The reason I like to quote Adam Daniel Mezei so much is because he’s a damn good fellow, and a maven of information. I feel like he must employ people to work for him with the amount of information he collects.
We were talking it up on G-chat the other day, and somehow we got on the topic of good ‘China’ bloggers.
The term ‘China blogger’ drives me crazy because it communicates approximately as much as sarcasm – nothing. I tried telling someone that I was a ‘China blogger’ once and immediately wanted to punch myself in the face. Compared to China I am so small. How I could even try to tell someone I blog about China and keep my dignity in tact is beyond me. It’s basically like telling someone that you’re a professional at life. Or better yet, a professional at America blogging.
Him: “I don’t have a job right now, but I’ve become a professional America blogger.”
Her: “So you’re unemployed and unmotivated to find any purpose for your life.”
Him: “No, no, you don’t get it. I write about America stuff.”
Anyway, Adam liked this line of thought so much that he expanded on its implications in a post called “To All You “China Bloggers” Out There: There Is *No Such Thing* As An “America Blogger”. My favorite part:
“[...]we desperately need a new terminology for those people interested in blogging about China, Sinology, or other things related to the PRC in general, but who don’t have any basis on which to make “expert” claims.
We must engage in a narrowing of the formerly expansive nomenclature, a tightening up of this truly exclusive field, and a better and proper way of referring to these folks so that they don’t completely humiliate themselves as they stuff their yob with hot canapés at the cocktail party or around the tiddlywinks table when people ask them what they do and they reply with faux gusto: “Oh, me? Well I’m a China blogger.”
No you’re not! You can’t possibly be. And why? Because there’s no such thing as one, Frank!
If there’s no such thing as an America blogger, there’s certainly no such thing as a China blogger.
Ten years ago, the “China blogging” might have been an appropriate terminology. We were still in internet flux. Web 2.0 was still but a glimmer in Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Biz Stone and Evan Williams’ eyes.
Today it doesn’t hold any baijiu, my friends.”
I encourage you to check it out, and don’t give me too much flack for the overly gracious accolades that Mr. Mezei heaps on me at the start of his article. I promise that’s not the reason I am recommending that you read this one.
China Healthcare Blog
4 Comments
That’s is a tight photo, my man. I like! I’ve had many an out-of-body moment where I’m left wondering how I had the courage to say what I just said. Telling someone you’re a China blogger isn’t bad…you might want to tell them you’re an amateur Sinologist who is also tapped into the global health care scene.
They’ll go: “Huh? Can you say that again?”
You’ll repeat: “I’m an amateur Sinologist who is also…”
Then stand back and observe their facial expression. Revel in the moment.
Small typo here:
Ten years ago, “China blogging” might have been an appropriate terminology. We were still in internet flux. Web 2.0 was still but a glimmer in Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Biz Stone and Evan Williams’ eyes.
Amateur Sinologist, that’s something to think about. I think, however, that it has to be my secondary identity when I’m not in china. So, here in teh states, i’ll be a student first, and beyond that I’ll be someone that harbors an intense interest in China matters.
I have a friend studying abroad in Chengdu and I was wanting to know if you knew of any way she would be able to access the internet w/o the restrictions? Thanks in advance @tresigns
@ Tresigns
The best option is a virtual private network (VPN). There are free ones available. I used hotspot shield but it might be blocked now. A quick google search for “VPN in China” or something to that effect should do the trick.
One Trackback
[...] brings it home yesterday with his final word about so-called “China blogging” and the elusive wraith of a thing that it can be. I [...]