Business etymology lesson of the day: 靠山

November 29, 2008 by Jason Li

From Paul Denlinger at China Vortex:

In China, many smart entrepreneurs go to second- and even third-tier cities so that they can get a local municipal government to support them. This is called finding a 靠山 or literally “a mountain to lean on”. After all, every city official wants to be able to say someday: “I helped set up…

Continue readingBusiness etymology lesson of the day: 靠山

DIY MTV: Farm worker’s plea for a partner

November 24, 2008 by Jason Li

From Youku,
民工自拍MV《我想找对象 :: Farm worker makes own MTV: I Want A Partner

Translation of select verses:

I want to find a partner

Because I am single and noble and not like others

Ladies nowadays…

Continue readingDIY MTV: Farm worker’s plea for a partner

Local vs. global fashion at the Arrow Factory

November 22, 2008 by Jason Li

Collaboration partner 1: 别具一格 Bieju Yige

Collaboration partner 2: Le Divan

New exhibition of works by Ni Haifeng:

Using shreds of fabric that have been discarded after commercial factory production, the artist has collaborated with two different design teams to produce a pair of…

Continue readingLocal vs. global fashion at the Arrow Factory

apples and oranges: we love Chinese handsets

November 19, 2008 by Lyn Jeffery

The anthropologist in me DOES love the sheer variety of forms and features and oddities of the Chinese handset market. The stranger the better, right? Especially when you live in the US and you have to buy your handset through your carrier. I love the cigarette pack phones and my Chinese CECT iPhone Q380 which has an apple with a bite…

Continue readingapples and oranges: we love Chinese handsets

Hong Kong “artists” promotion social network

November 19, 2008 by Jason Li

The story begins with a movie called 四大天王 (Heavenly Kings), which is a Hong Kong-based movie produced by semi-famous actors about semi-famous actors starting a boy band. It’s a touch satirical. (It is also actor Daniel Wu’s directorial debut.)

The boy band itself is half-real, which means that they did go out and perform, but the songs are…

Continue readingHong Kong “artists” promotion social network

First XBox Live Arcade title produced in China

November 17, 2008 by Jason Li

“Crazy Mouse… the very first Xbox Live Arcade game produced by a Chinese studio.

The action/puzzle title was developed by Shanghai-based Ultizen Games as part of the Chengdu Incubation Center, a collaborative initiative involving Microsoft and local enterprises in order to produce Xbox projects.”

Via Game | Life.

what Baidu’s up against

April 13, 2006 by Lyn Jeffery

Maoxianjia at China Tech Stories translates an interview with Robin Li, CEO of Baidu. Li notes:

The search market in China is very special in the world. What special
about it? Everywhere in the world, search is a major part of the
internet market. In the US, it is about $6 billion. Though China is the
second…

Continue readingwhat Baidu’s up against

nuanced analysis of free speech: jail, still

March 22, 2006 by Lyn Jeffery

Hao Wu, self-described "biologist-turned-capitalist-turned-writer & filmmaker wannabe," has a brilliant analysis of the position of many Chinese internet users. His "Do I Have to Take a Stand?" is critical reading for those who are trying to figure out why Chinese bloggers would, for example, deliberately shut down their own blogs as a joke on the overzealous Western media (see …

Continue readingnuanced analysis of free speech: jail, still

八八吧 · 88 Bar

Category: Uncategorized