Go, Berlin, go! Go, China, go!

In an earlier post I wrote that China's National Football League teams are notorious for being not extremely successful (among many other things). This also holds true, unfortunately, for the National Team of the PR China. But this rather damning verdict regarding Chinese football in general does certainly not include a very nice, amazing and sophisticated species of football teams: the Humanoids.

At the current World RoboCup in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, there are so so many models you just have to adore. As my alma mater (Freie Universität Berlin, that is) also has five cute and successful models in the game, I am still undecided which team I should go for.

Berlin United - FUmanoids? The team at Zhejiang University with its special breed of football humanoids? The team at Beijing Information Science and Technology University? The team at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing? Or the nice group at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology?

What a hard decision to make - but see for yourself.


Robot 'Ada' of the FUmanoids



All 5 of the FUmanoids



One of the ZJUDancers (Zhejiang University)



The Team at Beijing Information Science and Technology University



Last but not least: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
(HiroEvolution at RoboCup 2012)

China Uncut and Unrated

You are a photographer yourself? Or just interested in China and her current looks, dynamics and ways of life? You admire professionalism combined with human interest, respect for local traditions and people and never-ending patience?

Then have a look at China Uncut and Unrated. This photo group at Flickr regularly posts gorgeous pictures of nearly every corner of the PR China, capturing the astonishing beauty of the diverse landscapes and different regions, the crazy dynamics and architecture of crawling mega-cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Chongqing, or the interchangeable sights of third-tier cities that still encompass enormous urban and rural spaces and have millions upon millions of inhabitants.

Some photographers specialize in documenting the despair, hopelessness and anger in forgotten corners of the PR China. Rural Gansu or Guizhou are not necessarily nice places to live, raise a family or work. But the portraits of these marginalized people - be it kids, adults or elderly - are not exploitative; they show respect and care for their subjects instead. Pictures of truly amazing people - some of them members of the so-called 'national minorities (shaoshu minzu)' in Southwest China, ordinary people doing ordinary things in small backyards and the different kinds of laobaixing (regular people) in the streets of Nanchang, Qingdao or Chengdu.

Every contributing photo artist has his or her own distinctive style. While some prefer cool black and white shots, others experiment with colours, filters and lenses or concentrate on detailed pictures of nature, architecture, lifestyles or historical artifacts.

For me (being a genuine non-photographer who tends to forget that her latest phone model also has a very good build-in camera), it is amazing what professionals can accomplish with their (expensive, I guess) equipment.

Postscript: My current favourites are Robert Lio, woOly, a-gui, Anders Öfverström, Peter Luginbuehl, Up Against The Wall, Nanbei Fung, China Lost and Found, Ordinary_Folk and SinoLazzer. But that may change quickly as other photographers join in or established group members update their photo pools.

Eye on China and some personal notes

Dear Mr Skywalker,

I will be eternally grateful to you if you keep up your diligent work!

Your very own magazine in Flipboard (I constantly flipped between Feedly, Flipboard and Google Currents for a while, and sometimes still do), fetchingly named Eye on China, is precious to me (and should be to all other China news junkies out there).

As I don't have to read all the other relevant news sites, blogs or news aggregators (such as the ones by The Guardian, The BBC, The New York Times, The New Yorker or The Diplomat) day by day any more, I wish you a very pleasant day. Wherever you are and whoever you are in real life. Thanks a lot for making my work easier and my life more convenient!

And now to the more serious and personal notes. I originally planned to post this recommendation on Tuesday - but two big events sabotaged my very humble plans.

Firstly, as the PoTUS, Mr Barack Obama, and his equally impressive entourage had decided to grace our small town (Berlin, that is) with their presence, I was glued to my TV (and my couch because of the sudden summer heat) to hear his speech. In American English and his very own words. Without translators and so-called experts. Mr President, my sincere thanks to you for teaching our very own Mrs Angela Merkel some minor, but nevertheless invaluable lessons (how to meet and greet, how to think and talk, and how to walk - fast, preferably).

And thanks, again, for being really quick and leaving as scheduled. I was so afraid that our very own Mr President wouldn't let you go. Shaking hands with you again, hugging you, even kissing you. Talking about his very own biography endlessly. For hours and hours. But fortunately, you and your agents had a tight schedule, and you left when it was time to leave.

And oh, by the way, the tabloids here in Berlin still discussed what you said, why you said it, why you took off your jacket, etc., days after this historical event. Perhaps you could call somebody to help them out? To explain some things? History, maybe? Or how to learn a foreign language? But, please, please, Mr President, in simple words such as these: 'Hey, guys and gals at Springer media. American English is not that hard to learn. Even dumb people can do it!'

Finally to the last and very sad note: When I woke up on Wednesday morning, once again fiercely determined to post the recommendation of Eye on China, one of the first faces I saw was the smiling one of Tony Soprano. It took me some minutes to realize that a) I was not dreaming any more and b) that Mr Gandolfini had indeed passed away in Rome. That it was not a hoax by some stupid internet kids (or nerds, if you prefer that term).

© Unknown

So, last, but not least at all: Thank you, Mr Gandolfini, for all the joy you brought upon us.
Have a nice day in heaven!

The next disaster? :: Reflections on Germany, China and the rest of the West

Over the weekend, I was travelling from Berlin to the south-western parts of the country. As the Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) has found some serious challengers in long-distance bus coaches, I decided to take one of the newcomers that usually provides good services, fast drivers and also much cheaper tickets than Deutsche Bahn. It was not the best time ever to travel from the East to the South, believe me.

Perhaps nobody can escape the current photo, video and interview tsunami that sweeps through old and new media on the flooding in large parts of Germany. Old Town districts and small villages in the South, East, North and West threatened by wave after wave of violent masses of water. Whole landscapes, farm areas, bridges and motorways nearly vanishing in water and mud. Small rivers becoming enormous streams and people being evacuated by the thousands. Every able-bodied inhabitant, family members, friends and official Germany such as the Bundeswehr - all are desperately trying to save the last belongings.

Seriously, I did not really expect to drown on my way to the southern parts of Germany, but the sight of water endlessly pouring down the landscapes was a disturbing one nevertheless. The motorways we took were water-free, but just so.

But back to the reason why I was travelling to the South-West. As a native of this beautiful part of Germany (I am shamelessly bragging here), I normally really do enjoy the sights and vistas. Baden (and Württemberg, to a lesser extent, in my view) are truly good places to be born, raised and schooled. Both have a lot of old churches and historical monuments, amazing nature trails and - not to forget - excellent food (if you know where to go).

One of my oldest Chinese friends is currently working in the south-western countryside, and as we had not met for a very long time, we decided to meet half-way between Berlin and the border to Switzerland to save him some time. I can tell you, a Chinese guy who speaks several dialects and languages (Swabian, Mandarin and English) is a real treat for most people in this part of Germany.

A region that is inhabited by a species of people that is renowned for being stubborn, arrogant, conservative and very strict. As my friend had some (Chinese) colleagues with him, my sojourn in this nice little town was a little strange.

Imagine a German Biergarten (beer garden) filled with lots and lots of people on the weekend - bikers in heavy outfits, still sweating cyclists, other travellers and some locals. All trying very hard to have a good time. Drinking wine and beer, and more beer, and more wine. Eating in the Biergarten and enjoying themselves. Even a wedding took place when we stayed there (a rather lame one, by the way; the wedding guests partied until around 1 p.m., and then everybody went to bed).

We enjoyed the relatively high temperatures (up to now, we could not even imagine to see the sun again) and the very fine food, too. For some time, at least. When the first Biergarten customers started to complain about the invasion of so-called 'Schlitzaugen' or 'Chinks' (the common denominator for everybody who looks Asian, making absolutely no difference between Japanese, Korean or Chinese nationalities), I had a really hard time remembering all the stuff my parents taught me once. Behave yourself in public. Do not cross others even if you are right. Be nice to the elderly even if they are so drunk they can't articulate one clear sentence. Respect authorities whoever they are (church, police, politicians and so on).

I do understand that people can feel intimidated by a small group of Yellows and Whites evidently having fun. I really do. Telling each others jokes in three different languages (e.g., 'How do the Chinese vent their anger when challenged by somebody not from the same hometown or region? They cry out loud: "Your brother plays for Guangzhou Evergrande" and "Your nephew plays for Shanghai Shenhua"!' Note: As the Chinese Football League is notorious for having mostly inapt local players, money galore and former football stars from Europe, this is not just a bad joke, but a serious insult.). Laughing loudly. Smoking strong Chinese cigarettes. Being treated like royalty by hotel and restaurant staff.

But what I can not - and never will - accept is the prototypical German (and maybe even European) attitude towards everything that is new, foreign or more dynamic than the natives are used to. Racial, cultural, religious and gender (I admit, I have no idea how many there are right now) prejudices seem to be so deeply ingrained into the German soul (whatever that is) that no sophisticated image campaign, new law or political goodwill will change that any time soon.

Especially threatening to some Germans are the new powers in the Far East - often chaotic, authoritarian, anarchic or just really really big states. China, South Korea, Japan, India and all the other smaller or bigger tigers and dragons (or whatever they are called right now in the West) in the Asian hemisphere have been demonstrating for a very long time that neither parliamentary democracy nor crass Manchester capitalism is incompatible with local cultures, ever-changing political systems or still cherished traditions dating back thousands of years.

Old Europe is slowly withering away, and the old (no, I did not forget about the US) global players and the newly emerging ones in the Far East and Far West will invent, reinvent and ultimately change global habits, lifestyles, technologies and work arrangements.

Like it or not, but get used to it.

OMG :: Reflections on domicide

Last Wednesday, I spent a nice evening at 'The Center for Cultural Studies on Science and Technology in China' of Technical University (TU) Berlin.

You may have heard that TU is a fine place to take classes in urban planning, mathematics, physics, electronic engineering, architecture, technical innovations and other tech stuff. The main campus, located in the heart of Berlin, is impressive and lively, even at the wee hours.

The Center's main focus is on environmental issues, urban planning and science and technology. And it's current head, Dr. Eva Sternfeld, is a widely known and respected practitioner and academic.

Screenshot of the Center's invitation to the workshop

The workshop itself, co-organized by the small but very active German foundation 'Stadtkultur International e.V.', looked promising to me, given my own academic background. And because one of my all-time favourite (German) experts on contemporary Chinese society and politics was giving an impromptu lecture.

But what was really intriguing me was the lecture and new book of Prof. Dr. Qin Shao (The College of New Jersey, USA). Prof. Shao, a renowned China historian, was invited to present results from her latest research project on urban development in contemporary Shanghai. And she also promoted her new book, fetchingly entitled 'Shanghai Gone: Domicide and Defiance in a Chinese Megacity' (Amazon).

Also present was Prof. Dr. Johannes Küchler, professor emeritus for Theory and History of Land Development at 'The Institute for Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning' as discussant. A group of other academics, some official guests, former colleagues, a few students. And me.

After introductory remarks by Dr. Eva Sternfeld, Prof. Shao was invited to show results from her research in Shanghai's new redevelopment zones. And snippets from her book. Rather desperately trying to defend the use of the highly charged term 'domicide' in the subtitle of her book.

To be honest, when I first heard about the lecture and the book, my immediate reaction was: OMG, do you really mean that? Not only speaking as a German and an academic, I am very uneasy (and more than a little furious) every time somebody uses the term 'genocide' (Völkermord) or derivatives lightly to promote his or her own work. In the context of modern China studies, calling urban planning with all its harsh consequences for local culture and local residents 'domicide' is either careless, arrogant or plain dumb.

Some specialists in the social sciences or humanities instinctively shy away from the hardships of fieldwork. Instead, they prefer to bury themselves in archives, libraries, research institutes or 'think tanks' (in German, these are called 'Denkfabriken'; I never really understood why you have to think in a 'tank' or 'Fabrik'). Well, that is their own decision. But it is not for me. I've done that. Boring, dusty and rather demotivating in the end.

Field trips, trying to find locals who are willing and able to give their own accounts of events, on the other hand, are much more rewarding. Better than working in archives and libraries until you nearly drown in old manuscripts, books, maps and journals. Slowly nurturing allergies of all kinds. But, again, that's only me.

Back to the lecture of Prof. Shao. She vividly described the latest developments in Shanghai's redevelopment zones, talked about the forced eviction of local residents, the demolition of their homes, typical actions and reactions of the local state, land-grabbing developers, public security organs and the media. Showed disturbing slides of a bruised woman who had tried to defend her right to stay where she and her family had lived for a long time.

Everybody familiar with Shanghai and the different waves of urban redevelopment during the last decades might still remember the mega-hype when Xin Tiandi (New World) was planned and finally opened to the public. When I first visited the new hot spot for rich Chinese and foreign expats in 2002, I was mildly shocked. Paulaner Brauhaus, chic boutiques, really expensive restaurants and bars galore. My Chinese friends, however, were proud to show us around this latest addition to Shanghai's glorious future.

Later on, Suzhou Creek and nearly every place around the famous / infamous Bund or bordering Nanjing Donglu and Nanjing Xilu became hip and expensive. For local inhabitants, it was a hard time. They were hit by one wave of gentrification after another. Forced to move out, their homes demolished and removed, and often settled in shiny new apartments in the outskirts of Greater Shanghai. Where nobody really wants to live unless they have enough financial and other resources to enjoy it. When the old quarters in Puxi (West Shanghai) were out, the new financial district Pudong on the opposite side of Huangpu river became in. A seemingly never-ending cycle.

But let me come back to the workshop and the following presentation by Prof. Dr. Bettina Gransow of Freie Universität Berlin. As the second invited guest speaker, she demonstrated how work in the field can be done, too. Listening closely what people have to say and staying back when events could lead to grave political and social repercussions for the locals who are directly involved.

In contrast to Prof. Shao's presentation that was thorough, historically informed and easy to understand, Prof. Gransow focused her lecture mainly on Guangzhou's latest efforts to reinvent itself and urban renewal in Old Town quarters in the outskirts of the metropolis. A really charming video by local activists and artists demonstrated that the Chinese, even the more or less marginalized ones, are not just victims but also outspoken, creative and very persistent protesters.

Unfortunately, time restrictions didn't allow Prof. Gransow and the other participants to discuss the different academic theories, approaches to fieldwork and consequences of ever-changing housing reforms, voluntary and involuntary resettlement and massive dislocation of property and people in depth.