February 13, 2002

  • Happy Chinese New Year, Xin Nian Kuai Le


    Happy New Year!!!


    Like I said before, the year of the horse is supposed to be an exceptional year for us born in the year of the snake.  I called my relatives yesterday to wish them all a happy new year and my grandmother reconfirmed this idea to me - and we all know how wise old Chinese people can be!


    I am writing from Zhu Hai, about a 1 hour boat ride from HK.  I am officially within mainland China now, and if I say the wrong thing, an unhappy Big Brother will likely take me away to who knows where.  Online postings like this are somewhat frowned upon here, so if I don't write for days and days, then something bad has happened (either I lost connection to xanga.com or I am missing). Zhu Hai is in the province of GuangDong (along with cities like ShenZhen and GuangZhou) and is also considered a special economic zone.


    Things in China are much cheaper than HK, and being back, with my new laptop and all I went on a DVD shopping spree.  I bought about 35 DVD's for $8 RMB a piece!  That's about $50 CDN!  They're illegal copies, but whatever, until I am working and earning a real wage instead of living off student stipends from my parents and from what I've saved, I'm going to buy fakes.


    And in regards to this problem of fakes in the Asian market, I think it will be a VERY long time before something permanent is done.  There are so many hawkers out there trying to make a living.  If the government arrests them (they're not even the masterminds behind it all), the government has to spend billions building jails to hold them all.  If they force them to stop through other means, these people would just turn to forms of crime that would disrupt the social order of things here.  There are so many of them!  They can't find jobs!  There aren't even enough jobs for them to work in.  Put the dick down!  (Chris Rock reference).


    Forget China, even in HK, walking down the Ladies Market, LV bags, Gucci sunglasses, Tommy Hilfiger sweaters all out in the open.  Cops walk by without even a second glance!  And in other places, where there is 'supposedly' no fake things sold, there are photoalbums on the desks where the people sell their wares.  You just point to a picture of an LV purse/wallet/bag that you want, and the sales person runs off into some store 'under renovation' and emerges with 2 or 3 of them for you.


    Anyhow, just wanted to wish everyone a happy Chinese new year.  May the year bring those of you reading this, many blessings and fortunes.


    Shanghai in 2 days...

Comments (7)

  • Do they work though?  Or are they dvds of a movie being filmed by a camcorder in a theatre.  I don't trust alot of the pirated stuff.  and I don't think you'd be able to bring them into Canada... I heard it's a 20000 dollar fine per cd that is found?  not quite sure though but I know their really strict with pirated cds

  • wish I was there to shop!

  • The only way anything will happen is if all the big companies and unions start flexing their muscle up there and pressure the government...I read somewhere that Microsoft realizes that like 90% of their products sold in China are illegal and that they plan to do something big about it.

    Either way though, I agree with you. By punishing people for it, they're just going to find some other shit to do. I think the real way to put a stop to it is public education. I overheard some dude on the bus from China saying that the vast majority of people there just don't see the difference between the $5 fake and $100 original. The idea of quality is disconnected from the actual product in a way that the only thing left with any meaning is the name. And when you're only paying for the name, there is no justification for spending the extra money on the real goods.

    At the same time, I think that's part of the price companies have to pay for moving all of their manufacturing bases to Third World countries. Anyway, I'll leave it at that...I could go on and on on this subject...and my boss is starting to creep up on me so I have to stop typing now...

  • I might be going to Beijing next month... if so, can't wait for the shopping!  How are the prices of electronics in HK/China?  As for buying fakes, I also feel guilt but not enough to stop buying them... you're right, we're starving students and need to pinch our pennies

  • My cousin lives in Zhu Hai.  She came up to Guangzhou for the holiday.  I've never been there myself, but she says they allow fire crackers there (banned in Guangzhou).  How was the new year festivities?

  • That's true, they are everywhere...how is it all gonna be stopped?

    Happy New Year to you too! 

  • hi, got to your blog somehow. pretty interesting hearing about china/hk...necessary shots.. lol hope to hear more.. have fun. be safe.

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