China is the United States' Largest Creditor

The United States, easily the world's largest debtor nation, owes most of its money to China. Topping Japan in US treasury bonds, China has soaked up America's debt like a sponge to water. As a result, the United States is increasingly relying on Chinese cash to repay its debts (700 billion dollar bailout). Thus, the Chinese government is gaining more and more sway over the U.S. economy.

The United States has, for the past century, shone as a beacon of hope and prosperity; a land of peace, opportunity, and happiness. But in actuality, the all-mighty American nation is actually the poorest, most debt ridden country in the world.

The 700 billion dollar Wall Street bailout of last year is merely icing on the cake. By this point, it's pretty clear that the America of today is not as powerful as it once was.

How lucky! Too bad it doesn't happen to the best of us.

As frustrating as it might be for some - China is steadily rising as a global power. Not only is the country massive, it has a workforce to match. When China was in desperate need of hydro-electric power, they simply willed one of the world's largest dams into existence (Three Gorges Dam).

The scary thing about the Chinese, at least for conservative Americans, is their determination and hard work. The Chinese dream big, and their accomplishments over the past few decades show this. Chinese society is vastly different from that of the United States; of course, this is common sense. But just how differently the Chinese Communist Party runs its nation is an interesting concept to pursue.

Unlike in American politics, there is no bickering or arguing over national policies. If the party leader says so - it must be so. The party has total control over every aspect of Chinese society; therefore, there are no need for political debates on a daily basis. If the plan is sound, it passes. That's how China gets things done.

When I was in Shanghai, I passed by a small 1 yuan store every day on my way to class. In one night, the entire store closed down and changed into a shoe store. This happened to several other stores in the area. For some reason, this really amazed me, because you never see such dynamic change in the United States.

America seems to have lost its touch, its razor sharp edge of progress and change. The entire nation has become complacent, content with the spoils of a century's worth of war mongering. Now, as the spoils dry up, reality is hitting hard. It's time for some real change in this country.

-Choi

Chinese... 4 tones... si.... si.... kill me

How many times were you trying to speak Mandarin in the restaurant, but the server completely misunderstands you (or worse, doesn't understand you at all and stands there with a funny, puzzled expression on his face - I digress)? Isn't it frustrating? Don't you just want to yell, "HEY I SAID IT RIGHT, I SWEAR. I MEMORIZED ALL THE PINYIN YOU STUPID..." Well anyway -


I know how you feel. Learning tones is one of the most basic, fundamental lessons in learning Mandarin. Unfortunately, even advanced students of Mandarin find it difficult to accurately pronounce certain tones. I must admit, I'm no expert myself, but here's what helped me:


Watching Mandarin language films. I was a Kung-fu addict from the start, so it wasn't hard getting into Chinese language films, but what I realized was that Chinese cinema was incredibly well shot and directed. Famous directors such as Wong Kar-Wai (Hong Kong, yes I know), Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige really make the Chinese language come to life.


Let me tell you, the first time I watched Jet Li's Hero was the moment I vowed to understand this beautiful language. Unfortunately, the modern Chinese language had decayed quite a bit in comparison to the poetic lines of dialogue and poignant phrases. But you can re-discover this world in Chinese cinema. 


The advantage of watching these films, too, is that you will gain a better understand of Chinese culture in general. Watching films like Blue Kite, Farewell My Concubine, and Beijing Bicycle really help the viewer to understand the inner layers of Chinese society - a fascinating look into the bowels of the last remaining (successful) socialist economy.


In my opinion, Blue Kite was one of the best films I've seen in recent memory. Although sad, and ostensibly a melodrama, the film captures the essence of China during the Mao era. I recommend it heartily to anybody and everybody - not just to people interested in learning Chinese. It is a wonderful film. Roger Ebert gave it two thumbs up.


In fact, the VHS is only $2.08 right now! You can get it here. Or, if you want, you can get the DVD version here.


Another interesting program that I found is called "Learn Chinese from Movies." The program boasts 9 different Chinese film classics (A World Without Thieves; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Empire of Silver; Curse of the Golden Flower; Hero; House of Flying Daggers; Lost in Beijing; King of Masks; Shower) and even promises custom subtitles for improved language learning functionality. Although I, personally, have not tried the system, I have learned a lot of my Japanese from watching a lot of anime...


Anyway, here's the website.


Well, that's it for tonight; check back for more!


-Choi