Comments on: No-go zones: what we avoid talking (and writing) about in Tianjin http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin A cross-cultural adventure with the personal side of China. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:34:37 +0000 hourly 1 By: Joel http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin/comment-page-1#comment-3268 Joel Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:05:13 +0000 http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin#comment-3268 Who knows. I have to admit I really have no idea how the people we see everyday perceive us. Their life experience is so vastly different from mine - even from each other, if we compare today's 20-somethings with today's 50-somethings. I hope to have her writeup done for the Dec. issue. For the blog I think I'll just post excerpts from the interview so it can be in her own words. Who knows. I have to admit I really have no idea how the people we see everyday perceive us. Their life experience is so vastly different from mine – even from each other, if we compare today’s 20-somethings with today’s 50-somethings.

I hope to have her writeup done for the Dec. issue. For the blog I think I’ll just post excerpts from the interview so it can be in her own words.

]]> By: Q http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin/comment-page-1#comment-3265 Q Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:07:33 +0000 http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin#comment-3265 fascinating! I can't help contrasting the hesitation (in PRC) to share openly about "shameful" things with the cathartic, proactive voices in Cambodia. 丑事不对外传, because Confucius taught us so. I am certain that there are heaps of people enduring their disenfranchised situations, mostly in silence. Joel, I agree with you about the possible reasons for her choice to disclose these things. Perhaps your arriving to chat, without an interpreter, made her feel that you are genuinely trying to hear her side of a story? fascinating! I can’t help contrasting the hesitation (in PRC) to share openly about “shameful” things with the cathartic, proactive voices in Cambodia. 丑事不对外传, because Confucius taught us so.

I am certain that there are heaps of people enduring their disenfranchised situations, mostly in silence. Joel, I agree with you about the possible reasons for her choice to disclose these things. Perhaps your arriving to chat, without an interpreter, made her feel that you are genuinely trying to hear her side of a story?

]]> By: Joel http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin/comment-page-1#comment-3240 Joel Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:40:19 +0000 http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin#comment-3240 She knew she was being interviewed for a magazine. I'd given her a couple older issues as examples so she could see the other Regular Zhous. I didn't get the feeling that she was deliberately trying to get me to publish a bunch of negative opinions - in fact I assume she's trusting to just write a nice story like the others. Why did she share a bunch of negative stuff? One reason maybe has to do with me being a foreigner and 'out of the loop' - so in a way I'm a safe person to vent to; no fear of making waves within her personal network. A second reason that I suspect is that her generation is full of people like this. Aside from the one older guy who appeared in the <a href="http://chinahopelive.net/2008/07/18/tianjins-old-hundred-names-on-the-olympics" target="http://chinahopelive.net/2008/07/18/tianjins-old-hundred-names-on-the-olympics" rel="nofollow">Tianjin Laobaixing Olympic video</a> (who seemed to give a lot of sincere but canned answers), the other people of that generation I talked with were either indifferent or negative toward the Olympics (and this was an Olympic city!). Her opinion isn't rare, but maybe people have precious few places they can vent. She knew she was being interviewed for a magazine. I’d given her a couple older issues as examples so she could see the other Regular Zhous. I didn’t get the feeling that she was deliberately trying to get me to publish a bunch of negative opinions – in fact I assume she’s trusting to just write a nice story like the others.

Why did she share a bunch of negative stuff? One reason maybe has to do with me being a foreigner and ‘out of the loop’ – so in a way I’m a safe person to vent to; no fear of making waves within her personal network. A second reason that I suspect is that her generation is full of people like this. Aside from the one older guy who appeared in the Tianjin Laobaixing Olympic video (who seemed to give a lot of sincere but canned answers), the other people of that generation I talked with were either indifferent or negative toward the Olympics (and this was an Olympic city!). Her opinion isn’t rare, but maybe people have precious few places they can vent.

]]> By: Albert http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin/comment-page-1#comment-3239 Albert Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:03:30 +0000 http://chinahopelive.net/2008/09/19/no-go-zones-what-we-avoid-talking-and-writing-about-in-tianjin#comment-3239 Most juicy indeed! "Be careful because she's right" is quite an interesting statement. Did this Zhou know she was being interviewed for a blog and therefore went off on a kind of soapbox? Why did she tell you so many things that other people considered so volatile? Most juicy indeed! “Be careful because she’s right” is quite an interesting statement. Did this Zhou know she was being interviewed for a blog and therefore went off on a kind of soapbox? Why did she tell you so many things that other people considered so volatile?

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