You Can Count On Me

Tang Yueyun and his wife after home burned down. Their eight years old daughter Xiaomin fled from her flaming house, but then rushed back in to save his little brother Xiaoze.

April 27, 2008, Kunming. When the family of Tang Yueyun opened door after having lunch at home, a big flame jumped on them and ignited the room all of a sudden. The flame came from a gasoline tank they placed outside the house, although the reason why it is burning by itself on a cloudy day remains unknown. The Tang couple and their eight years old daughter who were about to leave for work got out just in time while the fire consumed the entire house. All the neighbors started running for life, while the Tangs stood in a distance watching their home burned. They one year old son was still sleeping on the bed.

The fire is just too hot for anyone to get close. But suddenly, Xiaomin got out of hands of Tang and rushed back to the house. "I have to go save Xiaoji", that's why she said before disappeared in the big flame. Perhaps her last word, Tang jumped in the flame too and found the two children. The eight years old sister was covering the little brother with her body. Tang was able to take both children out. Both children were severely burned.

The Tangs lost everything they had owned, including all $700 savings of cash. The house is little more than ashes, and all they have is $40 pay from a past job.

It IS the People They are Talking About

While CNN clarified that when they said Chinese were 'Goons' on air on April 9, 2008, they actually meant the government, rather than the people. They refused to answer the demand from overseas Chinese for an apology because it's justifiable to call on a communism government Goons according to the manual of conduct code used by mainstream media in the US. However, the TIME Magazine, another branch of the Time Warner Group, just reconfirmed that they did, actually, mean the people.

In the April 21, 2008 issue of the TIME Magazine, NUMBERS column on page 22, it said when refer to Made-In-china Crocs, '..Chinese-made Crocs being sold to Palestinians'. TIME went extra miles to tell the world, the TIME Warners Group did mean, however, Chinese, when they used the world 'Chinese'.

Adviser Fed Up with Clinton's 'Gratuitous China Bashing'

Dr. Richard Baum, a UCLA professor, resigned role as a political adviser to the Clinton campaign in protest of the campaign's 'gratuitous China bashing'. There's an interesting reading on the UCLA site, titled: Ten Questions for Richard Baum.


Clinton is the first candidate in the election year to urge Bush to boycott the 2008 Olympic Game to be held in Beijing, and boasted herself as 'the only candidate who isn't just talking about cracking down on China but I have a specific plan on how to do it'. Alike the 'change' for the Obama campaign, the sale point of the Clinton campaign is her 'experience'. In the past year or so, the Clinton campaign has been caught wet hand repeatedly on their characterization of Clinton's 'experience'. In one incident, Senator vividly depicted a scenario when she had to bent over and rush down a runway to dodge sniper bullets. It turned out, first by witness and later by document file record that there was a big welcome ceremony on the runway. Mrs Clinton was seen on the film walking down the red carpet to kiss a little girl with flowers waiting on the other side. It is not a new problem for the Clinton to make up experience, but what is more toxic is the history she made up on the side.

A Hero Or a Victim of Western Media

To recap the story. A duke freshman Grace Wang (Chinese name Qianyuan Wang, for now, later on) confronted a group of Chinese students in a rally for the Beijing Olympic Game with what conceived to be pro-Tibetan Independence messages. She was immediately picked up by western medias as a hero who stands up against the Communism government, as well as overseas Chinese students community. NPR granted her an interview, and both NY Time and Washington Post made her a first page story. It turned out, though, revealed by the blogs attached, that Wang is but a mentally ill person who need medical attention, not political spotlight. I guess Wang's parents should sue NPR, NY Time and Washington Post for exploiting a mentally ill patient for commercial purposes, what else could it be.

From a blog Bibita Naturale D'italia made by her dorm mate,

I just really have to write this.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
I really just have to write this.

Wow. Just wow. While I have physics and a paper to write, I really need to get this out.
Grace Wang. She's really something.

She's quite useful to the media. Both sides are having a field day. The chinese TV are branding her as this terrible traitor while western media is holding her up as the lone voice of reason. They both are neglecting the truth, what Grace really is, beyond the 9 minute Youtube video and glorious interviews.

When I first met her at a dinner, she immediately spilled her life story. I thought, maybe she was being a slightly socially incompetent fob and trying to make friends. I listened. What a good story it was.

She told of how she was involved in a political group with some top lawyers in China. They were trying to get the truth out of the Tiananmen square incident. They wrote articles and blogs together on the subject. Then one day, one of her friends involved in the group disappeared. They called her, went to her house, tried everything, but she was no where to be found. Then Grace and her parents start freaking out. Grace's dad, at the time the ex mayor of Qingdao, afraid of Grace facing a similar fate, went to her files in the city government and threw them out. She got a new name, and quickly moved to South Korea. At the time, Grace told us that she already dropped out of her high school in Qingdao because she was unsatisfied by the best high school in Shandong province. She moved to Korea, and there she learned English by watching American films. While she was there, she also slept around with a lot of guys. Then she applied to Harvard and got rejected. The next year, she applies again, to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Duke. She gets accepted to all but Harvard. She chose to come to Duke because she got the Robertson. She then turns down the Robertson because she didn't want the restrictions set by the program.

After the story finished, we were all pretty amazed. We were all thinking that this seemingly innocent Chinese student is destined for greatness. After we come back to my room, she proceeds to tell one of us about the guy in the dorm she had sex with. I was quite shocked by this. She seemed so innocent, and we had only been at Duke for less than 5 days. She says the guy was a virgin and now he wants a relationship. We go to the common room, she points him out, and he was playing pool at the other side of the room, totally not paying attention to her. Later on, Grace begins telling us many stories about herself. All she ever talks about is herself. As the stories piled on, they became inconsistent, and sometimes directly contradicting. People begin question her trustworthiness. Eventually, after months of lies and irrationality, people begin disliking her. For such a trusting and kind dorm like Brown to dislike someone, you really have to be special. And Grace is that special. Now we know she is a liar. She didn't go to Korea or even participate in anything political. She even told people that she wrote her own recommendations for college applications. She made up stories to make herself seem impressive for colleges, and now, the western media.

She's overloading by taking around 6 courses. 2-3 of those are foreign language courses. She was angry that the academic dean wouldn't let her do more. Funny thing is, she's definitely not doing well in any of them. I've heard her practice her German, and it is atrocious. She also reads like a maniac. I don't really know what she reads, but it's Chinese literature/philosophy and political theory. She prints hundreds of pages a night to read, parades around with her stack of papers, telling anyone who would listen, trying to impress another person of her political acumen. She shaved off her eyebrows the other day. Because 1: all her boy problems will go away, and 2: pretty girls never make history. She also makes up stories about how people ask to have sex with her or perform sexual acts with her. Is it me, or is she someone trying to convince herself that she's destined for greatness?

It would really take a really long time to really describe all my Grace stories and I don't have time for it. But all I can say is, she has been lifted up by western media as a martyr in this battle for Tibet. And she's drinking in every moment of it, because finally, she is being seen as a hero. What a silly, irrational girl.

Oh how could I forget to mention, she wants to be president of China.
Posted by pleskita at 8:22 PM
Labels: Brown, Duke, Grace Wang, 王千源

Dorm Drama

Monday, March 3, 2008
Dorm Drama

There's a certain Grace Wang in Brown. just wow. I shall copy and paste an interesting email conversation.

Dear Brownies,

I'm Grace Wang (王千源) from second floor. I think I've at least talked to everyone here. If not, I'll pay a kind visit to you as soon as possible. I've experienced some serious issues in our dorm recently that almost made me move out. Actually I've already submitted my reaccommodating application and decided to leave by next Friday. But after days of serious consideration, I decided to stay because I believe the best way to solve the problem is not to quit but to confront it. I'm writing this email to you because I think this is an issue considering every one of us.

The problems are distrust and gossip. Of course, not all Brownies gossip. But a lot do. Brown is a very close community, which facilitates communication of all kinds and, of course, a curiosity of our neighbors' interesting lives. Not only do many of us nose into others' privacy, but also do we share our amazing discoveries. I've heard some very unkind sayings from young gentlemen gossiping about their roommates, or ladies meanly mentioning their neighbors, even from people I trusted and respected so much. Many, if not all, of the stories were simply fabrication but like snowballs they grew bigger and bigger. None of us is perfect but that is not an excuse for us to hurt others. Treat others as how we want to be treated and insulting others is humiliating ourselves. I became a target probably because I acted up against it. Recently I was openly insulted by more than ten people who barely talked to me anywhere but Marketplace about several different issues in public. When I responded to those rummors, I was laughed at by many other watchers who seemed to be so nice otherwise. I was forced to answer questions that should not be asked by any rational being in public. (When he asked me these questions the gentlemen was wearing a contented smile.) I was chased by a gentleman who had insulted me many times and he even cornered me to forgive him without trying to appologize after all he did. Suddenly, after all these happened, everyone went back to their small niche and became a saint again. From their smile I saw insecurity; from their pretension I saw hollowness; in their eyes I saw fear. Majority is no guarantee to be correct. Up till now I haven't received any apology from any single person. All I got is denial and denial and denial. Dumb as I am, I still got the message. All they meant is just "it was not my fault," "it was only a joke," and "I didn't say anything." This is how responsible and brave they are. I was so frustrated. I almost packed up everything and then I unpacked again. I unpacked and decided to stay because I know I'm not alone. If they can gossip about me then they can gossip about everyone. Or maybe they even gossip about each other. Only by blaming others would they find their own security and peace.

I have already forgiven everyone and forgotten every insulting word. But my principles are inviolable. I don't mind if some people would continue gossiping about me after I wrote this letter. What I want to tell them is that I will defend everybody's privacy to be protected and reputation to be preserved. I will fight for this public disease to death. If anyone want to talk with me about this, my room is 226.

My last words here are that we should cherish the opportunity to have everyone here. Instead of hurting each other or saying a superficial hi, there're much more meaningful things to do with each other. Together, we should protect each other, help each other, and love each other.

Peace,

Grace

A response sent to her in private, but she decided to send the response to everyone in the dorm, including the original message.

Hi Grace,

I don't really know how I am considered by you, but I feel that you are a great person and have lots of potential. You should know that Brownies are not malicious beings who gossip to hurt you. You should try to see that they are trying to help you.

The distrust is there because you tell us many different versions of your life. You are the propagator of all these rumors. Like this email, your stories get told by mostly you. You do realize that mountains of rumors will now spread because you have brought yourself to the attention of others and now you will be discussed? You might feel that people are insulting you by their disbelief, but I think you are the one insulting yourself with your false stories. You first told me that you are from Qingdao and that you are here due to political persecution. I have heard different versions where you organized an international conference and it flopped, thus you are here. People are not dumb, we piece together your inaccurate stories. I will not guess at the reason why you make up many different versions of your life, but perhaps you are doing this to impress us? Please do not feel a need to impress everyone you meet, spill your lifestory to everyone you meet. There is distrust because you created it. Not only do you make up lies about yourself, you openly tell stories about others. Perhaps they are true, but because of our previous experiences with you, we do not how to view this. If you did fabricate these events that have taken place, you have hurt them way more than anyone has hurt you because you are actively harming others. But perhaps you did not make anything up and we are just very bad at piecing together your lifestory (we do so because it definitely is interesting, from what you have told us), so we could take all those stories as truth with a grain of salt.

Also to let you know, you are infamous on west and infamous within the Chinese circle at Duke. Had you escaped Brown, you would have been confronted with a world of people who arent so patient with your lies.

Curiosity is only natural, from what I hear, you are also very curious about political science. Curiosity means no harm. If I were you, I would be grateful that no pranks have befallen you.

Like any person with self respect, you have a sense of pride. I respect that, yet it is wise now, and definitely in the future if you wish to persue a successful political career, to be humble. Try to understand others, look at yourself for perhaps the blame lies there.

I do this not to hurt you, but to ease your current social situation on campus.
Please try to be open minded about things.




Grace (王千源)'s Response:

I admire your courage to reply in such a candide way. When I wrote the letter to everyone, I never thought about you so I was surprised by what you said about Chinese community. You have made a very fast judgment on me and also an unfair generalization about Chinese community. As far as I can see, you like to make fun of Chinese people and see yourself superior than Chinese (maybe only those who are more Chinese than you are?) Candidate, I have faith in Chinese community here and everywhere. I also believe that people have the ability to tell right from wrong. Apparently some people have eagerly spread the rumor to as many people as possible. I can tell you that all of the stories you heard from me are true. I am also very happy to see how much interest you showed to my and others' life. If you want to know something about my personal life as you have shown apparent interest, I can tell you very candidly whatever is appropriate to tell. I am from Qingdao, which is a fact that I have never ever hide. I have also organized an important political protest in Beijing. The political science professor Tianjian Shi at Duke and a Chinese student (Class 11 from Beijing) called Ruochen Zhu can attest what I've said. I can also tell you that that protest had something to do with Duke university political science department and I communicated with president Brodhead and got replies from the then political science departement acting chair Michael A Gillespie and Vice Provost for International Affairs Gilbert Merkx.

If I feel a little intimidated, I wouldn't even try to write this email or to stay here. I told the story because my past shows who I am today and I am still bothered by a lot of the experiences. I also want people to be aware of the political status quo in China and feel a need to care. I have been through a lot more than you can ever imagine and it is not easy to handle by myself. You don't need to worry about how do I or others think about you. It is what you think of you and what you do that matters. I have said I have chosen to forget about everything everyone did. I hope this is the end of your game.

Best,

Grace


Posted by pleskita at 9:37 AM
Labels: Brown, Duke, 王千源, 王千源 杜克, 青岛 王千源

As a side node, Grace Wang (Chinese name Qianyuan Wang) was formerly known as Patricia Wang (Chinese name Jiani Wang) according to information available on the Internet. She applied for colleges in the US for 2007 admission. For certain reason, she changed her name and applied again the next year. This time she received the full scholarship from Duke university in North Carolina and came to Durham, NC.

This Time It Is Different, And Why

This time it is different. Never before had oversea Chinese protest the western, especially the western 'journalism' represented by major networks such as BBC and CNN.

Overseas Chinese left the mainland to the western for one reason or another, but many fled from the suffocating ruling of the CCP, and had longed for the free air in the West. Many have been vocally critical on every steps of the Chinese government, but not this time. All oversea Chinese are united to protest the distortion of news conducted by the mainstream media, represented by CNN.

For more than half century, the Chinatown San Francisco had been divided by the Taiwan Strait, not this time. Even those ailing veterans who hated the communism most walked on the street, with the red flag in hand to celebrate the Olympic Game to be held in Beijing.

Never before had wealthy Chinese bother to check the political news, but not this time. Fashion girls are boycotting covet French luxuries. Instead of showing up their collection of LV purses, they are busy making phone calls to stores to return their purchases.

A minute ago they were chef, students, scientists or engineers, the next minute they are on the street to protest for the first time in western countries against western countries, the land used to be dream their dream land. People are marching in Sheffield (4/12), Sydney (4/13), Melbourne (4/13), Ottawa (4/13), Heidelberg (4/12), Seattle (4/14).

Now, let me tell you what woke up the overseas Chinese community's dream of quiet personal prosperity. It is the blunt lie made by the western medias. There's an old saying in China that you are wrap fire with papers, which is exactly what western media had been doing since the riot broke out in Xizhang (Tibet) on March 13, 2008. It is the western press who warned overseas Chinese, after all, they are Chinese and China is their motherland.

One thing for sure: these protests were not sponsored by government. As a matter of fact, the communism propaganda department is trying their best to block any news that is deemed not 'harmonic'. This time, the Internet, which was used to obtain truth from western media, was used to obtain the true color of those western press. It is the people, get it?

When Voice of America (VoA), the US government funded radio service had their Chinese audiences on air, instead of criticism to human right issues in China, everyone with no exception started storming on how the western media has been lying on Tibet. These are the same people who are victimized and persecuted by the communism government. But this time, they recognized there is a more alarming criss on their motherland, a crusade led by the western journalism that vowed to crush the county and people who dwell on it. In the darkest time of the communism ruling, voices from BBC and Voa were like lights in a tunnel, encouraging Chinese people to keep fighting for their freedom. But this time, they revealed their true identity and true agenda. Their target was not the communism party, it was the land and the people.

A Complaint Filed to FCC

I was appalled by racism, hatred remarks towards Chinese population made by CNN commentator Jack Cafferty on air. In CNN 'Situation Room' aired on April 9, 2008, Cafferty called on Chinese 'They (Chinese) are basically the same bunch of Goons and thugs they have been in the past fifty years.' <transcript as posted on CNN official website> Racial hatred remarks in this scale hadn't been heard from major networks for at least 60 years as far as memory serves, not even in the dark era proceeded the twilight of the civil right movement.

I hereby request FCC to take immediate and resolute action against CNN for using public mass media to spread racial hatred messages. I also request FCC to take immediate and resolute action against Comcast for allowing message of nature of racial hatred to be carried through their cables to millions of TVs, including the TV in my living room.

Date of Program: April 09,2008
Time of Program: 6PM US EDT
Network: CNN
Call Sign, Channel OR Frequency of the station on which you viewed/heard the material: CNN
City and State Where Program Was Viewed/Heard: Beijing, China
Name of Program or DJ/Personality/Song/Film: “The Situation Room”/ Jack Cafferty

A complaint can be filed by clicking here.

Jack Cafferty “Well, I don't know if China is any different, but our relationship with China is certainly different. We're in hawk to the Chinese up to our eyeballs because of the war in Iraq, for one thing. They're holding hundreds of billions of dollars worth of our paper. We also are running hundred of billions of dollars worth of trade deficits with them, as we continue to import their junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food and export, you know, jobs to places where you can pay workers a dollar a month to turn out the stuff that we're buying from Wal-Mart. So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed. I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years.”

A Chinese Toy

There are Made-in-China toys, and there are Chinese toys. Yesterday New York Police released two African Americans who attacked a Chinese on 122nd Street and Broadway around 9pm Friday during which the Chinese was chased to the street and killed by a car. The city police decided Chinese are but property, and the African Americans were playing with toys. In contrast, another student of Columbia University, a white student was assaulted and stuck by a passing vehicle. The assailants in that case, all teenagers, were all charged with robbery and murder. The judge overseeing the hearing is Mary E. Bednar. The prosecutor is Keith Brown. The two names should be kept in a history book, along the NYPD.

All three murders were arrested by the police, but the judge decided to set them free. One of the African American, who repeated attacked the victim according to police record, told the police that they were playing with the Chinese, and he just wanted to show his buddies 'Watch what I do to this guy'.

When questioned by defense lawyer Bruce Carpenter whether the murder showed any remorse after the Chinese's death, detective John Garvey said, 'No, he didn't'.

The slain student is Yu Minghui 24 years old, who was a PhD candidate in the School of Arts and Sciences of Columbia University.

Sadly, in the US judiciary system a Chinese is but a toy.