Zhujiajiao, A Water Village

Zhujiajiao, an ancient rural village one hour ride off the metropolis Shanghai is a popular hot spot for primarily local residents. It is however becoming more and more popular among foreign tourists in recent years.

Its main attraction are the few canals which flow through the village. There are tens of bridges which link one part of the village to another. Each of those bridges is unique in terms of design, size and construction material. Other attractions are the ancient clan houses of the rich cramped together along the narrow alleys.

When strolling through the narrow alleys you may imagine that you have gone back in time to Medieval China. By the sight of the ancient clan houses houses, of which some date back few hundred years. You may feel as if you are walking on the film set of a Chinese martial art movie where out of the sudden some weird ninja jumps off from the roof to collar you.

After exploring Zhujiajiao visitors are supposed to dine in at the small cosy restaurants and eateries along the quays where dishes from the local rural cuisine are served. The food ingredients such as tiny snails and crayfishes also come from the waters in and around the village. Some foreign tourists may be scared off by the sight of those weird looking small species.

Local folks seem to hang out late after past 10 pm. The main town square is getting crowded where there is a festive atmosphere and upbeat music sounding loudly from loudspeakers. The square is further lit up by colorful light bulbs hanging above the restaurants and shops. Some locals indulgent themselves in partying where they burst out in some ballroom dancing spontaneously.

Since we have a long ride ahead back to Shanghai, we feel sorry that we have to leave now when it is getting real fun in Zhujiajiao. Not far from the main entrance of the village we come across a few police officers on motorbikes. They seem to be keeping a close eye watching the partygoers in Zhujiajiao.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Voyeurism in Malaysia

Earlier this month there was a row when a journalist discovered that the CCTV camera was zooming in on the thigs of reporter Melissa Darlyne Chow. It happened at the municipal council of the city of Penang, reports the Malaysian paper The Star. It was again another incident of voyeurism where females became victim of peeping in Malaysia.

In August last when the magazine Easy Finder published photos of Hong Kong star Gillian Chung which were taken illegally, it had sparked a public outrage. The pictures were taken when she was changing dresses while performing at a concert in Genting.

In October last year a short video footage was circulated where a nude woman was shown while doing knee-ups at a police station. The video was clandestinely shot by a handphone. It provoked strong protest from ethnic Chinese in Malaysia and from mainland China as the lady peeped was erroneously taken as a Chinese national.

In the case of reporter Chow the political leader of the orthodox islamic PAS party further fueled the anger by his remark that females who were dressed “too sexy” were to blame themselves as their attire might provoke sexual harassment.

Yee Chuen Leung

Chief Editor

Oasis Hong Kong

The new low budget airline Oasis Hong Kong has incurred delay on her inaugural flight due to Russia's refusal on over-flight rights today, reports the South China Morning Post.

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is the first low budget long haul airline in service. It will offer non-stop flights to London, Berlin, Bonn/Cologne and Chicago.

A Personal Profile

The Dutch labour market has been known as a rigid one. Under the rule of the right wing government, however, signs of change have been noticeable. How do those changes affect those who want to make a mid-career change? Michiel, a bachelor from Amsterdam in his late thirties, graduated in law last year. Until today he is still looking for a post as lawyer apprentice. Here he shares his personal experience.

Could you introduce yourself?
I am someone who loves to take charge of my own decisions and to take initiatives. I try to enjoy life as much as I can. Literature and culture are my favourite pastime. So are dining out and drinking in the pub as well. I don´t have a real passion of my own. At the present moment, my job with the bank is my passion.

You are thirty seven right now and you have already got a considerable career as a financial advisor. When you were thirty however you started to study law. Why?
When I was twenty, I got my own business which didn´t go well. I built up a lot of debts and was in financial need. I managed to get a job as financial advisor with a brokerage firm. My career went smoothly but after three years of working I felt like looking for a change. I decided to take a sabbatical. After that break I was going to disliked my job which as I thought it was getting too commercial for me. At that time I had a close contact with a legal firm which worked in the social advocacy. They sometimes referred clients to us for things like a new mortgage application. The social advocacy was intriguing to me,. E especially, rendering legal services to those who cannot afford them. I believe that this is one of the pillars of our legal system.

While being a student you got a part time job. What obstacles did you face? What kept you going?
In the beginning I got a busy job. It was hard not to do overtime. Also, I oftenly did not take breaks regularly time to pause so that I became too much stressfuled when I arrived at the lessons. Therefore, I have learned to be stricter toward my working time.

You told said that you want to become an advocate. Why?
As an advocate one must be assertive, have an independent mind and be creative. I believe I have all that takes. In advocacy, it´s all about dealing with people, and that is something I love to do. It really matters me that things I do may contribute to the society as a whole.

What is your experience of making a mid-career change in your life? What obstacles do you come accross? For instance: age discrimination, a tough labour market and such.
None of these. I only have only troubles with my private life. Being a novice in the advocacy, I have to take a substantial salary cut. I don´t believe there are things like age discrimination. But However I could imagine that an advocate of twenty seven year old has got problems with recruiting an apprentice who is ten years older than him. But at the other hand, those people are mature enough to know how to handle this.

What would you advise to those who also consider a mid-career change?
Just do it. Step out of your comfort zone if that prevents you from further personal development.

You graduated on the thesis “Asylum Law”. Why?
Asylum Law is like social advocacy, one of those check and balances in our legal system. It is an area of law which is beyond the scope of the public. Asylum seekers form a social group who are diverse, and who lack political representation in our society. Thus, their cause is usually at the mercy of our judges. From the legal and humane point of view it is an interesting and important area of law.

What is your personal view on the working of the Dutch legal system?
I will limit myself to the Asylum Law. It can and it should be much better. The present proceedings are mainly aimed at extraditing people. It is not the law that causes this situation but the minister and officers in charge. The law provides sufficient fair remedies for the asylum seeker in order to plead for his cause. My thesis focuses on the dismissal of appeal cases in which an applicant is emotionally unfit to defend his cause on the first hearing. Due to the time pressure put on those fast track proceedings the human aspect is oftenly completely overlooked. The proceedings do not take into account with the emotional, cultural and language-barrier aspects which interrupt the process of fact findings for the judge.

What is your personal device?
To enjoy my work, don´t plan too far ahead but keep on looking forpursuing personal growth.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Peer-to-peer Internet TV

A new trend has turned up on the World Wide Web: peer-to-peer streaming internet tv (p2p tv). Although streaming tv has already been on the internet for many years but what we see here now is a completely new phenomenon.

This tv streaming is based on the socalled peer-to-peer technology and is similar to the widely used Bittorrent. The special thing about p2p tv is that the picture quality improves when more viewers are watching. Let’s take a closer look and find out how this stuff works.

Most of those services are provided by streaming tv enterprises in mainland China. The most popular ones are PPLive, PPStream, TVAnts, Sopcast and TVKoo. Since the services are in Chinese most of the tv channels offered are from Greater China, Korea and Japan. It can still be interesting for those who do not understand Chinese as there are also channels like the HBO, ESPN and CNN available.

From our tests we found out that PPLive and PPStream are less stable to use. They frequently make your computer hanging. But the number of channels offered are huge. TVAnts and TVKoo however are doing a better job. They appeared to be more stable and their sound and picture quality are good. Unfortunately, their number of channels are fewer.
Another thing that we have to consider is the legal aspect. Although the main chunk of the channels offered are free-to-air channels, the Chinese services are violating copy rights as they broadcast pay tv like the HBO and ESPN without permissions.

So, with p2p tv streaming we are at the brink of a revolution when it comes to watching digital television. As yet, we have to live with Chinese tv entertainment. The enjoyment and the risks involved are for the user’s own account.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Memoirs Of A Geisha II

The Woes

In early January 2006 the movie was banned in mainland China. After tarrying for awhile the Chinese authorities has made up their mind: Memoirs Of A Geisha is not to be released in China.

Why? The main reason must be found in the fact that celebrated Chinese actresses such as Zhang Zhiyi and Gong Li are casted for the key characters in the movie. They played a role as a geisha in pre-war Japan. Since there is a strong anti-Japanese resentment among the Chinese audience the Chinese government was nervous that the movie might trigger a new wave of anti-Japanese protests.

Another reason belies in the story itself. Zhang Zhiyi being a geisha fell in love with a businessman who was sent as a soldier of the Japanese army to Manchuria. Since it refers to the brutal Japanese occupation of China during the Second World War it would absolutely not acceptable to the Chinese audience.

The thing that may be the most sensitive is the fact that those Chinese actresses being geishas served and entertained Japanese men. It easily recalls the memories of the socalled comfort women: Chinese women who were forced into sex slavery and to render sex services to Japanese military during the war. It is still a matter that anger the Chinese nowadays. Especially, the lack of repentance by the Japanese on the issue further fuels the anger and resentment towards Japan.

The release of The Memoirs Of A geisha in China may scratch open the old wounds.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Belgian Football

Tonite the Dutch tv featured a report on how Chinese maffia managed to infiltrate and to control some Belgian premier league football clubs. By this they can make huge profits by gambling on football matches on internet.

The key role is the Chinese called Zheyun Ye from Shanghai. He seems to be a front of the powerful Chinese internet gambling triads in Shanghai. Ye made his way in at least two Belgian clubs La Louviere and Lierse. Since the fall of 2005 and early 2006 there have been some notable soccer matches. La Louviere lost a number of matches in a row. So were the spare goalkeeper and the worse players sent to the matches.

A British internet bookmaker found that there were irregularities in those matches. The stakes appeared to be unusual high for those normally seen as regular matches in the Belgian league. The bookmaker alerted the Belgian football federation but to no avail. There was no any response from the last one.

It is said that Ye bribed the management and some players of those clubs. Ye demanded that when and with how many goals La Louviere and Lierse should lose a match. By controlling the outcomes of those matches gamblers in China made huge profits in hundred thousands of euros.

The Belgian public prosecution service and the football federation have just decided to launch a thorough inspection in those rumours on bribing by Chinese triads.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Winter In Lisbon

When one listens to the melancholic Fado songs lamenting the past glory and the lost love in Lisbon and watches the Portuguese people’s faces showing some senses of lack of pride it intrigues one to question where the traces of the past grandour and wealth of this nation have gone.

Disembarking the aircraft one may be pleased by the surprising mild winter sunshine and blue sky above the city of Lisbon. The airport is located not far from downtown of the Portuguese capital. A bus trips may take 20 minutes and the fare is cheap.

Lisbon is built on top of hills. The old downtown Baíxa faces the riverbank of the river Tagus and is surrounded by quarters on higher hills such as Alfama and Bairro Alto. The main shopping street Rua Augusta runs from Baíxa accross the adjacent quarter Chiado and ends up at the huge square Praça dom Predro IV.

A walk along the waterfront esplanade along the vast river Tagus in the quarter of Belém is a welcome break from the bustling downtown Baíxa. From the waterfront esplanade one may take a grasp to the huge sculpture Padrão dos Descobrimentos. The landmark honors the great Portuguese seafarers who did great discoveries in the past.

For art lovers the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is a real must-go. Located inside a green quiet park in the quarter of Sao Sebastao it is like an haven of peace amid the crowded traffic. The museum has a rich collection of art items from the Greco-Roman, East Islamic, Armenian and Oriental civilisation. A great deal of its collection was a legacy from a wealthy businessman from Armenian origin. The admittance fee is 3 euro each.

The ancient castle, Castelo de Sao Jorge, is surely worth a visit. Built on top of a hill it provides an awesome view on the entire Lisbon and the river Tagus. Once a citadel built on Roman ruins it has become a popular tourist attraction nowadays. A greater excitement is the sight of the mansions on route to the castle. Their walls are richly ornamented with cheerful colored ceramic tiles. It is a real indulgement of this lavish display of gorgeous ceramic tiles which give the mansions a near enchanting look.

For the enthusiastic admirer of Portuguese tiles one may hop on to the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, the national museum of ceramic tiles. Located slightly further away from town, the museum can be reached by a few buses. Going by cab remains however the easiest way to get there. The museum has a vast collection of ceramic tiles. It tells the history of the tiles manufacturing in Portugal since the 17th century. Housed in the convent of former queen Leonor the building itself is ornamented with gorgeous tiles.

A visit to Lisbon in December can be more than a pleasant enjoyment of the mild winter sun but also an interesting discovery of the rich cultural inheritage and historical architecture of the Portuguese capital.

Yee Chuen Leung
Chief Editor

Memoirs Of A Geisha

The Prologue

The 2nd of March this year the movie "Memoirs Of A Geisha" is due to be released in the Netherlands. I happen to be reading this novel from a book I borrowed in November last year. I am really curious to see how the film will be compared to the book.

According to a review I read the movie omitted the years when the main character Chiyo (in the movie she is referred to as Sayuri) underwent hardship to become a succesful geisha at the end.

The remarkable thing about the movie so far I know is that the main characters are played by celebrated Chinese actresses like Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li. Also, the whole film was shot primarily in California although the story happened in Japan in the early 20s of last century. Anyway, I am very looking forward to watch "Memoirs Of A Geisha".

Yee Chuen Leung

Chief Editor