Eye of Modok

Premier Wen Jiabao on the scene of the Beichuan earthquake

One week after the tragic 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated areas throughout Sichuan Province the Chinese central government has declared a 3-day mourning period. Despite having spent over five years living in Beijing, I must admit I was rather shocked at all that this entails. When the earthquake struck last week, I was teaching a class for China Academy of Social Sciences graduate school, and when I came in to teach the class the following Monday, I was informed that there was going to be a memorial service for the victims, along with a 3-minute moment of silence. I readily agreed to take part, and we all gathered in the public area where a giant LED TV screen had recently been installed, and watched as the proceedings took place.

Students and faculty from all of the buildings on the campus formed orderly lines, aided by a man barking orders through a megaphone. Although I expected everyone to maintain silence as we watched a montage of earthquake videos, a healthy percentage of which featured Wen Jiabao and Hu Jintao offering their condolences to the victims, there was quiet conversation throughout until the actual moment marking the one week point since the earthquake struck. As I have actually been quite impressed with the way the Beijing government has handled the crisis, my usual cynicism was held at bay. In fact, standing in unity with everyone there, I was overcome with emotion, and my usual stoicism was put to the test as my eyes grew misty. I, along with the entire country it seems, was particularly moved by the loss of a whole generation of children for many villages, as their school buildings (seemingly “made of tofu” according to one despairing parent, implying corruption among local government officials) collapsed, crushing hundreds of students. Imagining my own children among them my compassion was easily stirred.

I watched as immaculate soldiers emerged from the Forbidden City through the central gate, something I have never witnessed, and with astonishing flare raised the flag in Tiananmen Square and then lowered it to half mast. Coverage of similar ceremonies occurring all over China were shown as well. Then, the moment came for the 3 minutes of mourning - not silence, as I expected, owing to my American heritage - and suddenly sirens went off everywhere. Traffic in the entire country halted and people blared their car horns. The TV screen displayed coverage of the event from around the country, and finally settled on a train near the epicenter blowing its horn. It was a truly impressive, and moving event.

Afterwards, I found out that this was merely the first day of a 3-day mourning period that had been declared by the central government. Gradually, I began to understand what this meant. Event cancellation messages began to arrive on Facebook and by email, as anything “festive” has been deemed inappropriate during this period. Certainly no rock concerts, or dance parties. Movies theaters have all been closed. Sporting events have been canceled. Regardless of anyone’s personal approach to mourning, the national mourning period is to be taken seriously indeed.

An incurably nosy person person at times, I couldn’t help but press some of my Chinese friends to tell me how they really felt about this “forced” mourning. Considering my own philosophical and political leanings, such a concept would never even occur to me. In fact, it boggles my mind. Yet, there are obvious signs of solidarity, and, as this has been declared an official period of mourning, to even call it into question is to risk backlash from the fervently nationalistic segments of the population, which have now revealed themselves to be far greater than I ever could have imagined. One of my friends confided in me that she had worn a red sweater to class at university yesterday, only to be chastised by one of her classmates for such an insensitive choice during a time of mourning when all should be clad in suitably drab fashion.

I was curious as to how such an event, one that literally brings all activity in the nation to a halt, a nation with a population many times that of the US, could be pulled off without a hitch at such short notice. Another friend reminded me that everyone in China belongs to a unit of some kind, whether a work unit, or school unit, and there is a communication chain in place that is beyond impressive. Of course, the event was also published in the media, but for those who avoid the media as much as possible, as I do, well… someone has their number.

I remarked to still other friends that it was inconceivable for me to imagine my own government, all grievances toward the current administration aside, attempting to dictate to private enterprises that they must close for business throughout a three day mourning period. Many may very well choose to express their support for disaster victims, and, indeed, many now are pouring out their hearts and sending donations to China, as well as for the potentially far worse disaster that occurred around the same time in Myanmar. But they are free to choose the manner in which they mourn. Mentioning these views to a friend who is fairly high up in a government sponsored agency, I was told that likely the movie theater owners were, in fact, free to choose to open if they wished, and the government wouldn’t stop them, but they wouldn’t dare! The public backlash would cripple them.

Alas, this is China! I am amazed and impressed at what can be accomplished. Certainly, the government has learned a lot since the SARS epidemic, when a legacy of suppression of bad news led to a highly critical public reaction. Conversely, the media this time have been amazingly open, even showing Wen Jiabao gracelessly stumbling among the victims, losing his hat, and even being ignored by despairing victims wrapped in their own grief. This willingness to show the human side of a great leader has led to the overwhelming support of the Chinese people of their government and their handling of the situation. The fact that he arrived on the scene so quickly is greatly appreciated. Let this be a lesson to those outside China who like to hide behind an attitude of moral superiority and a belief that Chinese people feel oppressed by their government. From my vantage, I can assure you that this is simply not the case. While remarks that go against the mainstream views of society are often only whispered to me in confidence, along with sideways glances, it is generally not the government they fear, but their own fervent comrades.

Six weeks after Bjork shouted, “Tibet!” at the end of an unapproved song “Declare Independence” at her Shanghai concert, and then sped away on a jetliner, those of us left behind in China are paying the price. Years of progress and an easing of restrictions and red tape imposed by the Ministry of Culture were erased in a night, and have set us back a decade at least. Harry Connick Jr. was the first casualty, as his was the first high profile foreign act after the incident, and he was informed that he would only be allowed to sing the songs on the approved list he submitted when seeking approval. A few years back, that shouldn’t have been too great a problem, because it has always been standard procedure since the days when Wham! broke through the cultural impasse and brought pop music to China in the 1980s, and it was inconceivable to even attempt to sing anything not on the list. Until the Bjork incident, however, there had been a certain laxness, and the list of approved songs had become somewhat of a formality. Not anymore. As Mr. Junior’s band had not really practiced quite a few of the songs on the list that was submitted months before the tour, and they had no approved encores on the list, the concert was purportedly not his best, to say the least, as he had to play most of the songs by himself while the band twiddled their thumbs.

The approval process has also been put back on track, and every formality is now carried out to the letter. It is estimated that at least half of the acts planning to come here during the Olympics will now very likely fail the approval process. Celine Dion may not be my favorite performer, but certainly many of her fans in Beijing were disappointed when she subsequently canceled her Beijing show. Closer to home, our own approval process for our upcoming production of Oliver! very nearly ground to a halt as the Ministry of Culture suddenly demanded passport copies for every man, woman and child in the show, to be submitted in less than a 24 hour period. It is a real testament to the dedication of everyone in the show that we somehow managed to pull it together. The approval process now requires the entire 20 days, no exceptions, so we will likely only get official approval at the eleventh hour, which leaves us unable to sell tickets or do Chinese language publicity until about two weeks before the show.

It shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise to anyone that Bjork supports the grossly misrepresented “Free Tibet Movement” as she has made no secret of her affiliations, but I really do have to question how she arrived at the conclusion that there really is a popularly accepted “Free Tibet Movement” in the first place. The fact is, the majority of Tibetan people simply want better living conditions, whether or not they are part of China, and mostly look at the small minority who do engage in separatist activities as trouble-makers who will likely just make matters worse. I must say it really rankles me when I hear people going on about some latest cause of the day, smug in the sense of their own moral superiority, and outraged that more isn’t done about it, when, in fact, they have no clue what-so-ever about the actual situation. Tibet is a perfect example.

It is a fact that Tibet has been part of China for over 900 years. Throughout much of that time, Tibet served as the “spiritual” capital of China, while the emperor ruled from the earthly capital. Things would likely have continued on that way to present day, if it were not for two influential factors in the early 20th century. First, China’s own identity crisis and the loss of stability as reforms swept the nation, and secondly the British empire, eager for some final days of glory encouraged the ruling oligarchy, into which the Dalai Lama was born, to take advantage of a momentarily weak China and declare independence, promising them British support. Things were very hard for the Tibetan people when power was once again consolidated in China, and they marched on Tibet to bring them back into the fold. The British abandoned them, and no one in the West rose to their aid, as it was generally agreed that China was simply doing what could be expected of it. I find it ironic to the extreme that people will now go on and encourage people in Tibet to declare independence when it is obvious that such notions will only bring harm’s way to those who take them up on that advice. Never mind that it is none of their business in the first place! For those who would hypocritically condemn China for its heavy handed tactics, while turning a blind eye to the atrocities brought about by their own governments worldwide, I say, wake up!! To those who, like myself, are generally suspicious of ALL governments, and are therefor unsurprised when they act to protect their interests, I say, “Be the alternative.” We can only expect to bring about change through dialog and openness, as well as by offering up a better alternative through example. Acts that cause clocks to be turned back, undoing the good progress that has been made are simply shameful. While I understand those who express the sentiment that by bringing an issue to its head, stunts like Bjork’s actually help the cause, I disagree with the approach.

Talk to average Texan you meet overseas, and they will tell you they are from Texas and go to great lengths to point out that they are not from the United States, but from Texas! There has long been a popular notion that Texas should be a free and independent country. Does anyone honestly believe that if Texas were somehow to achieve through referendum a Declaration of Independence that the United States would allow them to seceed? PuhLEASE!!! The US governement would be in there protecting the “freedoms of the America people” faster than you can wave the stars and stripes at them. As long as people were protesting peacefully, they would be able express their right of dissent, but ask any WTO protester about how quickly and easily police can brutally turn upon a mostly peaceful crowd in reaction to a few hotheads. Yes, folks, this does happen in our own countries too, and on a fairly regular basis. Only you won’t be seeing too much coverage of it in the popular media. You actually have to be interested enough to dig.

The situation in Tibet is obviously different, because most people there do not enjoy the standard of living of even the humblest trailer park resident in Texas, and that is precisely what is worst about the Western media coverage of the recent riots. A journalist friend of mine was there when the riots broke out, and he said the problem was worsened by the fact that for two days, the police did nothing. What started off as a race riot - an uprising of people tired of generations of historical suppression by the ruling oligarchy of 200 Tibetan families from which, unsurprisingly, all reincarnations of holy people are born; fed up with the rich foreigners (i.e. Muslims and Han Chinese) raking in profits while the Tibetan people remain poor; and fed up with the Chinese government’s inability to improve their daily lives- led to crowds attacking Muslim butchers, and then turned very ugly. Once the hate began to flow, it was easy for others to fuel it, and by the time the separatists joined in, the crowds were way out of control. To believe that this was started as an organized democracy movement shows an appalling lack of comprehension of what is actually occurring in Tibet. Of course, the people who believe that kind of trite are the same people who believe most of what they read in the popular media, so that somehow doesn’t surprise me.

Before they built the pedestrian walkway the railway bridge served well to cross the highway and is still favored by many despite it being “closed off”.

I love living in China. Especially Beijing. Many of the basic precepts evinced by the local people, at an instinctual level, are in near perfect alignment with my own, in oft profound ways, especially at a deep philosophical level, but also evidenced in every day life. The longer I live here, the more similar in thought, and increasingly in deed, I become to my fellow Beijingren, to a point that, upon reflection, astounds me, as I am admittedly more wont to dwell on the differences.

A case in point is traffic, particularly pedestrian traffic, which I’ve discussed previously, in, “Wading through traffic“, even turning it into a magazine article, and then going so far as to write a follow up article for the next issue. In both articles, I examine the front where motor-driven and pedestrian traffic collide, and how once rushing forward, it is very difficult to stem the flow of pedestrians, and how tension arises out of the utter lack of respect afforded the pedestrian from most motor vehicle drivers, the exact degree of contempt held a measure of the perceived status of vehicle employed, ranging from mianbaoche to Bentleys.

The topic of Beijing traffic utterly fascinates me, as I love exploring human dynamics, and often use the qi flow dynamics model from Chinese martial and healing arts, particularly qi gong, as a frame of reference, yet also like to employ physical models in my description. I observe that for the most part a collective of Chinese pedestrians can be expected to behave as water.

A single drop of water, placed by fortune in a most inopportune time or position, can exact all manner of mishap upon its surroundings. So, too, the actions of a lone pedestrian can lead to disastrous consequences. However, the flow of the whole of pedestrian traffic lies on a deep resounding sine wave, far beneath the erratic waveforms of individuals, and is far more pleasant to plug into. The streets of Beijing bestow ample opportunity for exploration and observation. However, upon occasion, I, like many of my fellow Beijing pedestrian friends, prefer to travel off the beaten path, whenever possible, provided I arrive expeditiously at my destination.

The stone stairs can be daunting, yet are regularly used by children.

One of may favorite off-road paths is along the train tracks near my house. The bridges cross over major arteries of the city, as well as streams, rivers, and even a lake! OK, lake may be stretching it, but there is a reservoir near my house, readily accessible from the tracks near the subway station. The carved stone steps are surprisingly steep and narrow, which can be daunting for the uninitiated. Yet, they lead right up to a wonderful walking path right along the tracks. Or, rather, they used to, until someone got the bright idea to block it off and keep out all of the pedestrians.

If you dam up water the expected result is backflow, and if you have a means of managing or containing this backflow, all is well and nice. If you haven’t, however, there is a good chance you may find the integrity of your dam is challenged. So it is with Chinese pedestrians.

An enterprising individual created a small gap in the fence to allow access to the tracks.

Some of my best walks last summer were along these train tracks, so I reacted with dismay upon this development, but was spared a lengthy curb on this pastime, as the free will and spirit of Chinese pedestrians would soon prevail! The construction of the barrier fence had been viewed with interest and loathing by the track walkers, discernible from the contemptuous indifference with which they viewed the assorted building materials strewn all around the impromptu construction site which the entrance way to the tracks had become. No sooner, however, had this offending fence gone up then a hero arose! A small hole, just large enough for the truly sprite to take advantage of, yet a gaping chasm in the battle of wills between we who walk the tracks, and those who would prevent us. The next hero was far less subtle, preferring to simply unhinge part of the wall and leave a one meter wide gap as an entrance way.

Another enterprising individual displayed less finesse by forcing the fence open at a vulnerable midpoint union.

What happens next is one of the things I love most about living here. A worker group is dispatched to resolve the issue, armed with spools of flexible wire, which they employ to restore the fence to it solid and imposing former state, and fortify it against further breaches. Which, is to say, they do nothing at all, as though such bandaid-like attempts to fix the fence could be seen as an indication that the authorities which dispatched the work team are passively endorsing the ensuing stream of pedestrian traffic that quickly picks up where it left off, with minor allowances for the new conditions. Beijing offers plentiful case studies of these manner of displays of human resourcefulness.

Occasionally, the authorities respond by sending out a task force to deal with the situation .

I realize that there are those out there that will state that a law is a law, and to break any law, is to make one a law-breaker. To those I retort, a law is a law only in as it is understood and accepted by those who empower said law, be they those that create the law, or those whom empower the law through consensus to obey it. The Beijing city government, and, indeed, any government, is free to follow its directives and to achieve the peace in a manner of its own accordance, as laid down by the statutes of its structure, which is to say, they can pretty much enforce any law they so choose. And they are definitely turning a blind eye to the situation on the tracks. Keeping people from walking up there is obviously not that high on the list of priorities, especially with the encroaching Beijing Olympics.

Until someone gets run over by a train.