BEDiD 1: Blog Every Day in December

Well, hasn't it been a long time?

Believe me when I say I have missed you, the Internet, the videos, the blogs, the comments, the scathing hate, the unadulterated praise, the healthy banter, all of it. And as a result of me missing it (especially in recent months) I have decided, not on a storming comeback, but on a steady drip, drip, drip back into the virtual world of the Interwebz. This little mini-project, Blog Every Day in December (BEDiD, as I shall now name it) is the first step in getting me back on the proverbial wagon.

See, I feel all excited already, I have a 'project'! It's like I'm Dan 3.0... just without Revision 3 or the plethora of fans.

December, I hope, is going to be a particularly interesting month for me. I shall be finishing my third semester here at Nanjing University, having a Chinese Christmas and going travelling at the end of the month. I also hope to be set to return to YouTube in the new year (fingers crossed), so I should have plenty to talk about.

If, however, you would like me to talk about anything in particular (just like the good old days, ah, remember when I made videos and we talked? Good times) then send me an email to rhymingwithoranges@gmail.com.

At the end of each post I will have a lighthearted little entry in what I hope to soon become The Great Book of Chinglish, comprising of words that friends of mine and I have come accustomed to using when we live in China, but when used amongst non-Chinese speaking friends, are generally greeted with confusion.

The Great Book of Chinglish, Entry 1.

Buzh - [booj/ booge]

Chinese Root/ 不知道 ， bù zhīdào

Meaning/ "I don't know"

Use/
Mary: Would you agree with Mao's declaration that capitalism is all dogs' farts?

Da pi: Buzh, I never read that red book thing, I went to the shops and all they had was the French version...

"I Love British Culture"

If I am frank, I am not Katy Perry's greatest fan. In an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine today she likens herself to Christian rockers who are, "doing it because it is their ministry," singing to tell stories and, "change people's lives." I'm not sure whose lives, other than those of teenage boys, have been changed by candy floss erupting from her bosom or her proclamation of kissing girls and liking it. I don't think her 'teachings' can be compared to the word of God. I am not going to pretend to be religious, but I at least appreciate that Christian rockers probably practice what they preach by going to church and stuff, not once in that whole video did I see Ms. Perry even French-kiss another girl.

For the record, I quite liked Hot 'n' Cold.

For those of you that don't know, Perry is dating and will apparently soon marry the British comedian and actor, Russell Brand. During the for-mentioned interview, when talking about her love of the eccentricities that hail from our little isles she says, “I love British culture.” But, Ms. Perry, do tell us what it is about our people that you enjoy so very much, “... it [Britain] continues to hold onto its manners, people still seem to give a shit about social status and it seems like they really don't want to be embarrassed.” She then adds as an afterthought, “I mean, English girls are sometimes the dirtiest girls. I only know that because my boyfriend has had a few... interactions.”

Okay, so she got the last bit right, but I find it very hard to identify with the other three for the following reasons; my family at dinner time, the fact Nikki from Big Brother is probably more popular than Camilla Parker Bowles and the extent of sillyness that surrounds every Red Nose Day.

It is, of course, not Katy's fault. The view she has of my country is that of the very traditional, stiff-upper-lipped Britain of about sixty years ago, and a view that many across the world still hold. Often, when foreigners discover my nationality (usually as soon as I open my mouth), coos of, 'English gentleman', 'top hats' and 'tea' fill my ears. Granted, I drink an awful lot of tea, but I believe the traditional English gentleman is well and truly dead.

I don't think this is sad, I just think our culture has changed somewhat since the 1950s, but we have not managed to convey that to the rest of the world. Also I think we are still struggling to decide what British culture is for ourselves; curry or fish and chips, Glastonbury or Notting Hill, London or the North. It is a topic that reappears every now and again in the media, I have even touched, and lamented about our lack of ability to pin it down in the past. But no more.

I particularly like Britishness because it is not defined by a sushi roll, an Eiffel tower or a national dream. For me now, Britishness includes our liberal attitude towards lifestyle, politics and opinions. Our wide range of national papers are a testament to this. We create some of the best music and art in the Western world, coupled with some of the greatest educational institutions on the planet. We have a killer sense of humour, I know no other group of people who is so ready to make a fool of themselves for a laugh. I can't think of many nationalities that will sit on a surfboard in the freezing cold, pouring rain and then describe the situation as beautiful.

What is it that you think makes us British? Whether you are foreign or not, I would be curious to know.

The above may seem a bit jumbled. Maybe I am just feeling rather patriotic because I am back home for the last time until I come back from China next summer... again. Katy Perry just ticked me off a little, that's all.

Jack Perry

When I first arrived in Madrid to take part in the internship that I subsequently quit to go volunteer on a farm, I was put up by a friend of my fathers who works at the British embassy.

Saying that makes me sound a lot better connected than I actually am.

During the few days I stayed with her in her apartment we had a couple of evenings chatting over a late-night cup-o-tea. It turned out we had one massive thing in common; China.

It turned out her Grandfather, Jack Perry, was one of the pioneers of British-Chinese trade after the Second World War. It was by no means made easy for him; there were American lead embargos and boycotts, hostility from HongKongese companies that saw themselves as the bridge between Britain and China as well as general wariness of anyone willing to do business with the Commies. You can read a bio of this fantastic man on the China-British Business Council website here.

It just so happens that he wrote a book, which I have just finished reading, and is one of the most refreshing accounts of 20th century China I have ever read. Despite coming from a business background he does not address solely this area. He muses about the philosphy of the country and tells many great stories; from his first ever long train ride from the South to the North of the country, to the time his wife had a chat with Che Guevara.

He is very pro-Chinese, occasionally to the point of excess (he scoots over the horrors of the cultural revolution and practically defends Tian'anmen Square and blames it on America), but his approach to Chinese socialism is a breath of fresh air when compared to the constant barrage of criticism made on the country by modern, Western, mainstream media.

I am pretty sure his book, From Brick Lane to the Forbidden City, is out of print and practically impossible to find, but I wanted to write this blog about it to urge you to search out alternative points of view on the country that seems to have come to dominate my life. I am not one to defend some of the stuff that happened in the cultural revolution, Tian'anmen Square, the Uighur riots of last year or those in Tibet in 2008, but by reading accounts that are able to defend them, my own view of the country becomes more rounded and balanced.

For the love of God, don't judge the country on the Guardian.co.uk China collumn.

Even if you seek out and read what you know is controlled propoganda, at least then you can understand the intentions of what is soon going to be the most powerful nation on Earth.

And of course, if you are ever fortunate enough to come across Jack's book, don't hesitate to pick it up.

Post SitC Woofing

First things first, watch this. It's a fantastic summary video of Summer in the City 2010 by CasioClark. I appear in it a couple of times, waving my hands about and shouting... which is pretty standard for me at SitC events.

SitC this year was especially important for me, because it was the first time I have seen my virtual friends since last summer, and it's also the last time I will see them until next years event. Lots of long hugs were had and I'm gutted for all the people who couldn't come; NSG, whataboutadam, MissYau etc. But it was exactly what I needed in the middle of this long hot summer... and it's 95 degrees in the shade...

I am ashamed for quoting Girls Aloud. Apologies.

So, I've been in Madrid for the past six weeks or so. I've kinda kept that under my belt. Unintentionally of course. I have to do at least 8 weeks here as part of my Uni course, so was here on an internship with an media company. I won't go into details, wouldn't be professional and all that, but due to the circumstances in which I was working and a dodgy relationship with the boss I decided to quit. So for the past week and a half or so I have been jobless, trying desperately to find something to do with my time. I tried charities, other internships, but no one seemed to be hiring or looking for help. To be fair, it's also Madrid in at the beginning of August, half the businesses close down for the holidays.

I have ended up settling on wwoofing my last couple of weeks here. Wwoofing (Willing workers on organic farms) is an organisation based around a website where willing workers (volunteers) work on organic farms... funnily enough. You get put up and looked after in exchange for doing various jobs around the farm. I have wanted to do this for ages. It was an option when I was touring Japan, and I was thinking of doing it around New Zealand next summer after I finish my second year in China. But I had a good friend from Uni doing it so I thought I would join her, so in a couple of hours I will be on a bus bound for Barcelona, arrive there in the morning, and hopefully be on the farm by tomorrow afternoon or early evening.

One annoying thing was that I went food shopping only a couple of days ago. This was all very last minute by the way. And so I have been eating like a pig so I don't get rotting vegetables in my cupboard when I get back. Not that it has mattered that much, loads of my carrots, my lettuce and all my pork chops went off prematurely over the last couple of days. I was very annoyed.

On another note, I haven't mentioned the house that I'm staying in! It's wonderful. It's all a bit touch and go because not all the people are here because it's summer, and people have been arriving and leaving as the rooms switch over, but it's full of young people from all over Europe. A good few of them are artists, and all very friendly. It's very similar to L'Auberge Espagnole if anyone has ever seen it, just in Madrid, not Barcelona.

I wish I had a camera so I could show photos of my time here. When I have money I will be sure to invest.

I will update when I have things to update. I'm not taking my laptop to Catalunya because I think some time offline will do me good. Which may seem ironic to those of you who are still waiting on new RWO videos. I still haven't managed to sort out the technological difficulties on that front. Sorry.

In the mean time, a photo from SitC

Ciao

杰

SitC

Some of you may know that I am one of the organisers for the largest YouTube gathering in Europe, Summer in the City, which will be taking place next weekend between the 6th and 8th of August.

One of my bigger jobs is that of editor of the SitC Publication, which is a guide/ magazine/ souvenir for the weekend with articles, information and pretty pictures. If all goes smoothly there will be a publication this year as well (touch wood) for which I have the great privilage of writing the forward. I thought I would give you all a little teaser of the publication by posting part of my forward here. Enjoy, and I will see you next weekend.

Nearly a year has gone by and my, look how we’ve grown. In twelve short months our little community has changed so much that some may even question the relevance of a gathering like Summer in the City for a community that is constantly morphing and changing.

For those of us that have been here for a while, YouTube has in many cases either had to take a back seat as our ‘real’ lives develop, or has grown to become our livelihoods and careers. I myself have spent the last year in China, so my life online has had to take a back seat. I have become somewhat detached from the core of the site; I’m not sure who everyone is watching, what companies have been cosying up to us lately and I have no idea where all the stars have gone. However, I have deliberately planned my summer so that I will be in London for this gathering, why?

At the beginning gatherings, I’m thinking back to 2007, were a way to geek out with people who had the same interests as you, with whom you shared hobbies, ambitions and idols. As time went on these people became not just our YouTube friends, but some of the most important people in our lives; our flatmates, our boyfriends and girlfriends, our support network for when we broke up with these boyfriends and girlfriends.

This process begins at every single YouTube meet-up. Whenever it is someone’s first gathering, they are meeting people that may become long standing features of their world. YouTube attracts a certain kind of person; we’re all a bit too nerdy for our own good, we all like meeting new people and we all like to show off a bit. No matter how much YouTube changes, no matter how commercial it will or will not become, whether you call them a Pogotribe, Nerdfighters or just plain YouTubers, this kind of person will still be coming to these kinds of meet-ups. For the foreseeable future, I will still be coming to these meet-ups, whether my channel lays neglected or not, because the people you meet at YouTube gatherings are often some of the most quirky, fascinating and loyal people you will ever meet.

Explanation...

You all deserve an explanation for my absence. I feel terrible about it, and trust me, it isn't by choice. I have missed blogging and making videos, but crappy circumstances have been the bane of my existence.

This is going to be long winded and not very interesting. For those of you uninterested, I will try blogging more often on here in the coming months.

I was planning on taking a break after the election videos anyway. I had exams coming up and needed to knuckle down, try and pass a few of them, etc. But when I was making my last video for that series the problems started, hence why Adam stood in for me.

I had filmed my video, in fact it is still on my camera, but editing software and this good for nothing computer decided to start being incompatible with my camera footage for the first time in over three years. I don't understand different types of video or file sizes and stuff very much, but I know that in order for me to be able to edit my videos in Windows Movie Maker, which I have used my whole time on YouTube, I had to pass the whole file through the software to make the file smaller before I cane edit it without pauses at each cut. For whatever reason, when I try and pass the original file from the camera through WMM now, it cuts out half way through. Ergo, nothing to edit.

So I left that for a few weeks, focusing on Chinese and graduating for a while and not worrying about it, thinking it was a one time thing. But then when I started trying to do some things for JazzainChina, the same thing happened. WMM, the simplest but what, for me, had been so reliable to me, had decided to pack in. I even tried downloading newer and older versions of the software. No luck, same problem.

A friend of mine in China is a film major and helped me install a version of Adobe Premier Pro CS4. To be honest, I have no idea how to use it properly, even after a crash course with Paul over last weekend. I have the same problem. Even when I render everything, I get a pause at every cut, or the video freezes as the audio continues.

So yeah, this is why I haven't been around at all. And sorry for my general absence from the internet. I want to be back.

If anyone has any advice, please let me know in the comments or send me an email at rhymingwithoranges@gmail.com

杰

Korean Revision

I have been absent from the Internet for a while. For this I should probably apologise. I would like to think that it was a conscious decision to focus more on my studying in the run up to the exam period, but now I look back I do feel I have to ask myself if I have pulled my finger out and got work done.

I was in South Korea with Adam for the past ten days. It was impulse buying in its most spectacular form. I was talking to Adam on Skype, he was talking about going to Korea, I decided I fancied a holiday, I had just received my student loan, so five minutes later I was booked on a plane to Seoul. I then soon realised this holiday was the week before my exams started, but you know what? Bugger it, I had an awesome time.

I was a good boy in Korea though. More or less every d

ay we found Adam a department store to go and wonder round for an hour or two so I could sit in a cafe and work my way through my HSK vocabulary. Here is proof.

Korea was just what I needed though, even if it did stifle my productivity a little. I had a nice step back and China feels fresh again, I missed greasy food and soup noodles.

I go home two weeks today. There will be a wedding, hopefully some gatherings and some meetings, then I am off to Spain for work experience. This end stretch is passing far too quickly.

I'm now off to have some sangria with a Japanese friend of mine who is going home. Tata!