How about the New York Times for breakfast, NPR for lunch, Drudge for dinner, and CSPAN for a bedtime snack – just in time to hear the opening gavel in the House and Senate?

Just because I live in China doesn’t mean that I can’t still feed the political junkie within me. All of these news services – and more – are available to anyone in China who has a computer, or in my case, an Iphone.

Yes, Facebook and Twitter are still blocked in China.  Although, if I really want to spend hours and hours perusing my friends’ personal lives – finding out who is sleeping with who and who threw a pillow at me – I can use a special proxy to access these services.

More on that later.

But when it comes to news and information, the growing population of English speakers in China has a whole new world in front of them. A world relatively free of the heavy censorship that controls the Chinese media.

Let’s take the issue of the famous Tiananmen Square massacre as an example. Even 20 years later, this is supposedly one of the most sensitive political topics in China.

Open up Google.cn, Google’s search engine page in China, and enter in the words ‘Tiananmen Square Massacre 1989.’

In China, some of these first 10 results are not working or they redirect to a page that clearly shows that the content has been removed. However, even on the first page, there is enough information to whet someone’s appetite.

Take this webpage, for example, which states that “following the conflict, the government conducted widespread arrests of protesters and their supporters, cracked down on other protests around China, banned the foreign press from the country and strictly controlled coverage of the events in the PRC press.”

This particular page may not give specific details about what happened on that fateful day, but the farther you move away from the first results page, the clearer the picture becomes.

Like on Page 4, where Google links to a blog entry containing an English article which refers to the events on that day as a ’slaughter’ and talks about people trying to outrun tanks in Beijing.

The real question is, how many people in China make it past the first page of search results?

And then there are proxies – a  server that allows internet users to browse sites that may be blocked by content filters

I had never even heard of using a proxy until I came to China.

The first person to introduce me to a proxy was a fellow teacher, in his twenties, who wanted to access the BBC – a website that was blocked when I first arrived in China.

Anyone in China who has the desire to access a blocked website can do it with relative ease – and for free. There are literally hundreds of services that can bypass the Chinese censors.

The key to all of this, as I have already alluded to, is the ability to read English.

The Chinese government may be very efficient at erasing politically harmful Chinese content off the web and out of reach of even proxies, but it has little control over English content that is posted in other countries.

Or even in its own country – where the best way to get away with writing about a politically sensitive topic is to post it in English.

In many ways, living under censorship is not mandatory in China. It is a choice.

I am always surprised by how few of my students or Chinese friends even bother to access the numerous international news services that are available uncensored in China.

“We like our own news,” a friend explained to me. “What else do we need?”

And that is exactly the kind of attitude that the Chinese government is betting on as millions in China learn the English language.

Even when other sources of information are waved in their faces, too many people in China will continue to run back to the government run media because they have been taught from an early age to have an unwavering trust in Beijing.

Thus English should be the greatest weapon against censorship in China but it is not.

Not yet, at least.

Not until the Chinese people really have the strong desire break through the censorship and seek alternative sources of information.

This past week, the China Daily website, the largest English portal in China, reported that “an online poll to solicit public opinion on a date for ‘national tourism day’ has received a staggering 4.2 billion votes.”

Staggering? How about impossible.

The entire population of China is only 1.3 billion people and as the newspaper points out, only 300 million people use the internet.

So unless there are another 4 billion people worldwide who really care about  how China celebrates  its proposed ‘National Tourism Day’, someone has figured out how to ’stuff’ the online ballot box.

As it turns out, the guilty parties may be two cities that are vying for the honor of having the date tied to an historical event of local significance.

Come on, people. It’s just a poll.

And you wonder why people say that democracy would not be an easy fit for China?

I will, however, confidently make a prediction about Google.cn.

It’s not going anywhere.

I know it, you know it, Google knows it, heck…the Chinese government even knows it. Which is exactly why  the news about Google’s threatened pullout has been censored here in China. Beijing knows it’s an empty threat and they want to act as if nothing happened when everything quiets down.

Ironic, isn’t it? The Chinese government is censoring the news that Google wants to stop censoring internet content in China.

Only in China.

I’ll address the censorship issue in a moment. But first things first.

Google accuses someone (or something) in China of having launched a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” in order to gain access to the email accounts of some prominent human right’s activists.

A charge that Beijing probably won’t even bother to deny. Not with a straight face, at least.

Google is understandably furious about these alleged cyber attacks but its threat to pull out of China rings hollow in my ears.

Whether Google.cn exists or not, hackers in China are still going to go about their business. They don’t need Google to be here. After all, Chinese hackers have successfully hacked all kinds of secure systems around the world, including the Pentagon’s not too long ago.

If anyone should be blamed for this attack, it should be Google itself for not doing a better job of protecting its user accounts.

This knee-jerk reaction by Google seems to be an attempt to take the focus of its own inadequacies. Instead of whining and crying about the attacks, maybe Google needs to take a closer look at how its cyber security is handled in China.

Which is exactly what Google is going to have to do because there is no way that it is going to to ditch China. Not after the millions it has invested here. And not after it considers the fact that China’s online population grew over 40% between 2008 and 2009 and continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

And then there is the censorship issue. Everybody loves Google this week as the company of  ’Do no evil’ announces that it will no longer be censoring Beijing deemed sensitive content on its Google.cn.

Google says it will over the next few weeks be “discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we would operate an unfiltered search engine within the law…”

And mark my words. Beijing will act as if it is willing to make concessions. Beijing will give Google more leeway to help ease the internet giant’s conscience.  And Google will come away looking as clean and pure as the driven snow.

But in the end, search engine or no search engine, Beijing still controls what websites are accessible here in China. It still has a finger on every little byte that enters China from other countries.

Every website ever created about the Dalai Lama and Tiananmen Square could be available on Google.cn tomorrow but still be blocked by Beijing.

In the end, we must remember that nothing can stop those in China who really want to know the truth. There are many ways to easily bypass the Great Firewall of China and access whatever you want to view.

While the issue of whether or not Google should censor content may be of great ideological importance in the West, it has little significance here.

Too many Chinese people know that what they are seeing on television or reading on the internet is a result of censorship. And they like it. Why? Because they trust their government implicitly.

And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Last week, on her first trip to Asia as Secretary of State, she made it abundantly clear that human rights in China was not going to be a priority for the Obama administration.

“Now, that doesn’t mean that questions of Taiwan, Tibet, human rights, the whole range of challenges that we often engage on with the Chinese, are not part of the agenda,” Clinton told told reporters in Seoul, “but we pretty much know what they are going to say”

She also stated that “we have to continue to press them but our pressing on those issues can’t interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crises.” Basically, she was brushing off human rights in China as an issue to be dealt with only if time permitted.

Let’s rewind back to early April of last year, when the controversy surrounding the Summer Olympic Games in China was just beginning to boil over.

Hillary Clinton urged President Bush to boycott the Olympics citing concerns about the Tibetan uprising in China as well as human rights in general.

According to this article from Reuters, Clinton stated that “at this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.”

It was not too long after that Clinton was joined by her then Democratic rival Barack Obama who proclaimed in a statement that “if the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security and human rights of the Tibetan people, the president should boycott the opening ceremonies…”

Fortunately, President Bush chose to ignore those pleas and attended the opening ceremony anyway saying that he wanted to be a friend to the Chinese people.

I am somewhat surprised by how short Beijing’s memory seems to be on this issue. Or maybe they never really believed that Clinton and Obama, as it now appears, did actually care about human rights. It was all just about politics.

My suggestion to Secretary of State Clinton? Why don’t you scratch the “global climate change crisis” baloney out of your agenda and replace it with something that is far more realistic and important?  President Bush used every chance that he had, including his trip to Beijing last August, to pressure Beijing on its human rights policies and so should you. While the effects may not be tangible, our pressure on Beijing regarding human rights does make a difference.

Unfortunately, it appears that President Obama’s administration is far more concerned with ‘making friends’ and ‘being liked’ than it is with using America’s power to spread the ideals of freedom and equality around the world. Meanwhile, Beijing continues to persecute Christians, throw people in jail without probable cause, and go after its political opponents with a vengeance. Thank you very much, Washington. The CCP can breathe a little easier now.

#1. Engagement Party – This involved alot of standing around, playing Majiang and eating fish. Lots of fish in many different forms. It also involved giving 100 RMB to the couple.

#2. The Wedding – I don’t think that my ears will ever be the same after these two weddings. From the moment I arrived, to the moment that I left, firecrackers were exploding all around me. The wedding also included a game of ‘Chase the Bride Around the Countryside’ and ‘Beat the Bride’s father.’ And there was more fish to be eaten. Total cost for me? Another 100 RMB.

#3. The Bows – The bows were supposed to have taken place on the next day (I was going back to my home the same night) but the wedding planners managed to ’squeeze’ it in to the schedule while I was still there. This involved the newly married couple bowing to each and every relative (dozens). It also involved me giving up another 100 RMB.

For me, parting with 300 RMB is nothing to complain about. As a foreign teacher, I make 2-3 times more than the average Chinese person so attending and ‘contributing’ to this wedding was not a big deal.

But it is a big deal for others, especially for the relatives who live in the countryside. Many of them are peasants who do not have a steady income. They survive because they find odd jobs to do and can grow vegetables on their land but their income varies from nothing to as much as (or ‘little as’ depending on how you look at it) 400 RMB in a month. According to the wedding custom that I witnessed, close relatives had to contribute 100 RMB. A family of three, for example, might feel compelled to give 900 RMB, which in the countryside, could easily be 3-4 months salary.

Close family members, regardless of their economic status, are expected to pay the same amount of money (other than the parents who actually pay more). And there is no such thing as an anonymous gift. A relative is often designated to write down the names and the exact gifts of all of the ‘givers’

In Chairman Mao’s time, this system of giving might have worked well. After all, nearly everyone was poor back then and ‘exchanging’ equal gifts at weddings would have fit in well with the Communist ideology.

But China has come along way from the 1950’s and 60’s and now, the “Haves” and the “Have Nots” are once again emerging in a society that is slowly turning towards Capitalism. On one hand, you have the rich relatives from the countryside who would barely stoop down to retrieve a 100 RMB bill while on the other hand, you have the countryside folk, many of whom have never even left their village.

“It’s not fair,” a Chinese friend agreed with me recently when I told her about the wedding. “Those people really shouldn’t have to pay the same amount of money,” she said.

“Do they really have to?” I asked curiously.

“They want to,” was the reply. “It is just part of Chinese tradition.” And she is right of course. Giving money to a newly married couple in China means good luck, both for you and for them. It like a karma system in which good luck is spread around through giving money.

At the wedding, I watched a young mother – who is married to a peasant farmer – sigh as she took 300 RMB from her purse to give to the new couple. I felt sorry for her. Life is often just too unfair in this developing country.

“I spent a few weeks last winter taking care of a friend who had an abortion,” an acquaintance of mine related to me during my recent trip to western China. “She had a boyfriend in University who got her pregnant and she really had no choice but to get rid of it.”

“Did anyone suggest to her that she keep the baby and at least give it up for adoption?” I asked.

“Of course not,” came the reply. “Having a baby without a husband could have ruined her chance to graduate from university and have a successful career.” According to my friend, the boyfriend had no intention of marrying the girl as the relationship was not that serious.

Unlike in America, where organizations like Planned Parenthood are supposed to present other options to mothers who are contemplating an abortion, there is no such counsel given in China. If a woman is single and pregnant in China, there is only one option; the baby must go.

Not that keeping a baby out-of-wedlock in China would be easy. Most university students in China are completely dependent on their parents for financial support  and choosing to have a baby would place an extra burden on them. Just as my friend suggested, for many young women, choosing to have a baby could very well mean the end of their higher education.  

But even more importantly, there is still a strong social stigma that is placed on women in China who have children before they are married. It is simply not culturally acceptable.

“It would bring shame on her family,” explained my friend. While the age old tradition in China of ‘checking the sheets’ after the wedding night to make sure the bride was a virgin may be fast fading away, most Chinese parents are afraid of ‘losing face’ in front of their family members in friends. An unmarried daughter with a child would be a constant source for rumors and gossip. Having sex before marriage is one thing, but having a baby before marriage would most definitely bring shame upon the girl’s entire family. And then there would be the question about who the girl could marry someday. It would take a special man to marry a single mother in China and the wedding process, which is so important in Chinese culture, would be naturally tainted in the eyes of the girl’s relatives.

Thus, there is no such thing as pro-choice China. There is only one choice; the baby is sacrificed to secure the future of the girl. In China, an abortion procedure is as common as having one’s tonsils removed.

“She was only one month pregnant when she had the abortion,” my aquaintance told me. “She didn’t see it as a person. It was just a medical procedure.”

Yet, according to my friend, the girl that she took care of suffered both physically and emotionally from the experience.

“It was a horrible thing for her to go through,” my friend admitted. “She was very sad.”

As was I when I heard this story. The girl never had a choice and the baby never had a chance.

But every-once-in-a-while, especially when I am crammed into a bus like a sardine or I look up at the sky and see nothing but poisonous haze, I begin to long for fresh air. This week, I had the chance to spend a day in a place where time seems to stand still. Although electricity, cars, and even the Internet are slowly creeping into the Chinese countryside, it is still a  special place where one can get a glimpse of ancient China and experience a simple life that is centered around survival. I hope you enjoy these photos.

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2. On your way home, your taxi driver seems to have a bad habit of stopping to pick people up, charging them the full amount for their segment, and then charging you the full amount when you finally get to your destination…two hours later.

3. You book a train ticket well in advance and all you can come up with is a standing room only ticket in an already very crowded train car.

4. You look around and realize that there are actually children in China! They are just usually locked up in school (or some sort of training center) all day.

5. You turn on your TV and see Hu JinTao and his other Communist buddies actually cracking a smile as they celebrate the new year festivities…

All kidding aside, Spring Festival is a special time in China. For a few days at least, the Chinese people are able to cast aside the struggles and heartaches in their daily lives and find warmth and comfort in a tradition that has been in existence for more than 4,000 years.

While many ex-pats migrate to the warm beaches of Thailand or return for a visit to their homelands during this time, I think that if you do not have at least one chance to experience Spring Festival here, you are missing out. From the New Year’s Dinner to the Dragon dancing and exchanging of red envelopes, this holiday is both colorful and fascinating.

If you happen to find yourself in China during these festive days, why not ask a friend if you can tag along and experience the Chinese New Year celebration? It will be an experience that you will always remember.

Do not forget to taste some famous Chinese dumplings and if you are up for it, you can even celebrate with a glass of Chinese Baijiu (Chinese white wine). Happy Spring festival from all us here at TeachAbroadChina.com.

While all of this was understandably slightly amusing to me, it caused me to think about China’s rapid development. Just 15 years ago – my Chinese friends tell me – flying in China was a luxury reserved for the rich and famous. The average Chinese person could only dream of stepping foot in an airplane. Now, with an expanding middle class in China, air travel has become possible for millions of people who just a few years ago were poor farmers or other types of workers.

Of course, with airline prices in China that are comparable to prices in Western countries, flying is still much too expensive for the vast majority of people here. Many of my Chinese teaching colleagues will be returning home by train during the fast approaching Spring Festival.

“Did you get a sleeper?” I asked a fellow teacher yesterday who had just returned from the train station.

“No. There are no more sleepers. I will probably be standing for 15 hours.” I felt sorry for him having had that experience more than a few times myself in China as well as in other parts of the world.

“It’s ok,” he comforted me. “I am used to it and if I’m lucky, maybe I will have a chance to sit on the floor.” Sitting on the floor did not sound much better, I thought, but at least it was better than having to stand for hours on end.

Other friends of mine – who could not manage to even locate a train ticket – will have to endure a long bus ride back to their hometowns.

No matter what method of transportation the millions of Chinese people who are returning to their hometowns this month will be employing, there is more hope now for the future than ever before. Social mobility is becoming easier as China continues to open up within and also to the international community. It is truly an exciting time to be living in China and have the chance to see people’s lives being transformed through hard work and a strong faith that their dreams can come true in a country that is on the path to stability and prosperity. A 30-hour ride on a train this year could very well be a 4-hour ride on an airplane next year for many here whose fortunes are rapidly improving.