Books read and books in progress. Anyone who read or is interested in reading these, do comment!

In progress of reading:

• Das Unbehagen in der Kultur (Freud)
• 万葉集　Manyôshû (old Japanese poetry collection) 
• Hamlet (Shakespeare) 
• Chinese Art at the End of the Millennium (New Art Media Limited, 2000) 
• Investment in China – Opportunities in Private Equity and Venture Capital (Tsinghua University Press, 2003) 
• Les Plus Belles Formules Mathématiques (Salem, Testard & Salem) 
• 血卡门（黄碧云） Blood Carmen (Huang Biyun)
• 道德经探玄（培真著）  Dao De Jing – In Search of the Mystery (Pei Zhen)
• L’étranger (Albert Camus)
• Winning with Software: An Exective Strategy (Watts S. Humphrey)
• The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Thomas S. Kuhn)
• En Verve, mots propos aphorismes. A collection of Boris Vian citations, Pierre Horay editeur 1970, 2002, Paris.
• Paroles. A collection of poems by Jacques Prévert, Éditions Gallimard, 1949, France.
• 奥の細道　Oku no hosomichi. Original haikus bu Bashô, as well as elaborations on the poems and the poet by Kadokawa Bunko, Heisei year 13, Japan.

Recent reads:

• 白痴　二流の人　Hakuchi. Niryuu no hito. (collection of short stories by Sakaguchi Ango; published by Kadokawa Bunko)
• Imperial Ambitions (Noam Chomsky)
• The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid (Prahalad)
• Essays by Georg Simmel : sociology of modern life, esthetics, cities as works of art, feelings etc.
• Understanding Power (Noam Chomsky)
• Journal d’un génie (diary of Salvador Dali)
• From Alchemy to IPO (a book on biotech by Robbins-Roth)

Cantonese

My learning project…

Cantonese particles and key vocab: o既 ke33 (genitive), o地 tei22 (as in 我o地), o刺 la33 (an exclamation), o系 hai35 (is located), 系 hai22 (is, to be), o个 ko35 (as in o个度)

Some useful (?) basic sayings:

上课soeng foo, 多的讲doo dit keng,韩语hoonyuu,部分boufen，集中zapzhong,学习hogsap,最近zoeigam,复习fok zap,已经yii geng,资料tzii liu，语言yu_yam,必须bit soei,太懒了 taai laan le,生日saang yatt,后生 hausaang,一暂 yad zan (过一会),录音log yam,(别送了 m sai soong la),多得doo dak,我返左工,泰医生，药yoek,屋企okkhei,laau,maaai yeeee, 10 fan zhong etc etc…

tau sîn, ngaam ngaam, ngaam sîn (a while ago)

zôi gan (recently)

fât yamm (pronunciation)

sôn hou (signal, as in, your mobile phone signal is bad)

okkhei (home)

sap fan zhung (10 minutes)

laau (angry)

gam maan (tonight)

gen ju (and then)

maâi yê (buy stuff)

ha_ng gâai (walk on the street)

lo_k gâai (go out on the street)

li yât zî (this time)

 

i go buy stuff =我要去買D野

i will start talking to myself in cantonese = 我會開始同自己講廣東話

my company wants me to take photos in Asia =  我既公司希望我係亞洲影D相

they will put the photos in our presentation material and perhaps some brochures   =  佢地會擺d相 公開資料度,,或者會擺 d小冊子度

i want to open an account in a bank =  我想係銀行開go戶口

我地 we, ngo dei

乜ye what, mat ye

o黎 come, lai

聖誕節 Christmas, seng daan jit

你唔好逼我出絕招！ Don’t force me to use my ultimate attack on you! lei m’hou ? ngo choet ? ?

睇下先。 let’s see first, tai ha si’n

我唔啱你（对）适合 。 ngo m ngaam lei ? ?

有冇大啲嘅size? do you have a bigger size, yao mou daai di ge size?

唔该，你知唔知边度有按摩嘅地方？ excuse me, do you know where to find a massage place? m goi, lei ji m ji bin dou yao an mo ge dei fong?

做咩呀佢？what is he doing? zuo me a khoei?

教我有用嘅廣東话。 teach me some useful cantonese. gaau ngo yao yong ge gong dong waa.

你今晚想去邊？ 想做啲咩呀？ where do you want to fo tonight? what do you want to do? lei gam man soeng hoei bin? soeng zuo di me a?

我諗／想去睇戏。 我想去睇戏呀。唔，我諗下先啦  i think/want to watch a movie. i want to go to see a movie. no, i will think about it first. ngo lam/soeng hoei tai hei. ngo soeng hoei tai hei a. m, wo lam ha siin la.

我依家去睇戏 i am going to see a movie now. ngo yi ga hoei tai hei.

戏院。 movie theatre. hei yun.

仲（zhom？）有咩？ what else? zhom yau me?

你有D咩啊？你想要D咩啊？ what do you have? what do you want? lei yau di me a? lei soeng yiu di me a?

仲（zhom？）有啲咩？ what else do you have? zhom yao di me?

baa lau都咁嘅了　(I am always like this) 我不溜都系甘噶啦　　ngo baat lau dou hai gam ? la

我成日都係咁　　 我不嬲都係咁  ??

成日用嘅 usually/always used. seeng yat yong ge.

搵／揾。 search. wan.

呢度嘅电视广告好多  tv here has so many commercials. ni dou ge diin sii gong gou? hou do

揾机会讲廣東话。 look for opportunities to speak Cantonese. wan gei wui gong gong dong wa.

学讲白话。 learn to speak Cantonese. hok gong bak wa.

你话呢 ？ what do you say? lei wa le?

see daan le。是但啦 whatever you say.

乜都无所谓，是但啦 whatever goes, whatever you say. mat dou ？？？ see daan le

你鍾意啦。你讲算。 whatever you like. what you say goes. lei zong yi la. lei gong suyn.

我觉得。 i think/feel. ngo gok dak.

我可以每日都用廣東話唸嘢 i think (to myself) in Cantonese every day. ngo ho yi mui yat dou yong gong dong wa lam ye.

對唔住，我要寫D嘢先 sorry, i have to write something (now). doei m ju, ngo yiu seh di ye siin.

我希望 到一月底 就識講一D廣東話，一D有用o既，平時成日都要講o既廣東話  i hope by the end of January to be able to speak some Cantonese, some useful Cantonese, Cantonese that is spoken daily. ngo hei mang dou yat yut dei(?) jau sik gong yat di gong dong wa, yat di yau yong ge, peng si seeng yat dou yiu gong ge gong dong wa.

電視都無嘢睇，仲有幾個鐘頭先到紐約機場，好悶呀 there is nothing to watch on tv, there are still several hours to go before we land in New York, so boring. diin sii dou mou ye tai, zhom yau gei go zong tou seen dou Niu Yoek gei choeng, hou mun a.

Jacques Prévert, French poems

 

La Belle Saison

A jeun perdue glacée

Toute seule sans un sou

Une fille de seize ans

Immobile debout

Place de la Concorde

A midi le Quinze Août. 

 

Le Jardin 

Des milliers et des milliers d’années

Ne sauraient suffire

Pour dire

Le petite seconde d’éternité

Où tu m’as embrassé

Où je t’ai embrassée

Un matin dans la lumière de l’hiver

Au parc Montsouris à Paris

A Paris

Sur la terre

La terre qui est un astre.

Economy and indicators

Collecting a batch of informative or insightful speeches, documents etc. 

~~~

Speech by Peter Mandelson, EU Trade Commissioner; “A World of Opportunity: China and the future of international trade”; June 2006 at Renmin University, Beijing. http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_6024_en.htm

~~~

European innovation, problems and solutions (a collection of keywords from various sources)

• Lisbon agenda not enough?

• Market for innovative goods and services (needs action on internal market, services, regulations, culture, IPR/patent system, procurement, standards etc.)

• Focusing of resources (implies also withdrawing resources from some fields)

• Financial tools and environment, and mobilizing venture capital

• Mobility of resources, including people

• Political will and action (including real budgeting)

• Technology platforms, European Institute of Technology etc.

• Improving university-industry partnerships

• Improving national as well as EU level innovation systems and policy

~~~

Collecting a batch of economic indicators that make SENSE in analyzing a country & the global economy without going into esoteric calculations… Welcome all contributions.

• Exchange rates, dollar vs. euro etc.

• Oil prices, supply and demand

• US Federal Reserve, rates

• Stock exchange indices, quarterly and annual reports from companies

• Labor statistics

• Geopolitics
• Gold etc prices

What to do on a crazy busy day

… to make it more effective & get rid of the accumulating stress!?!

1. GET OFF WORK ON TIME!
2. Get sleep when sleepy after work.
3. Go to gym when recovered enough.
4. Sleep early.
5. Repeat.

Music discovered

New cool music (new to me!)

AIR – Moon Safari http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,323755,00.html

Mathematicians and other scientists

Jean Le Rond d’Alembert

Archimedes

Hieronymus Cardano

Cristophe (alias of Georges Colomb)

Denis Diderot

Leonhard Euler

Pierre de Fermat

Leonardo Fibonacci

James Garfield

Carl Friedrich Gauss

Christian Goldbach

Joseph Louis Lagrange

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

John Napier

Isaac Newton

Blaise Pascal

Pythagoras

Zenon

近日要開始用廣東話写0野 Starting to write in Cantonese today

就系一個學語言嘅辦法。 It’s just a method of learning language.

問題系我電腦冇繁體字或者廣東話字嘅輸入法! The problem is my computer does not have a traditional character nor Cantonese character input system!

今晚我讀左3本書:一本系老子道德经,另外系法國詩集同法國小說。 Tonight I browsed 3 books: one on Laozi Dao De Jing, one French poetry collection, and a French novel.

跟住呢，我就開始系0尼度收集一下廣東話嘅歌词啦。Will also start to collect some Cantonese song lyrics here.

我试一下翻译成英文。 I try to make an English translation *will improve it later.

 

歌曲:金银岛 Gold and Silver Island
歌手:容祖儿 Joey Yung

带备结他 半夜借去了魔女的扫把

Carrying a guitar, borrowing a witch’s broom at midnight

跟飞天猪放假 逃难禁锢去吧

On holiday with the Flying Pig of Heaven, go ahead and (??)

吃啖雪芭 与大鸟斗快飞 飞出老家

Eating… (??)

巡逻风之谷一次 秘密配制钥匙

Go once round the Valley of Wind, have a key secretly made (?)

 

不想够钟归家 不想再听废话

Don’t want to go home in time, don’t want to listen to any more nonsense

公主可会赏识我吗 不想上锁 我要疯癫疯一下

But will the prince recognize me? I don’t want to be locked up, I want (??)

 

人人逃走 这是最轰动大潮流 全体快踏上金银岛

People are running, in a tumultous torrent, stepping on the Gold Silver Island (?)

全城寻宝 你投痒 天都可以偷 不需要怕丑

The whole city is searching for the treasure. You give up to the urge. Even the heaven can be stolen. No need to be coy

人人逃走 要尽快赶及大潮流 何必坐定去等电话

People are running, trying to quickly join the torrent; what’s the use of sitting waiting for the phone to ring?

全城寻宝 我共你今晚起势偷 抢不到不放手

The whole city is searching for the treasure. (??)

 

到达了吗 要共你说说JY式笑话

Have you arrived? I want to joke with you (??)

狮子邀请你去齐齐跳跳舞吧

The Lion invites you to dance

要你狂嗌哗 你抱住你藏宝箱锁了吗

(??)

 

谁人想打开一试 马上送上钥匙

If someone wants to open it, send the key immediately.

 

火鬼放出烟花 攻击我的扫把

The devil of fire blasts fireworks to attack my broom.

身体都已布满沙 仙女散花 有你欢呼都不怕

(??)

 

人人逃走 这是最轰动大潮流 全体快踏上金银岛

People are running, in a tumultous torrent, stepping on the Gold Silver Island (?)

全城寻宝 你投痒 想偷请你偷 不需要怕丑

The whole city is searching for the treasure. You give up to the urge. Even the heaven can be stolen. No need to be coy

人人逃走 要尽快赶及大潮流 全身进入我金银岛

People are running, trying to quickly join the torrent; wholly entering my Island of Gold and Silver.

平时场面太闷 我打开这缺口 通宵也不放手

(??)

Greenhouse gas emissions trading in Europe and the world

• European emission unit trade volume around EUR 5 billion in 2005.
• Could grow several hundred percent by year 2010.
• Price has fluctuated heavily.

European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/emission.htm

International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) www.ieta.org

Pointcarbon www.pointcarbon.com

跳舞！ Dance!

Because there may be no tomorrow

http://www.gelabertazzopardi.com/pagines/english/whatis.htm

History of Estonia etc

Estonia statistics and various picks.

1/5 of the area is swamps, 1/2 forests.

• Country inhabited at least 10,000 years (I wonder if by the same people?) Oldest discovered settlement in the Pulli village near Pärnu.
• 1154 Tallinn first placed on the world map by Arabian geographer al-Idrisi.
• 13th century fights against German crusaders. In 1219 the Danes led by King Valdemar II joined in. Tallinn conquered by the Danes and called Taani Linnus by the locals.
• Coastal Swedes lived on Estonian islands and on the western coast.
• In Stenby Peace Treaty in 1238 the country was divided among the invaders: northern Estonia to the Danes and the rest to the Teutonic Order and bishoprics.
• The land was mostly feudalised to vassals of German origin, and the local people had to start paying for land usage to the manors.
• 1230 Tartu received its town bylaws.
• 1240 Dome Church consecrated in Tallinn.
• 5th April 1242 Battle on the Ice, Lake Peipus. Prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevsky defeated the Teutonic Order.
• 14th-15th centuries Tallinn gained fame as a member of the Hanseatic League.
• Estonians rebelled on 23rd April 1343. This is called the St. George’s Night Uprising.
• The Danes had had enough and a few years later King Valdemar IV sold his possessions to the Teutonic Order.
• 1404 Tallinn Town Hall built.
• 1422 Town Hall Pharmacy started operation in Tallinn. The business is still running.
• 1558 Russian Czar Ival IV declares war againts Livonia. Denmark, Poland and Sweden get involved. War lasted 25 years and the lands of Estonia again divided: northern Estonia to Sweden, southern to Poland and the Island of Saaremaa to Denmark.
• 1570-1578 Põltsamaa was capital of the Livonian vassal kingdom.
• Incidentally, the Estonians have never established a kingdom of their own.
• First half of 17th Century King Gustav II Adolph of Sweden conquered south Estonia from Poland and in the Brömsebro Peace Treaty of 1645 the island of Saaremaa was also transferred to Sweden.
• The year 1700 saw the beginning of the Northern War between Russia and Sweden. In the Nystad Peace Treaty of 1721 Estonia was ceded to Russia.
• Old Believers who left Russia arrived in Estonia; some are still living in small communities on the banks of Lake Peipus, still preserving Old Slavic church language.
• 1816-1819 dissolution of serfdom.
• 1857 Kreenholm cotton mill established. World’s most powerful waterwheel built on Narva waterfall. Local textile production got Grand Prix in the world exhibition in Paris, 1900.
• 1869 first Song Festival.
• 1892 Pühtitsa Orthodox Convent commenced.
• 24th February 1918 Estonian Independence Manifesto read in Tallinn. German occupation and war with Russia. War of Independence.
• 2nd February 1920 Russia signed a peace treaty in Tartu and recognized the new nation de jure.
• 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Soviet Union invades.
• 1941 over 10,000 people deported to Siberia.
• 1941-1944 German occupation.
• 6th March 1944 Narva town bombed nearly out of existence.
• Soviet regime restored after WW II.
• Night of 25th March over 20,000 people deported to Siberia.
• 20th August 1991 Estonian independence.

Literature:

• Kalevipoeg 

People:

• Wilhelm Ostwald, founder of physical chemistry and Nobel Prize winner
• Karl Ernst von Baer, founder of modern embryology
• Yuri Lotman, founder of the Tartu school of semiotics
• Lydia Koidula, poetess
• Raimond Valgre, musician
• Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, author of Kalevipoeg
• August Weitzenberg, sculptor
• Ants Laikmaa, Kirstjan Raud, Jakob Hurt, pioneers of national art
• Johann Köler, painter
• Amandus Adamson,painter
• Eduard Wiiralt, graphic artist

Media:

• Pärnu Postimees, first newspaper in the Estonian language, published since 1857.

Economy:

• Oil shale provides most of Estonian electric energy.

Various:

• Seto tribe, still preserving ancient customs
• Kihnu culture
• Kaali meteorite
• Kõpu lighthouse, one of the oldest in Europe

Learning Estonian is on my To Do List…

Words of advice for entrepreneurs & startups

How not to become Dot-Bomb 2.0

China travel advice (!?) i.e. random collection of restaurants, cafés, discos, health clubs and other places to visit at your own risk in China

Beijing restaurants and bars

Bookworm. Near the entrance to Sanlitun Bar Street, walk south across the road, on Nan Sanlitun Lu, turn left, it’s on your right. Books, discussions, food, drink.

Den. Just next to City Hotel, crossing of Gongti Beilu and Gongti Donglu.

Red Capital Club. www.redcapitalclub.com.cn

Han Na Shan. All kinds of roast. Tel 010-82036886, 010-82037888.

Poachers. Hidden in an alley east of the Sanlitun Bar Street www.poachers.com.cn

Le Café Igosso. European style cuisine and nice cocktails. Sometimes a live band. South from Guomao Bridge (Guomao Qiao) a few hundres meters, and to the east. Call for reservations 010-87717013.

Lemon Grass Thai & Indian restaurant, just west of Guo Mao (easy to find & hot food)

Hatsune, nice Californian Japanese food! East Guanghua Road, call for reservations 010-65813939

The Tree (formerly the Hidden Tree), Sanlitun North Bar Street, near Fish Nation, behind Poachers. Great collection of Belgian beers. Find it here www.beijingtraveltips.com/nightlife/bars/sanlitun/sanlitun_north.htm

Metro Café. Pasta Fresca. No.9 Gongti Xi Lu. Tel 010-65527828.

My House / Nei Ge. No.78 Xin Kai Lu hutong, quite near Wangfujing. An exclusive club.

Bed Tapas & Bar. No.17 Zhangwang Hutong, Jiu Gulou Dajie. Tel 010-84001554.

Rio Brazilian BBQ Restaurant & Bar. No.5-9-1 Dongzhimennei Street. Reservations preferred 010-84064368. www.riobbq.com

The Courtyard. Restaurant & art gallery. Right next to Donghuamen (east gate) of the Forbidden City. www.courtyardbeijing.com

T6 Hotpot. Several places: SOHO, Wudaokou, Wangjing.

LaiLaiken Japanese dining & bar. No.8 Xing Yuan Xi Li Zhong Road. Tel 010 64678719. www.lailaiken.net

Shanba Cafe & Lounge. A nice lounge on Xing Ba Lu at Lady’s Street (Nvrenjie), next to a lake. http://shanba.xianzai.cn

Xi He Ya Ju. Chinese cuisine in quite nice garden environment. Ritan Park northeast corner.

Fish Nation. Fish & chips in Beijing. Behind Poacher’s Inn on this map http://www.beijingtraveltips.com/nightlife/bars/sanlitun/sanlitun_north.htm

Morel’s. Good Belgian beers and food. 5 Xin Zhong Jie, opposite Gongren Tiyuguan North Gate (Workers’ Gym, not Workers’ Stadium) Closed on Mondays

RBL Icehouse. Cool music club & restaurant, door hard to find! Dong An Men Da Jie, the west end of the Wangfujing food stalls lined of on the street. Look for a glass wall.

The Pavillion. Gongti Xi Lu, west side of the road, a short walk from Babyface, Angel etc at the bowling alley complex. Latin type lounge & nice garden!

Red Moon, at Grand Hyatt Beijing. Oriental Plaza, 1 East Chang An Avenue. Music & cocktails.

Ball House. Near old Bell Tower. Play pool etc. Tel 010-64074051.

Eje bar. No.20 Guo Xue Hu Tong, nearby Lama Temple, behind Confucius Temple. (hard to find!)

Pink Loft, Asian food & drink. 6 Sanlitun South Street.

Souk, bar & restaurant. Chaoyang Park West Gate, behind Annie’s.

Asian Star. Spicy restaurant. East 3rd Ring Road, southeast of Chang Hong Qiao.

Beijing CD Jazz Club / CD Cafe. No.16 Dongsanhuan Lu, south of Agriculture Exhibition Center.

Black Jack Bar. On Xingfucun Zhong Lu, find MaLan Noodle on the south side of the street. Walk south and then turn left. You will find the bar on the left.

Bar One. East of Hilton Hotel.

Maggie’s Bar, advertises itself as “The Different Club”. South gate of Ritan Park.

Beijing discos

Alfa. 6 Xing Fu Yi Cun.

Babyface. Workers’ Stadium West Road (Gongti Xilu) Same as Shanghai & other places around China.

Angel. Next to babyface.

Club Banana. Next to Scitech Hotel.

VICS. North gate of Workers’ Stadium.

Hi-Way. 12 Chaowai Dajie. Quite near Cash Box karaoke.

Nightman. 2 Xibahe Nanli, near Radisson SAS Hotel. Tel 010-64662562, 010-64615629.

Yes Club. 16 Nan Sanlitun Lu, Tai Yue Hao Ting, 3rd floor. Always full, Chinese clientele.

Club Suzie Wong, near west gate of Chaoyang Park, www.suziewong.com.cn

Propaganda. At Wudaokou, west of the Language and Culture University in Haidian District. East edge of Huaqing Jiayuan apartment complex. Ladies night on Thursdays. Tequila night on Fridays.

Rock & Roll, south west of Pacific Century Place. Upside: always full. Find location here http://www.beijingtraveltips.com/nightlife/bars/sanlitun/sanlitun_center.htm

Beijing concerts

Forbidden City Concert Hall, in Zhongshan Park just west of Forbidden City. Call 010-65598285. Classical music.

Beijing health

Bodhi. Relaxing & professional massage. North gate of Workers’ Stadium www.bodhi.com.cn

Kang Er Yun Blind Massage Center. On Maizidian Jie, south of Lufthansa Centre across the river. Next to the gate of Sanquan Apartments. Pretty good.

Pattaya Spa / Seasons Club. No.B36, Dongzhimenwai Jie, Tel 010-84530399, 010-84530398. Less known but nice massage place, located in a residential compound so a bit hard to find.

Beijing karaokes

DeColor, east of Shuang An Shopping Centre, www.decolor.com.cn

Beijing other entertainment

Chinese Culture Club www.chinesecultureclub.org

Z&A Space Art Gallery www.zaspace.com

Shanghai restaurants and bars

Shintori. Cuisine Japonaise. Jing An Qu 803 & 805 Julu Lu, Tel 021-54045252. Xu Hui Qu, Qiuyang Lu, Tel 021-64660505.

Yong Fu Hui (The YongFoo Élite) No.200 Yongfu Lu, Tel 021-54662727.

La Bohème Cafe & Bar. 338 Chang Le Lu, 2nd floor.

Boca at the Dome; tapas & wine. No.16 Gao Nan Lu, Lu Wan District. Tel 021-53066119 .

Bar Rouge. 18 Zhongshan Dong 1 Lu, 7th floor (on the Bund) Tel 021-63391199.

Sens&Bund. 18 Zhongshan Dong 1 Lu, 6th floor (on the Bund)

M on the Bund. No.5 The Bund, 7th floor (on the corner of Guangdong Lu) Tel 021-63509988 (reservation usually needed)

La Fabrique. Building 7, No.8 Jianguo Zhong Lu, Tel 021-64151600.

Southern Cross (for members), 1276 Huai Hai Road.

Tatami Bar 045. No.21 Yongjia Lu.

Shanghai discos

Park 97. In Fuxing Gongyuan (park).

Club dkd. 438 Huaihai Zhong Lu, basement floor (corner of Lao Chongqing Zhong Lu)

Club Pegasus. 98 Huaihai Zhonglu, 2nd floor, Jin Zhong Guangchang.

Shenzhen restaurants and bars

Some restaurants at Bagualing, Bagua 3 Road and Bagua 4 Road area.

Chicago Bar, at the City Gym (Shi Tiyuguan)

Shenzhen discos

Face Cafe (i.e. Babyface), next to Lushan Hotel, quite near Pangling Hotel (former Hilton) www.faceclub.com.cn Always full.

City Bar and Longsheng Bar, must be on Aihua Road, around the area where the road connects Shennan Zhong Lu.

Ben Se (True Color), at Xin An Hotel, south end of Ren Min Lu.

Tianjin restaurants and bars

Xibu Tiantan (Western Heaven) Youyi Lu, Jiuba 1tiao Jie.

Rainbow Bar (Caihong Jiuba)

Cozy Bar (Ke Si Te)

Luan Shi Jia Ren 乱世佳人 bar and music.

Hong Kong restaurants and bars

Lang Kwai Fong – the famous bar street

Insomnia. This bar seems to be always busy.

Finds (Nordic cuisine) 33 Wyndham Street, LKF Tower, 2nd floor.

M at the Fringe. 2 Lower Albert Road, Central. www.m-atthefringe.com

Laguna Music Club & Bar. 17-21 Fenwick Street, Wanchai.

Knutsford Terrace, walk through an alley uphill from Kimberley Road and you get to this small walking street of several restaurants and bars. 

Merhaba, restaurant at Knutsford Terrace.

A restaurant near Sheung Wan MTR station on Hong Kong island. Someone told me they have good noodles cheap

 

According to weekday

MONDAYS Beijing Kerry Center Centro Bar “Mojito Mondays”

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS Beijing Kerry Center Centro Bar “Martini Wednesdays”

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Noam Chomsky quotes

These are quotes from the book “Imperial Ambitions”, first published in 2005.

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You aren’t supposed to learn that dedicated, committed effort can bring about significant changes of consciousness and understanding. That’s a very dangerous idea, and therefore it’s been wiped out of history.

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In a 1919 essay called “The Sociology of Imperialisms,” the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter wrote:

There was no corner of the world where some interest was not alleged to be in danger or under actual attack. If the interests were not Roman, they were of Rome’s allies; and if Rome had no allies, then allies would be invented. When it was utterly impossible to contrive such an interest-why, then it was the national honor that was insulted. The fight was always invested with an aura of legality. Rome was always being attacked by evil-minded neighbors, always fighting for breathing space. The whole world was pervaded by a host of enemies, and it was manifestly Rome’s duty to guard against their indubitably aggressive designs.

(Interesting that Schumpeter is quoted here… He is supposedly the father of entrepreneurship studies, and of the idea of creative destruction. -blog author-)

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(question to Chomsky) The Italian socialist Antonio Gramsci wrote, “A main obstacle to change is the reproduction by the dominated forces of elements of the hegemonic ideology. It is an important and urgent task to develop alternative interpretations of reality.” How does someone develop “alternative interpretations of reality”?

I deeply respect Gramsci, but I think it’s possible to paraphrase that comment – namely, just tell the truth. Instead of repeating ideological fanaticism, dismantle it, try to find out the truth, and tell the truth. It’s something any one of us can do. Remember, intellectuals internalize the conception that they have to make things seem complicated. Otherwise what are they around for? It’s worth asking yourself what’s really so complicated? Gramsci is a very admirable person, but take that statement and try to translate it into simple English. How complicated is it to understand the truth or to know how to act?

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Social Security is based on a principle that is considered subversive and that has to be driven out of people’s heads: the principle that you care about other people… There is huge pressure to turn people into pathological monsters who care only about themselves, who don’t have anything to do with anyone else, and who therefore can be very easily ruled and controlled. That’s what lies behind the attack on Social Security. And it reflects a deep imperative that runs through the whole doctrinal system.…

They have to make sure that the people they are ruling do not understand that they actually have the power. That is the fundamental principle of government.

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At some point, people recognize what the structure of power and domination is and commit to doing something about it. That’s the way every change in history has taken place. How that happens, I can’t say. But we all have the power to do it.

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Guilt can be a way of preventing action. You comfort yourself by saying, “Look how noble I am. I confessed that I did something wrong, and now I’m free.”

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We’re being oppressed. And in fact that’s a strain that goes right through U.S. history. There’s a book by Bruce Franklin, a literary theorist, that traces this strain through American popular literature, going back to the colonists. We are always just on the verge of extinction. We’re being attacked by demonic enemies who are just about to overwhelm us, and then, at the last minute some superhero or amazing weapon appears and we’re able to save ourselves.

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That is a constant refrain of imperialism. You have your jackboot on someone’s neck and they’re about to destroy you. The same is true with any form of oppression. And it’s psychologically understandable. If you’re crushing and destroying someone, you have to have a reason for it, and it can’t be, I’m a murderous monster. It has to be self-defense. I’m protecting myself against them. Look what they’re doing to me. Oppression gets psychologically inverted: the oppressor is the victim who is defending himself.

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Many of the basic institutions of our society are totally illegitimate. Do corporations have to be controlled by management and owners and dedicated to the welfare of stockholders instead of being controlled by the people who work in them and dedicated to the community and the workers? It’s not a law of nature.

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Some media mentioned in the book:

Alternative Radio www.alternativeradio.org

The Boston Globe www.boston.com

Financial Times www.ft.com

Harvard International Review http://hir.harvard.edu/

The New York Times www.nytimes.com