Back in June, we brought your attention to the adventures of Ivan Xu, a Chinese youth who planned to bike alone around Europe for 100 days for Ultimate Frisbee and charity.

He ended up cycling across 14 countries and visiting 11 high-level Ultimate Frisbee clubs* from June 18 to September 25, beginning in Brest, Belarus and ending in Berlin.

His adventures have been profiled by media around the world, including CCTV-4, Estrepublicain.fr, Pärnu Postimees, Belarusian CTV, Russia-Belarus TPO TV and OHT TV, so what follows is hardly an exclusive. But here’s an update anyway.

Welcome back! How are you feeling?

In short, I feel honored and humbled. I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to do this kind of trip. I am also very grateful to have received so much support from friends and strangers.

What was the most challenging part of the trip?

The film. It was not easy to make this film because I lost most of the footage due to damage to my external hard drive. It got stepped on by one of my drunken hosts, and it was the worst possible damage a hard drive could sustain, and it was impossible to recover the data inside despite my trying for three weeks with all the resources I had. Anyway, I will do the best with what I have left on my computer.

In terms of my last goal, I was featured on more than 10 Belarusian media outlets, and in every interview I spoke about the Mentor project for orphans in Belarus (Knitting Friendships). I was told that the Knitting Friendship staff were inspired and worked hard together as a team. This November, Knitting Friendship gained enough votes and won the People’s Sympathy Prize from “Social Weekend” Social fund in Belarus.

My influence on the Youth Ultimate Project is difficult to measure. I have ideas to gather discs to help kids who need them, though I’m still brainstorming.

When you set out on your adventure, you had a few key objectives from this trip. Did you achieve them?

In some ways I didn’t achieve all my goals, but in many ways I achieved more. After the first half of my trip, I began to realize this trip was not simply about biking as much as I could, but also about getting to know the countries I passed through, interacting with locals and learning local cultures. So I started to spend more time to talk to the interesting people I met along the way, to really engage with them and learn from them.

I also stretched myself way beyond my comfort zone and gained confidence to be a better and more interesting person. I discovered the world is so diverse and beautiful, there are so many wonderful people around, and realized I don’t need so much to be happy and content. This new understanding has been priceless.

One of your goals was to inspire a generation of Chinese youth to enjoy the outdoors and love sports. Do you think you succeeded?

Yes, absolutely.

When I posted my film trailer onto the Internet, within a week there were about 12,000 views and 600 shares, this without the help of any exposure to mass media. Most people who have shared the video commented that it was very inspiring and they wish to do something similar, not to waste their youth.

From December onwards, I will start to give presentations in various organizations to share my experience and promote Ultimate Frisbee, including at the most influential speaking event, Life Stage (人生大不同), in Shanghai.

In the previous post for Beijing Cream you mentioned a conflict that many young Chinese face: whether “to live a life we want, or to live a life that makes our parents happy.” What words of advice do you have now, after this trip?

If you decide to go your own way instead of what your parents wish for you, make sure to work very hard for what you love, prepare a lot if you go for an adventure, stay safe, love your family and always keep them in your heart.

Even though you may experience conflict today because you choose your own lifestyle, if you are really good at what you do, excel at it, you will do well in life and be happy in life, and your parents will eventually be happy for you despite you deciding to take your own path, which they may not really understand.

Next up will be “I Bike China.” What do you have in store for us?

Two things I want to do for “I Bike China”:

First, I will give free Ultimate Frisbee clinics and speeches in organizations/schools/universities I cycle by, share what I have learned about exploring the world and spread my love of Ultimate. I have received a tremendous amount of support from various Ultimate Frisbee communities for my Europe trip, so I would love to help this great sport grow in China in any way I can. I would make sure to talk about how great Ultimate Frisbee is in every interview I will do in my China tour.

Second, I plan to make a documentary film of China Ultimate development and interview Ultimate Frisbee leaders and players in places I cycle by, and share the passion of Ultimate in China with the rest of the world.

If I pass by your city, if you or someone could accommodate me, my bike and Frisbee, it would be a great help. If people really like me a lot, they can also buy me a cup of tea.

Follow Ivan Xu’s adventures on his website. Alicia is the founder of Prep! Beijing. Follow her @alicialui1.

* Brest Phoenix (Belarus), Minsk Сяброуства (Belarus), Salaspils WT(Latvia), Tallinn SOTG (Estonia), Stockholm Syndromes (Sweden), Lund AKKA (Sweden), Hamburg Fischbees (Germany), Eindhoven Vertigo (Netherlands), Voujeaucourt Free-vol (France), Zurich Headless (Switzerland), Dresden Drehst’n Deckel (Germany).

In a recent discussion held as part of the inaugural Lean In Beijing Mentorship Event, a college student in my circle noted, “In China, it’s so difficult to stand out sometimes. We all pursue the same goals, we all do the same things, we all study hard and we all have similar experiences and ideas. In order for us to stand out and be unique, I really think we have to be unafraid to be different.”

It’s true, especially in a country of 1.4 billion people. But it’s not common to see young Chinese doing what’s necessary to stand out: pushing themselves to their limits and going beyond their comfort zone. Which is why Ivan Xu’s project, the Ultimate Ride, is interesting: because it is different.

Ivan plans to bike alone across Europe in 100 days to visit 10 elite Ultimate Frisbee teams, then take another 100 days to bike across China to visit 14 cities and teach Ultimate players on nearly two dozen teams. He started an Indiegogo page, linked above, to help fund his trip. An excerpt:

Confucius once said, “While one’s parents are alive, one should not travel to distant places.” Growing up in a small town in China, I, like many friends around me, was brought up with fewer opportunities and approval to explore beyond. Unlike what is customary for many students and those in their 20s in the West, the Chinese education system and society is more conservative and does not actively encourage adventure, travel and participation in sports and outdoor activities. I hope my tour will inspire a new generation of jet-setting Chinese youth and help everyone appreciate the outdoors.

The journey is so ambitious and different that Ivan has already garnered media interest, even convincing a publishing house to let him write a book about it. If you know anything about China and its youth, there’s nothing more important than encouraging love for adventure, sports, and the outdoors, as well as the ability to take risks and tackle challenges.

We asked Ivan a few questions about his project.

Assuming you’ve told friends and family about this trip, what’s been their reactions? I wonder specifically if there’s a difference between how friends and family have reacted?

My friends are mostly my age. Most of them say things like, “You are so brave,” ”Be safe,” “Chase your dream,” “You’re doing the things we want to do, but dare not to do,” “Money problems can be solved, but you have the courage, perseverance and determination that most of us lack.” The most flattering comment has been, “If Ivan was born in the US, he will probably run for US president.” My sister and cousins have had similar reactions to my friends and they are quite supportive.

My parents, on the other hand, have lived in my small hometown in Hubei province their whole lives, and don’t really have an idea of what the outside world is like. They don’t really interfere with what I want to do; they have always trusted my decisions. However, I can feel the pressure they feel, as the people around them are just like other Chinese parents, comparing me with others my age who are married, have babies and are earning larger salaries. Every time I go home with a tanned face and arms after Ultimate Frisbee tournaments or long-distance bike rides, I hear comments like, “A college graduate like Ivan still works as a construction worker? Even our son who didn’t finish high school has a more decent job.” I don’t really care about what others say, but I feel bad knowing how my parents feel and react. Most from my parent’s generation don’t understand why the tour is important to me, nor do they approve of it. I am lucky in that I have never received much pressure from my parents to stop doing the things I like.

I think many people in my generation face such conflicts: to live a life we want, or to live a life that makes our parents happy. I have to make this tough choice as well. But I have chosen to live my own life and write my own story. I do feel guilty for not supporting them this year, but since I have made the decision to do this tour, I will do it with my full effort and passion.

What was your inspiration for the Ultimate Ride?

There are two main reasons I want to do this.

First of all, I really love Ultimate Frisbee and cycling; combining these two sports for 200 days in Europe and China is a dream that’s almost too good to be true. I don’t want to feel regretful in the future, I don’t want to think, “What if I could have done that biking-Ultimate tour?” I want to have the opportunity to tell my children and grandchildren that I accomplished something amazing when I was younger.

But if I only do this tour for myself, it will not be meaningful; there would be no soul or essence. I want to be able to benefit society and help others while chasing my dream. That’s why I decided to also help publicize two charities:

I care about the Mentor project for orphan kids in Belarus because I lived [in Belarus] for two and a half years, and I am grateful for what I have learned there. I want to leave behind something nice, a feeling that I have contributed and given back to their society.

I have played Ultimate Frisbee for seven years, and I have learned so much from the sport. It has changed my lifestyle and how I sometimes approach life. It would be my honor to do something to give back to the Ultimate community by furthering the sport everywhere, and I can help do that through a charity called Youth Ultimate Project (YUP), and by raising more awareness of this sport in my homeland of China.

What would be an ideal outcome from the Ultimate Ride? 

I would like to see more people in China recognize Ultimate Frisbee as a sport and play it, and more teams to be founded. I hope more people can support the charities I represent. The kids I met at the Belarusian orphanage are cute and smart. YUP is doing a good job helping kids in Cambodia learn Ultimate Frisbee; it deserves more attention, the kind that Ultimate Peace has gotten (an NGO that promotes peace in the Middle East through Ultimate Frisbee).

Ivan Xu (far right), sitting with the Ultimate Frisbee team he created in Wuhan, CUG, after it won its first-ever tournament, China Open 2014

You mention in the Indiegogo that you hope to inspire a generation of jet-setting Chinese youth to appreciate the outdoors. Why is that important to you?

Some of the best moments in my life have been cycling through birch forests and icy lakes, swimming in an ice hole in a freezing Minsk January, building an igloo that I slept in for a night, and traveling alone to different cities in Belarus without understanding much Russian. I really believe an interesting life begins when you are out of your comfort zone, and I think others can benefit if they are just willing to try and challenge themselves.

As China is quickly urbanizing and modernizing, more Chinese youth are getting used to daily comforts, but participate in fewer adventurous and outdoor activities. But if we’re not able to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature, we will never be complete.

We are lucky today to be Chinese. There are fewer visa restrictions for travel, and China’s economy is strong so more people have money to travel. What I plan to do now would have been impossible for my parent’s generation to even think about.

What advice would you give China’s younger generation?

I actually wrote this on my Couchsurfing page: If you risk nothing, you will achieve nothing. Our world is so vast and amazing, yet I have seen very little of it. We should use our time fully and wisely to go out explore or explore inwardly, to engage our minds – not doing this is a crime. You have to understand and recognize that we will never be as young, strong, and trustful of our body as at this very moment. Learn, share, and grow as much as you can.

Support Ivan Xu’s the Ultimate Ride via his Indiegogo campaign, which ends June 25. You can contact him at ibikeworld@gmail.com.

Alicia is founder and executive director of the academic prep center Prep Beijing. 

Being from Hong Kong, storms no longer faze me. But hailstones the size of golf balls? That’s a different story. An upscale mall in Kowloon Tong recently had its windows smashed by hail, and certain subway stations were flooded; planes were diverted, containers at our ports were blown sideways… what a way to end a weekend of Rugby Sevens! (Which New Zealand won, by the way.)

My aunt sent me these photos:

You might be interested to know that hailstorm covering a wide area is a warning sign of upcoming economic or political instability, according to renowned fengshui consultant Mak Ling-Ling (via The Standard):

“Hong Kong has seen hail many times in history. But hailstorms in large areas, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are rare,” she said. “It could be a case of people’s complaints not being heard.”

People’s complaints not being heard - maybe they’re not protesting enough.

A reminder that hail can be deadly. Stay safe out there, and watch your spending.

UPDATE, 3:05 pm: Via SCMP:

Heavy rain will continue in Guangdong, Guangxi and parts of Taiwan until at least Wednesday, China’s National Meterological Centre said on Monday. Hailstorms could still occur in southern and central parts of Guangdong, it added.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Monday morning that at least 16 people were killed and two missing in the first disastrous storms to hit southern China this spring since March 28.

Also see: Hail And Serein: The Amazing Storm That Just Swept Through Beijing

Around 3:20 pm on Sunday in Tangshan, Hebei province, a woman named Ms. Cheng was exercising in Nanhu Park when she saw some teenagers playing on a frozen lake. She and her exercise partner, Mr. Liu, were about 15 meters from the shore when the ice suddenly cracked, swallowing up the young revelers.

“I saw two guys and one girl playing on the ice, and suddenly the ice caved in,” said Ms. Cheng, as printed on the description of the Youku video below. “The first to fall in was the guy and girl, and then the other guy fell in too. All three of them were flapping about.”

Ms. Cheng and Mr. Liu immediately ran toward the three people and called 110.

“When other tourists saw us, they also ran toward us,” said Ms. Cheng.

Unable to wait for emergency personnel, Mr. Liu went into action, finding a wooden stick about two meters in length. He and others made their way onto the ice, extended the stick, and had the students grab on before pulling them to safety. The rescue took about 10 minutes.

“When the three were pulled out of the water, they couldn’t walk,” Ms. Cheng said. “I stopped a car to take them away.”

It’s understood that the students attend a high school in the city and have made full recoveries.

So much for that newly issued Chinese tourism etiquette guidebook.

Remember? That 64-page thing released by the National Tourism Administration in China, supposed to go into effect on October 1?

This parent and child — which the website Coconuts Hong Kong says are from the mainland – must have missed the memo, because the child sure appears to be urinating in public. Give him some credit though: at least it’s into a trash bin.

This was taken inside a subway station in Hong Kong right in front of a sign that appears to say “No Peeing.” (I can’t tell for certain, but wouldn’t it be great if really was a “No Peeing” sign?)

Is this better or worse than the iPee boy in the Hong Kong Apple store?

The tourism guidebook may need updating already.

Piss and Tell: Golden Week tourists in all their glory (Coconuts Hong Kong)

The Wall Street Journal revealed on Friday that China’s airports are the world’s worst for flight delays. “According to FlightStats, which tracks airport statistics, Beijing’s airport ranks dead last among the world’s top 35, with fully 82% of flights failing to leave on time,” WSJ reported. “Second worst was Shanghai, at 71%.” Numbers, numbers. We could link to a string of posts from our archives with picture and video evidence, but none of it will feel as real as our memories — after all, we’ve all experienced the particular nightmare of flying in China. Below, some of our stories.

Mark Dreyer, founder of The Li-Ning Tower:

July 4, flew into HKG from SFO at 6 pm, was then booked on the 8 pm Air China flight 112 to PEK. 8 pm was cancelled, so was switched to flight 114, previously delayed, now due to leave 8.30 pm. That was also cancelled, so I was switched to flight 110, previously delayed, now due to leave at 9 pm. We boarded at 9.30 pm, doors closed, told we had no take-off slot – could be 10 minutes, could be 3 or 4 hours. Right at midnight we left the gate and took off. Once we were in the air, captain told us that he got the call at midnight from Air China to cancel the flight and while he was on the phone, air traffic control gave him permission to take off. So he had to promise to Air China that he would taxi at double speed and then fly as quickly as possible to arrive on time. Issue was that if we had landed at PEK past a certain time, they would be given a hefty fine so that it would no longer have made economic sense to fly the plane.

This was all to get up to Ordos for work. Leaving Ordos was eventful: Group 1 left Sunday night, flight Ordos-PEK cancelled, so they drove to Baotou for another flight to PEK. Sat on the runway for many hours, finally left at 5 am, diverted to Shijiazhuang, then bus to PEK, arrived about noon Monday (missed all onward onnections to rest of Asia).

Group 2 (me) left on the 8.30 am Monday morning flight, half an hour delayed but back to PEK no problem, easily beating Group 1 back to PEK.

Groups 3 and 4 left on the Monday afternoon flight back to PEK, told all flights were cancelled and/or no time slots yet assigned. Group 3 chartered a bus for a 17-hour journey back to Beijing. Two hours later, Group 4 boarded and flew back to PEK.

What I’m getting out of this is cancellations happen sometimes.

Alicia, founder Prep! Beijing: 

As a former management consultant, I used to travel between Beijing and Shanghai every week for close to five months, leaving for Shanghai on Sunday evening or Monday morning and coming back to Beijing on Friday evenings. I’ve encountered my fair share of delays and flight cancellations (and, consequently, fights), for various reasons: snowstorms, rainstorms, and, mostly, “air traffic control,” especially on a Friday when all business travelers rush to go home. On top of these “normal” reasons, Expo 2010 strained the aviation industry, and Shanghai’s Hongqiao Terminal 2 didn’t open until March 16, 2010. There were no high-speed G trains yet, either.

I still remember once flying back from Shanghai to Beijing — guess on which airline? — and being told to go to my gate to wait for the new departure time. After changing gates, the plane finally arrived from Beijing, one and a half hours late. One and a half hours later, we boarded. An hour later, we were still on the tarmac, and then, finally, eventually, mercifully, told to get off the plane. Mechanical failure. By that point, travelers were so angry that they had to give us food, drinks and RMB 200 each (score! cash!). I don’t remember what time we eventually took off, but it was well over midnight, and I wasn’t back in Beijing till 2 or 3 am.

Avoid night flights between Beijing and Shanghai. Got it.

Sarah Hansen:

The recent downpours in Beijing have been affecting planes. No, not because the acid is burning through the wings. Rain creates flight delays that bring to mind the snaking lines at the bus stop, the bank, and the bathroom. However, none of those can compete with a day at the Beijing Capital Airport when rain is afoot.

During a heavy rain the night before my trip, I learn that my flight to Erlian is delayed two hours.

In the morning, I find that the crusty vestige of the original Beijing airport called Terminal 1 is not my favorite place.

From the grand hall of Terminal 2 to the squished space of Terminal 1, problems abound. The damn voice broadcasting over the P.A. keeps saying so. Self check-in is an elbow to the rib waiting to happen so I make my way to the counter, and the process is quicker than expected, and my departure time is still set for 9:30 AM [laugh track].

The information screens, steps from the wand-wielding security personnel, are lacking in helpful numbers. Passengers build into a thick human clog and look upon the screens as though they might soon reveal the meaning of life. Craned necks, and shuffling feet – can’t be much longer. Now it can’t be much longer. Okay, now? I judge it time to venture off to the restroom with the knowledge that a watched pot never provides gate information.

The women’s bathroom and the expected line.

Back to the screens. No go. Stranded passengers are having a looped conversation along the lines of: “Where’s my gate? They haven’t shown them yet. Where’s my gate? They haven’t shown them yet. Where’s…”

Passing security and airline representatives are not only unhelpful but downright disdainful towards those who dare to ask for more information.

Bathroom round two. Longer line, more smells and sounds.

Screens part three. Why can’t they just tell us to go to a made-up gate?

I head off to find the poor soul who drew the short straw at the info desk, but as I approach him – FINALLY a gate number appears! Leaving… several hours from now. Fine.

Being a vegetarian in this terminal means that I am reduced to some packaged faux peanut butter faux chocolate cookies and banana milk to appease my gurgling stomach. And the waiting continues.

I contemplate the strange five-minute trip across to Mongolia that I still have ahead of me, and then – HOORAH, another line forms, this time to board the plane!

My day is starting to look up when I find myself alone in my row, and I drift off. I wake up almost an hour later and find my ass still planted firmly on the tarmac. Apparently, we are in yet another line, this one consisting of planes.

The engines do finally rev, and the flight attendant announces our happy departure. Less than an hour after that we touch down and emerge into a scorching hot, sunny day. Irony flies Hainan Airlines apparently.

NO ONE KNOWS ANYTHING.

And finally, the most nightmarish story of them all, via Andray Abrahamian, Korean scholar, Choson Exchange writer:

Me: have any horror stories from chinese flights?

Andray: Sitting on a plane in the tarmac while Murray was winning wimbledon…my country’s seminal sporting event of probably this century

I mean, they knew the storm was coming. Let us sit and watch sports history unfold in the terminal instead of spending almost three hours on the tarmac with only Yanjing beer for comfort as howling winds and rain lash the plane.

Air China loves to cancel their flight to PY [Pyongyang] without warning. You’ll get there and then they say, sorry, there is two much wind in PY, we can fly. Or there is a blizzard. You get there the next day and there is no snow.

Me: Did you get the game any way? Following on iPhone? Radio?

Andray: I followed the game via texts and calls to Tori, who was watching with a pack of expat Brits.

Boarded after the first set, took off after he’d won.

Chinese airports are the worst.

We wrote about Ping Fu earlier this year when she was called out for lying in her memoir, Bend, Not Break. It looks like the author is in the news again, giving an interview with SCMP in response to a lawsuit threatened by Soochow University, Fu’s alma mater, along with some of her former classmates who remain upset over the “falsehoods” in her book.

The author had this to say:

“I would like to issue an open apology for the description that appears about [Soochow University] conducting intrusive physical checks on all female students’ periods for birth control purpose.”

If she stopped there, she would have done herself a favor. But she continues:

“I wrote a memoir and this was my memory of what happened [30 years ago] and how I felt. If someone said they remember differently I’m not going to say they are wrong. It’s just we remember differently.”

That echoes a claim she made in a New York Times interview in February, in which she blamed factual errors in her book on “emotional memory.”

SCMP published a transcript of its Q-and-A with Fu, in which the author adds:

“Different people have different memories. We are talking about something that happened more than 30 years ago. If you ask different people what happened, you may hear different answers. I wrote a memoir and this was my memory of what happened and how I felt. If someone said they remember differently I’m not going to say they are wrong. It’s just we remember differently.”

Sounds like excuses instead of an apology. And that’s a pity. With her success as CEO of Geomagic, a pioneer in 3D printing, Fu could have been a role model for many. Instead, her reputation has been tarnished, and she’ll forever be known as one who lied about the Cultural Revolution. I guess the moral of the story is don’t exaggerate stories in your memoir, especially if you’re writing about shared experiences, where many of those who can — and will — fact-check you have no such problems with “emotional memory.”

Alicia is the co-founder of Prep! Beijing. Follow her @alicialui1.

We’re all suckers for a good story. In recent years, we’ve seen the authors of too-good-to-be-true memoirs exposed (James Frey, Greg Mortensen, etc.), and now we’re seeing this with a notable businesswoman from China.

In Bend, Not Break, Ping Fu details her eventful life. During the Cultural Revolution, she was separated from her parents at age 8, then tortured and raped and assigned to work. In college, she wrote her thesis on female infanticide caused by the One Child Policy, which subsequently led to her deportation (the word she uses in the book) at the age of 25. (She wound up at the University of New Mexico.) Since, she’s become a successful entrepreneur as CEO of Geomagic, a pioneer in 3D printing. She’s even a member of President Obama’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Her incredible journey has led major publications like Inc., Daily Beast and Forbes to write about her.

But how incredible is her story, really?

Incredible in the truest since, as in not believable. Among those who have called her out include Fang Zhouzi, a notable fraud buster who’s exposed personalities such as Tang Jun (former president of MSN China) for credential fraud and accused Han Han (blogger, author, race-car driver) for plagiarism. SCMP has an excellent summary of Fang’s arguments. And several other publications — such as Forbes and Daily Beast – have been forced to publish follow-ups to their own initial, skepticism-free stories.

The accusations have led Ping to write a commentary in the Huffington Post that makes her seem even more of a liar. For one of her falsified accounts, she cites “emotional memory,” claiming:

When I was young, these are the stories being told to us and in my nightmares they come back again and again. That time was so traumatic. I was taken away from my parents.

And here’s what she told the Guardian:

But she now accepts that her imagination may have played tricks. “Somehow in my mind I always thought I saw it, but now I’m not sure my memory served me right. I probably saw it in a movie or something, and I acknowledge that’s a problem.”

Seems like she’s claiming that some of her stories are manifestations of her imagination. Shouldn’t that make these stories fiction? We get that witnessing the Cultural Revolution was extremely traumatic, but exaggerating helps no one. In Ping’s case, she purposefully deceived for the sake of strengthening herself — like a carpetbagger, profitting off collective tragedy.

Unfortunately, we are all too often deceived. We want to believe in success against all odds. These stories inspire us, and tragedy sells. For authors, it’s easy to sensationalize when they know that they’re just giving people what they want. Unfortunately for Ping Fu, as she’s learning, it seems the people don’t want the story she’s peddling.

A Hong Kong-born, British- and Harvard-educated woman, Sara Jane Ho, is opening a school of etiquette, the Institute Sarita, in the Park Hyatt Beijing. Price? Only £2,000 to £10,000 (about $3,140 to $15,700).

Would you pay this much for, according to Daily Mail, “lectures on how to use a knife and fork properly, how to peel a piece of fruit, how to greet a prospective mother-in-law, how to walk in heels and how to eat soup without slurping”? Apparently, dozens of society wives have, and it’s not just them: even bosses of state-owned companies, too.

A subtle pro-British snobbery is driving the desire of wealthy Chinese to improve themselves socially. ‘There is an aura of mystery about European royalty that Chinese people can’t resist. Any aristocracy in China was wiped out, so the Chinese are fascinated by the idea of a royal dynasty that stretches back hundreds of years,” [Sara Jane said].

I’m not sure how to justify the price of this course. One summer – I think I was about 8 or 9 at the time – my parents sent me to a manner course, where all my classmates were under the age of 16. I can’t remember exactly what we learned, except there was a cutlery lesson. It officially ended with a fashion show at a country club where all of us were asked to walk down a runway and model children’s clothing, all bought by our parents. I think I had a sailor outfit and a swimsuit.

But, I guess, being in a country of 1.3 billion, it’s important to do something to differentiate yourself. Some may choose to buy fancy cars, others go for property. Others still cultivate their inner snobs. A runcible spoon for you, Miss Ho(visham)?

Manchester United recently announced sponsorship deals with two Chinese companies, Wahaha and China Construction Bank (CCB), the latter of which will produce Man U-branded credit cards. Considering China is one of the largest growth markets for any business, it’s no a surprise that the 134-year-old club is looking to strengthen its presence here. There are reportedly 108 million Man U fans in China — nearly double the size of England’s population — and surely plenty more to be gained in such a football-crazed nation.

Although I question how loyal these fans are, given that many tend to be of the bandwagon variety, switching club loyalty based on their favorite player (my guess is Van Persie, currently leading the EPL in goals scored, tops many lists) or the reigning champion (that would be Manchester City), the more fans a club can boast, the more revenue they can generate from ticket and apparel sales. Manchester United has always recognized the importance of the Asia market, in particular China, which explains why the team was in Shanghai last summer. Signing these sponsorship deals is the next logical marketing move to boost brand visibility, and it’s clear that Wahaha and CCB are strategic choices.

Man U already has its own credit cards in Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It’s not surprising that they would leverage their experience and success in this area, especially since domestic consumption, income and urbanization rate are all expected to grow in China. Analysts think credit card purchases will increase as Chinese consumers make larger, more expensive purchases. It might annoy the rest of us to wait behind someone using a credit card, but that seems to be the trend for the cool consumers. Cooler still? A red, white, and black card bearing the Red Devils’ crest.

Meanwhile, increasing numbers of Chinese are traveling abroad and using China-issued credit cards. During the London Olympics the Chinese were one of the largest group of spenders, leading many more stores to accept Unionpay.

There’s also this: the day Man U signs a good Chinese player (Dong Fangzhuo was on the squad from 2004-08, but notched just one appearance). In 2006 I visited Old Trafford – OK, here I admit I am a bit of a Manchester United fan – in the middle of a stormy weekday. I saw groups of Korean tourists crowding in the team store to buy the jerseys of Park Ji-Sung, who joined Man U in 2005. Imagine if the Red Devils sign a Chinese player with as much class as Park or his Asian replacement, Shinji Kagawa. Jersey sales would skyrocket. And all the purchases could be made with a Manchester United, China-issued credit card!

Wahaha, meanwhile, is a strategic local partner, especially for the rural areas. As the largest Chinese beverage company, it has a strong network spanning the country, and is particularly visible in bottom-tier cities. If you buy a bottled water, there’s a 25% chance that it’s Wahaha. Plus, its owner is the richest man in China – maybe one day he’ll buy the club? His reception can’t be worse than the Glazer family’s.

Finally, it’s been said that rural China is the new frontier for the development of youth football. If you build it, they will come — as this story about a basketball court in an ethnic Miao village shows. In rural China, if you build a brand, consumers will come — in this case, to the allure of Old Trafford and Manchester United.

(Image CNN)

At least I think so. I was chuckling with joy to see him so proud of his rooftop garden.

The Atlantic’s Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg explains:

The Perennial Plate‘s video seems to suggest that above all, gardening is just a pleasure; [Guichun] Zhang takes visible delight in his vegetable patch and [Osbert] Lam (of City Farm in Hong Kong) says, “it’s relaxing hobby, growing something. It’s like a tranquilizer for city people.”

Watch for a little “surprise” at the end!

Rooftop Farms: A ‘Burgeoning’ Trend in Chinese Cities (The Atlantic)

For many of us who observe China’s public holiday system, today’s the first day of work in 2013. But for many others in China – especially romantics – today’s significant for another reason: it’s “Love You a Lifetime” day.

It’s not officially recognized anywhere, but today just sounds significant. In Mandarin and Cantonese, 2-0-1-3-1-4 sounds like “爱你一生一世” (translation: Love You a Lifetime). I’m not a sucker for Hallmark events like Valentine’s Day – call me unromantic – but I do have to admit that the nerd in me likes numbers, so days that sound special are kind of cool. I mean, 201314 only comes once, right?

Or maybe it’s the Hong Konger in me, and we really believe in numbers. Like how buildings can’t have 4th (die!), 14th (will die!), 24th (easy to die!), etc., floors. Or phone numbers with a lot of 8s (rich!) are always chosen first. And one time, the license plate “18” (will get rich!) sold for more than US$2 million at a Lunar New Year auction.

Anyway, I’ve digressed. For those of you reading this, I’m not going to say “Love You for a Lifetime” or “Love You For Life” or “Love You Forever” — but since it is a new year, I’ll wish you instead a “lifetime of love.” And if you’re in a relationship and don’t know how to celebrate, check out this poll on Xinhua for some ideas. Maybe today we’ll see a new record for marriage proposals!

By Alicia

When I was about 13, a male family friend told me, “Because you’re a girl, and I know you like to study [which is ironic, because I actually didn't], I’m just offering some words of advice to you now – you don’t need to invest so much time or effort into your education because when you grow up, you’ll realize that your husband won’t like it if you’re too smart, too successful or too strong.”

Today as I watched the above video from Journeyman Pictures, I was reminded of that advice. Even though, at the time, I didn’t quite understand what he meant, I considered it odd. Or was it I who was odd for considering it perfectly normal for a woman to be just as, if not more, successful than a man?

I couldn’t help but wonder again, while watching, how success might limit women from finding love in a country like China. And if you are already successful, how do you find love?

In a country where there are about 100 women for every 118 men, shouldn’t it be easier for women? Yet the pressure is squarely on them. If they reach 28, they’re branded “leftover,” and finding a husband becomes exponentially harder. (Here’s Leta Hong Fincher’s excellent piece on this subject.) Traditional thinking also dictates that one has to marry and have children. Parental pressures also don’t help.

Asked if men are afraid of strong women [女强人] in China, Deng Feng tells the interviewer in the video, “What happens is that in Chinese tradition men were regarded as superior to women. So when a female entrepreneur is strong at work, she may also appear strong at home by habit. The man isn’t afraid but finds it very hard to adjust.”

And whose fault is that?

The options we’re left with aren’t pretty. To find a match, a woman could join one of the high-end matchmaking events organized by money-seekers, or head over to “marriage markets” in public parks, often attended by desperate parents seeking to marry off their children.

If it’s love you’re after though, the only real option is to go with the flow and see what happens. It’s not the most conventional or even the safest route, but if you’re not willing to try, who knows what you won’t find?

By Alicia

In Taiyuan, Shanxi province on August 18, a 6-year-old boy called Wen Wen was playing in the parking lot outside his family’s fast-food restaurant when he was hit from behind by a minivan. But not hit, per se — the van passed over him as he fell forward onto his knees and elbows and curled up into just the right size to avoid death. The vehicle continued to reverse, then briefly stopped. When the driver notices the child isn’t dead, he drives away.

As the father tells the journalist in the video: “Around 7 pm, we were inside selling food when we suddenly heard the child cry outside. My wife ran out and saw the child doubled over with mud all over his body. She picked the child up and asked, What happened? He said, A car ran me over.”

Unlucky for the driver, cameras caught the license plate on the front of his car as he was exiting the parking lot. Unfortunately for the family, authorities have yet to find him. Youku video for those in China after the jump.