very strong, stronger than any concept of Britishness.

By BBCZeitgeist