Week Three

Still way too busy to blog. I wasted my morning running around trying to get registered at the police station (that's what foreigners have to do in China every time they move). There's a station across from my apartment, but apparently not the right one. They sent me to a station several blocks away who then told me I had to go to another station. I was so mad, but all I could think to do was whimper "DE SAN GE!" (the third one). The cop laughed. 

I'm all moved in with Chef Mike. I've been here since Thursday and haven't seen the guy yet. Guess that's how it goes when you live with a Chef - he works until 11 pm most nights. 

It's weird writing for a website in a censored society. See, there's still way more freedom on the web than in print: The magazine sends a draft to Beijing every month, and every month they send back what they want changed (they don't like cursing, they're pretty prudish about sex, we're required to call it "the former French Concession" not just "The French Concession" etc. etc.). However on the web, we can get away with that stuff a lot more. But it's a fine line - if I start blogging about freedom and certain places that begin with the letter 'T' (and rhyme with "She bet" "Shy-wan" and "Shiananmen") - you can bet our website would be blocked in short order.

Goes without saying, I wouldn't blog about those things. One - we're a lifestyle/entertainment publication. Two - it would be bad news bears for my employer and, undoubtedly, my employment. But there's gray area too:

Today I saw a headline where (I think this happens every year) the U.S. released a report on human rights in China, and China I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I released a human rights report on the U.S. My initial reaction was: This is hilarious. I should blog about it. My second reaction was mmm, nah...

Censorship folks, that's how it works.