Thursday, December 11, 2008

How I grew up with Shenzhen

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Inspired by D.R.G^^,I was thinking about writing my version of how Shenzhen became SHENZHEN.(Following photos were NOT taken by me)

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Since far-back old China,the southern part of China hadn't been attached importance by emperors because it was inhospitableThere were even some offensive terms for the southern area and people.When reading those great and classical poems,you may find most of them were created the moment the rhymist got banished from the court and sent to the south,feeling depressed.

Shen(深) means deep and zhen(圳) means ditch,so Shenzhen means " the deep ditch" in Chinese.Thereby we're convinced that formerly it was really just a small fishing village.
old look
I may be called "a totally Shenzhenese" since I was born and raised up here.But I don't completely accept it because the word Shenzhenese has different definitions.

1st one,the native Shenzhenese--they're the real natives here and are in possession of some land for building.They don't have to work but can be well off because the rent they get from their buildings is really a lot.Thus they kinda rest on their laurels and become Babbitt.

2nd one,permanent residents--like me and my family.We came from another city but Shenzhen is our registered permanent residence.FYI,there are only Chinese and north Korean having the system of registered permanent residence.So sometimes we still don't know where our homes are if we just have ID card.

3rd one,transient residents--they may have lived in Shenzhen for many years,but since they haven't got Shenzhe registered permanent residence,they're still newcomers and have less welfare benefits.But they have contributed a lot to this city.
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Second hospital
I was born here in Shenzhen back in 1988.The hospital was named Huaqiang Hospital(华强医院)at that time but later was renamed twice,first as Red Cross Hospital(红十字会医院).But it is said people were misled that it was free and actually they couldn't a fford it,therefore the hospital became really red.So the hospital decided to change its name again.I don't know whether the new name works but it's called the Shenzhen Second Hospital(深圳第二人民医院) now.

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If you were asked something happened when you were two years old,you probably had no idea.But unexpectedly,I do remember one day.It was sunny and mom tookt me to Lao Jie(老街).We saw a long queue in front of some restaurant--it was the first McDonald's in China mainland.We joined in the fun which we seldom do but when mom saw those strange food names,she didn't like it.I was impressed by her remark "Tea is good and milk is not bad.But the milk tea sounds really ewww".But who would've thought she drinks nothing but tea milk in McDonald's now.^^I have never seen "food coupons" since I began to remember things.Shenzhen was the first city that cancelled food coupons.Well,but when I was very young,McDonald's was much more expensive but offered more choice.I remembered there were borsch and a kind of soup with some sort of starlike stuff made of flour.They were delicious but disappeared suddenly.

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In the same year,I rode a bike at someone's home and bumped into a piece of glass.That glass came to pieces and therefore I was hurt badly on my head--I received stitches for those wounds and I suppose it made me look like a plus-size Q-tip.

Lao Jie(老街),also known as Dong Men(东门),located in Luohu district,is always a good place for shopping,especially for clothes.The upper pic was of old Lao Jie and I can see some sort of Hongkong style.But now,after a few reconstructing, it looks so different now. For quite a long time,Luohu was the best district in Shenzhen.
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fig-1
fig-2 fig-3

January,1992,Deng Xiaoping visited Shenzhen but I was way too to young to be heartened.In memory of this event,Shenzhen government put a big portrait of Deng(fig-1).But when I first saw it,it'd changed(fig-2).Now fig-3.
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Shenzhen Grand Theatre
Not far from this big picture,there is Shenzhen Grand theatre.I've been there for only once.I don't remember what the concert about but I remember I went with my father.As the government ploughed much more into Futian,this theatre is not so important as it used to be now.
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Few years later(1993),there was a huge flood in Shenzhen.I was asked to stay at home instead of going to the kindergarten while mom had to work.I went out with my little fellow and the water reached our knees,making it hard to move forward.I found there was a mouse in cage(should have been caught there) and it was going to be drowned.I lifted up the cage and put it somewhere else.So I once saved a life.^^
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1995,Di Wang Tower became the highest building located at the hub of the Shenzhen.A good friend of mom lived in Caiwuwei and we visited her a lot.So I kinda witnessed how the Diwang Building being built up.Then suddenly one day,I was told it was finished and was took to see it.I stood outside and looked up,feeling scared.At that time,Diwang was also well-known for its green laser light at night.Everytime I saw it,I was very excitedand delighted.But now,I don't even pay attention to it and it's faint among the fabulous night piece.Until now,I haven't been to the top of Diwang.What a shame.
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..........Wal-Mart first entered the Chinese market in 1996 when it opened its first Sam's Club member store and shopping plaza in Shenzhen, a special economic zone neighboring Hong Kong. ........The US-based Wal-Mart, the world's largest chain store retailer, has moved its global purchasing center from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, a city in south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2002)
There's still only one Sam's in Shenzhen while Wal-Mart expands its stores not only in shenzhen.In my opinion,the first Wal-Mart shopping plaza and Sam's Club are always great but those latter Wal-Mart stores are not so marvelous.So theI kinda consider Sam's and Wal-Mart as two different things.BTW,the Sam's in Shenzhen was once relocated.
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When it comes to 1997,every Chinese(not younger than me) may recall two things.First one,Deng Xiaoping passed away.Second,Hongkong returned to motherland.
About the first one--I was in primary school at that time.All pupils in my school were asked to sit in a hall.My school meant to give us a chance to mourn the death of the much-loved leader but we didn't have much idea.All I remember is that we quietly sat in that hall while most teachers were shedding tears.When I got home,every channel showed nothing but a black picture with lament.

As for the second one--We got one day off because of the the Return of Hong Kong but as most other workers.mom was asked to send off those presidial army to Hongkong.Millions of people stood on both sides of roads,waving flowers.But she told me she was very tired and bored because they had to wait there until midnight.

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1998------Happy Valley officially practised.


1999------(1)The first Hi-Tech Fair held by the Shenzhen Municipal Government.(2)I got my first computer.


2000------(1)Li Yundi,from Shenzhen,was first well-known for being the youngest pianist to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition at the age of 18 in the year 2000. And for us Shenzhen people,Li is more famous than Lang Lang.(2)My computer got Dial-up Internet access.


2001------(1)APEC 2001 SOM II Opens in Shenzhen.(2)My first year in middle school.


2003------The first suspected case of SARS in Shenzhen was reported.
2004------Shenzhen became the 6th Chinese city with metro, after Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou.


2007------Shenzhen was granted the right to host the 2011 Universiade in Turin, Italy.

2008------Shenzhen a special economic zone is 28 years old.
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It's not easy to finish this post and I spent more time than I expected but still missed many things.Well,I should save them when next time I look back. ^^

Monday, December 8, 2008

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Last week,my department had an indian professor give us a speech on "Teaching Chinese in India".He spoke excellent mandarin and could write a lot of Chinese characters.In one word,he had totally got our language.In additon to Chinese,he spoke some Spanish.The special Rs are too hard for me.the sound seems to have no equivalent in English or Chinese.I wish I could roll my Rs then I would dare to pick up Spanish,German,French or Arabic.Well,as Lui said,Japanese is much easier to speak.

Oh,yes,Lui.He called me the other day,telling me he would be busy for the whole month and didn't have time to hang out.I said it was fine,like I did't have any other friend.^^But I really appreciate the way he treats friends.Everytime he went somewhere special,he got me little gifts tought he said they were nothing special.And he often gave his regards to my mother though they are totally strangers to each other.He knows the way of the world,especially China where we put our family at the first place.

Oh,yes again,mom.Is it just my mom or all the aged people don't pay much attention to colours?She always calls something blue "yellow" or something yellow "green" but she does know the actual colour.Is it just me or all the children point out their parents' mistake and try to correct them?I always comfirm with mom for many times to make her get it right herself.Sometimes she gets impatient and says "why you have to do that?Even if I tell the wrong colour,you still know what I'm talking about".Maybe I'm being baffling but it's nothing to do with subjectivity.I think it's like saying "hongkong and China" instead of "hongkong and mainland",I have to correct it.Why they choose to say it wrong when they can say it right?

Sunday, December 7, 2008

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Since the Xmas is coming before long,friends study abroad or in Hongkong told me they would come back and asked me to hang out some time.I'm so looking forward to meeting them and talking about the past with them.I enjoy my uni life but I really miss my former life,especially my high school.My uncle told me it was sad because I "lived in the past and didn't realize the beauty of the present".hehe,he thought I was still young.I was not a child way earlier than peers,thus my treason time was over ages ago.When people say I don't act my age,I have to admit it.What's more,I always like guys way older than me.It's some sort of Electra complex but I'm sure my case isn't that serious.Well,everyone has one mental problem(at least).But the funny thing is,since I was a little girl,I was more popular among senior friends than among peers.

This afternoon I watched a movie including different kinds of love--friendship,affection,homosexuality,first sight love,long-term love,art for art's sake love and patriotic love.Each one tells that if you are ready to love,you've got to be tolerant.See that's why I'm afraid of getting involed into relationsip,it's torturing to be jealous.Perhaps I should find someone loves me more than I love him,than I would be less pathetic because I don't think I'm a magnanimous wife.><

Now back to the movie.It's named Forever Enthralled/梅兰芳(Mei Lanfang) and it's one of those Chinese movies that English title is better than Chinese one.It's neither abstruse nor plain.You just have to know Chinese,especially Beijing dialect,then you may actually sense more.I'm too familiar with most the cast,so I felt a little bit weird.But I was impressed by the actor who starred as young Mei Lanfang.I watched it with tigerling and I betted he didn't understand half of it.But what the hay,Zhang Ziyi made everything up for him.^^Not that I underestimate him,but as long as he's not Chinese,he cannot understand the whole movie.Likewise when I watched The Queen,I didn't understand either.Anyway,the culture difference is good for me.It would be so boring if the whole world is the same.


Another thing,everybody has an opinion on how long it takes to recover from a breakup.But just FYI,you start to recover the moment you meet someone that gets you back in the game.But if you're still in pain,chances are you haven't met anyone else that is better than your ex.Well,it's said true love just happen once in a lifetime and some people might have already used that "once".Someone told me he didn't know if he ever found "the right girl" but didn't say "the beloved girl",so he is one of them?

Saturday, December 6, 2008

another Saturday~

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I showed the photos of Beijing to my mom but the first thing she asked me was "why didn't you take more pics of yourself".I knew it,I knew she would ask it.Many Chinese people go traveling and take all pics of the themselves and scenery are just background.They are like--in the car SLEEP;off the car PEE;at the view point SAY CHEESE;back home EMPTY-MINDED.I think they have wasted their money and time.Mom said it looked like there were not many people there in Beijing but god know how hard it was for me to take pics away from that huge crowd of people.whew~

My mom said me she missed me very much though I texted her everyday in Beijing.But to be honest,I didn't miss her that much.I should be ashamed of myself but while traveling,I felt like that I left all the trouble behind and kinda forgot my own life.I even felt strange when friends texted me for greeting.No wonder people try to relax themselves by traveling.But I don't wanna be that sort of person who travel the whole world in search of novelty,because I think if you have too much intention of doing something,you cannot realize the beauty of it.


Mr.Zhuo who I met in Beijing.He also lives in Shenzhen and his home is so closed to mine in Futian.He once studied in Beijing Normal University and Tsinghua University and now he's a member of non-communist party.BTW,he once climbed up to the summit of Mount Everest.He mentioned lightly how the Cultural Revolution and the 1989-6-4 affected his life but I was impressed secretly.I forgot to talk about Tsinghua Uni in previous posts--I visited it and it was like a dream coming true as I knew I was not qualified to a Tsinghua student.Tsinghua is much larger than SZU.The dormitories there are beautiful and old-timey though the conditions inside are not so good as those in my dorm.What impressed me deeply about Tsinghua is not the constructures but the students.When I walked on the campus,I heard many groups of students talking--all of them talked about nothing but school work which didn't happen in my uni.But these two situations are so extreme.We should learn from each other.

I heard the sad news when I got back.A senior student in my uni suicided by hanging herself the other day.Though I cannot put myself in her position because I never thought about suicide,but that girl was too selfish.How desperate could would her life be desperate that she had to do that?She didn't consider the feelings of her parents and friends but just left all problems to them.If your job's joke,you're broke,your love life is DOA,please go to Africa and be a volunteer.It should help you appreciate your and other people's lives.

Friday, December 5, 2008

little thought from little shuo

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In addition to thosethat I wrote down in the last post,I'm gonna tell more about what I went through in Beijing.
I couldn't help speaking like Beijinger,especially when talked to the local.It was easy to aware the language difference.Aside from the accents,we choose different word for the same thing.But it was not a problem because we understand both.It gave me a release about English--there are differences even in our mother tongue,so we don't have to try very hard to memorize both British and American vocabularies.

As a ancient capital,Beijing has a great city layout according to the fengshui.As I saw on the plane,all roads in Beijing lay in order and they look like some sort of the Eight Diagrams.Moreover,it feels no regret to call Beijing the Kingdom of Bicycles.They have even made out a special path for bicycles from the street.However,it's imppossible for me to take bicycles as souvenir.It's very difficult to buy souvenir--I can buy anything in SZ,and maybe at low price.I suppose all those souvenirs are made from Shenzhen.And Shenzhen's definitly a fabulous place to enjoy every kind of food,even if authentic roast duck.

All the food I had were okay but not as good as it in Shenzhen.Well,people in Guangdong are known as bold gastrosoph because they dare to eat anything(no wonder SARS was more serious in Guangdong).I could see that they tried to cater to us but they were supposed to practise more.^^I was told that don't get your hope up for the service in Beijing and it turned out to be right.Maybe I was spoiled in Shenzhen but waiters and taxi drivers in Beijing are so gonna improve their people skills.I was so wondering how they could have been hospitable at the Olympics.>Birds' Nest,was very great outside.But when I entered it,I was kinda disappointed because it didn't look as grand as it on TV.I hardly believed the opening ceremony staged here.And as for National Aquatics Center,or you can call it Water Cube,it reminded me of biology class--it looked like cellularity.But I'm sure it must look great at night.

In Shenzhen,especially in my uni,Korean are often seen.But when I was in Beijing,I met a lot of Japanese rather than Korean.I contacted with a few Japanese and found they were very nice and friendly.It was a good preview for me to visit Japan though I'm sure whether I can make it.On the top of Badaling,I barely found Chinese.There were almost all middle-aged Japanese.I didn't know it was because there were not many other Chinese coming to the Great Wall or they just lacked for willpower but I got mixed feelings about that.Speaking of foreigners,I saw a lot in Beijing,even more than those in Nanshan SZ.However,I really didn't think they could understand clou since they didn't know Chinese characters.Chinese culture is too culture-specific.When it comes down to Beijing,you have to understand the placenames so as to know it better.And if someone tells me he or she "likes Chinese culture and language,but don't want to pick up the characters,then I don't think he or she seriously likes our culture.

When was asked "how was your trip",I said "it was okay".Then they thought I didn't have a good time.I did enjoy myself but it was really just okay.I mean I didn't want to exaggerate anything.I neither missed Shenzhen when in Beijing nor indulged in pleasure and forget home.As I said before,I went to Beijing to touch the history but not to look for excitement.But I've got to say Beijing is worth traveling and it'll be the chance of a lifetime for most of the people.

Well,after Beijing,I'm looking forward to traveling inland like Xi'an and Yunnan now.It's already expensive traveling in China,so I don't think I could afford more.Other than that,I'm supposed to sense more about my own country before travel abroad.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Goodbye & Hello.

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Hello,Shenzhen!I'm back.I came back last night but wasn't very travel-worn.

There's quite a cold snap in Beijing today and I don't have to suffer from it.There's no time difference but difference in temperature between these two cities.But the northlander didn't seem to do well in season themselves to cold as I did--I didn't need to wear down jacket whilst they all wore the down coat.



In Beijing,I didn't feel it was that dry(as I told my friends) but later I did bleed at the nose which hadn't happened for years.Anyway,it was a good idea for me to visit Beijing in early winter because you wouldn't grue or be sweaty.^o^In addition to the pleasant weather,I was told it was low season but I was wondering how would Beijing be like in high season while there were already so many people in low season.>_<>I've uploaded the photos taken in Beijing to flickr and welcome visit and take a look.But as for those famous scenic spot,I don't feel like describing them as a discoverer.Instead,I'm going to write down those little things that I saw and interesting photos that I took.

1)When I were at the SZ airport,I saw this--the smoking room.I was really glad because I hate cigarette and those people who smoke.As I got closed,I saw everyone there was like a drugger and inside it was very reeky which made it look like a opium den.

2)That day when I first went to tht Tian'An Men Square,I saw a group of Japenese students and we happened to walk the same way.I guessed they were on some class tour.Those Japanese girls slightly dressed to make themselves look more attractive while neglect keeping warm.I was really worrying about their knees.





3)When I found some of the structures had been painted again,I couldn't help sighing--for the Olympics,Chinese damaged those cultural relic ourselves.Beijing has done too many things for the games,and it was somewhat hypercorrect.As far as I'm concerned,even if those structures were old and faded,it was no need to retread them.What we need do is protecting them and maintain how they looked.


4)The blocky flagging silently told me how weather-beaten it was and how the time went by.

5)It was taken in Grand Council.The pair of glasses had leopard printon it,so impressive.^^

6)Doorsills were common in those old structure like the Imperial Palace.I had to lift my legs and stride over them.


7)There are a few weird modern buildings in Beijing which don't match the old-timey constructions.


8)Shenzhen Hotel~I was pleasantly surprised to see it.

9)You could see the nests everywhere.I'm sure there are some on the trees in SZ,but all leaves have got to be fallen.


10)Ah~electric car.I've only seen some in Hong Kong and Beijing.

11)The kind of buses in SZ was last seen back in my primary school and I missed them.




12)The hutongr was also painted for the bloody Olympics.The colour made it look fake and not authentic.

13)There were toggery thickly dotted on both side of streets.Beijinger think much if clothes or what?

14)This kind of tricycle was Beijing-own though I suppose it's illegal.


15)When entered the Summer Palace and Winter Palace,I saw the word "Anglo-French" on most of the introduction board--patriotism was full of my mind.

人民英雄纪念碑

天安门

故宫

景山


清华


长安街

八达岭长城


鸟巢


水立方


天坛


颐和园


圆明园