Took kid #2 to the local hospital because of some stubborn tummy trouble, and came home with some Chinese medicine:
Of course herbal belly button plugs are a thing:
I hope we’re doing this right:
According to my Weixin pengyous, we should be OK. (And to be fair, China’s not the only place that comes up with novel health remedies.)
Not in my backyard
Shǐ just got real.
One of the side-effects of planting lots of trees around your building is that it attracts people looking for some token privacy. I think I can emotionally empathize with these neighbours now.
Maybe it’s like gun laws in the USA; the people who would actually heed these signs aren’t the ones making the problem. But at least acquiring them lets off a little culture stress steam. I’ll put them up, along with some “Don’t throw garbage” signs, but our real plan is to make our own sign that says something like, “If you need to use the bathroom, you’re welcome to ring Unit 101.” The culprits are workers who are temporarily in the neighbourhood on a job (construction, installation, etc.) and who literally have nowhere to go. So we don’t really hold it against them, but I’d rather not have the ground literally right outside our windows used as a bathroom (or for naptime).
Watching Chinese TV for language learning
So I’m sitting on the couch about five minutes into an episode of this one show that’s supposedly the Chinese equivalent of Friends (爱情公寓) when Jessica, who’s sitting opposite where she can hear the dialogue but can’t see the screen, suddenly says, “Hey! I know that scene! They’re totally ripping that off!” Turns out this show isn’t just a similar; it actually copied parts of the script and story from the original Friends so blatantly that Chinese viewers complained on social media and the producers apologized.
(So does that make it extra Chinese?)
I’ve never even seen a full episode of the original Friends, but it’s really popular in China for learning English — the dialogue is simple, filled with digestible one-or-two-liners, and the canned laughter tells you how to understand the context (funny, sad, touching, etc.). That’s what we need, only in Chinese: something that’s easy to follow because it’s simple nearly to the point of stupid. We’re not aiming for challenging content; we’re aiming for lots of content. (And the reality of it is, nearly any Chinese TV show is challenging; you’ll need intermediate/upper-intermediate Chinese to even attempt to follow most mainstream Chinese media.)
In addition to Googling through the language study blogs, I asked on Weixin what TV series we should watch for language learning. Here’s what the first 26 responses suggested: 人民的民义(x8)、西游记(x3)、琅琊榜(x2)、欢乐颂(x2)、大宅门、伪装者、父母爱情、芈月传、甄嬛传、三国、一仆二主、大头儿子，小头爸爸、小别离、我爱我家、康熙王朝、神探狄仁杰、海尔弟兄。
At different language levels, you need to study in different ways. I’m in the middle of revamping my study routine — much in the spirit of what Hacking Chinese describes here — and part of that is regularly consuming more Chinese content.
Are there any Chinese TV shows you’ve actually found helpful to your language study?
We haven’t picked anything to follow yet, but we’ll take a look at 欢乐颂、我爱我家、大头儿子，小头爸爸 and 人民的民义，along with 爸爸去哪儿？, 快乐大本营 and 爱情公寓。And for whatever we watch, we’ll also try to get our hands on the subtitle files.
Market day in Qingdao
Market days (大集) are every five days, on the lunar calendar’s 2s and 7s. If you’re going to 赶集, those are the best days.
This new location for Licunji （李村集） doesn’t compare to the old one, but market day still brings out tons of people.
The Chinese state church’s call to worship song
During a recent Sunday lunch one of our kids mentioned, “Our Sunday school teacher told us we had to be quiet because we’re in God’s temple.”
We told her the Sunday school teacher was wrong. (No hard feelings toward the teacher; you can’t expect volunteer Sunday school teachers to be theologians or exegetes, but temples and church buildings aren’t the same thing theologically or functionally.)
It’s not hard to guess why she would have said that: between the lyrics of the 3-Self Patriotic Church‘s opening song and Chinese Christians’ penchant for big church buildings with serious, stately services — our friend was turned away at the door of Qingdao’s flagship 3-Self church just last Sunday because she was wearing flip-flops and therefore “didn’t have a worshipful heart,” “wasn’t obedient to God,” and would “disturb other worshipers” — Chinese state churches send the “temple” message every week.
But if you’re going to spend Sunday mornings in a Chinese state church, this song, along with the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, are probably the most useful bits of Chinese to learn first.
《主在圣殿中》 is the Chinese version of the 1872 hymn “The Lord is in His Holy Temple (Quam Dilecta)” by George F. Root (1820-1895) and based on Habakkuk 2:20. It’s sung by the choir as the call to worship (i.e. the “everyone quiet down we’re starting now” song). Usually the congregation just listens, but it’s musically interesting and you might want to sing along, doctrinal shortcomings notwithstanding. ;)
《主在圣殿中》
主在圣殿中 / zhǔ zài shèngdiàn zhōng
主在圣殿中 / zhǔ zài shèngdiàn zhōng
普天下的人 / pǔtiānxiàde rén
在主面前都应当肃静 / zài zhǔ miànqián dōu yīngdāng sùjìng
肃静 肃静 / sùjìng sùjìng
应当肃静 / yīngdāng sùjìng
阿们 / āmen
Original:
The Lord is in His holy temple,
the Lord is in His holy temple;
Let all the earth keep silence,
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.
Keep silence, keep silence before Him.
Chinese state church Sunday school Lord’s Prayer (video)
The cute last few seconds of the 7-year-old-and-under Sunday school class at the Chinese state church we attend on Sunday mornings (the very end is the best part!):
(It’s a YouTube video, so you’ll need a VPN in China.)
Learn the Lord’s Prayer and Apostles’ Creed in Chinese here.
![[Photo Gallery:] the old Licun Chinese Prison](https://i1.wp.com/chinahopelive.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/featured_cellblock.jpg?resize=825%2C510&ssl=1)
[Photo Gallery:] the old Licun Chinese Prison
A literal stone’s throw from the south wall of the Rockcity Mall （伟东乐客城） in Qingdao’s Licun （青岛李村） sits the last remnants of the old Licun Chinese Prison （李村华人监狱）. It’s surrounded by construction fences, but you can get in through the loosely chained construction site gate on the north side.
The walls inside and out are covered in barely legible Mao Era slogans, which, along with its history, make this a fascinating stop for urban explorers. But unless the authorities have plans to turn it into a museum, I doubt it will be standing for much longer. Along with the Binhe Lu Christian Church （滨河路基督教堂） and, until recently, Licunji (李村集，the canal bed market), this prison represents the last wisps of tangible history in a fast-developing district.
According to Baidu, German imperialists built the Licun Chinese Prison in 1897 (they had a separate prison on Changzhou Lu 常州路 for foreigners). Around 1939 it underwent major restoration. In 1941 during the Japanese occupation there was a famous prison break, commemorated with a photo. After Liberation most of the original structure was torn down and rebuilt.
In 1954, criminals were given three months of winter thought reform training in the “3 Destroys, 3 Erects”:
“Destroy reactionary thinking, erect socialism thinking;
Destroy exploitative notions, erect the glory of labour;
Destroy old bad habits, erect new morals.”
破反动思想，立社会主义思想；
破剥削观念，立劳动光荣；
破旧恶习，立新道德。
That slogan and many others are still visible on the prison walls — I’ve translated all the legible ones in the photo captions below (with much help from my Weixin pengyous). (The most recent writing I found was a posted notice from January 2007 listing sanitation duties.)
These photos were taken on December 12 and 14, 2016. Click a thumbnail to get started!
Looking at the southwest corner of what remains of the prison, in what used to be the prison yard.
“Change evil for good; have a bright future.” 改恶从善 前途光明
“Change evil for good; have a bright future.” 改恶从善 前途光明
Shadows by the west entrance.
“Only with genuine repentance will you have a bright future. Persisting in the reactionary position is walking toward a dead end.” 只要真正悔改，就有光明前途，坚持反动立场，就是走绝路
“Only with genuine repentance will you have a bright future. Persisting in the reactionary position is walking toward a dead end.” 只要真正悔改，就有光明前途，坚持反动立场，就是走绝路
The north east gate.
North east gate
South east gate
“Destroy reactionary thinking, erect socialism thinking; Destroy exploitative notions, erect the glory of labour; Destroy old bad habits, erect new morals.” 破反动思想，立社会主义思想； 破剥削观念，立劳动光荣； 破旧恶习，立新道德。
The south east gate with Rockcity Mall in the background.
Heading in the south east gate
Heading into the cell block.
Heading into the cell block.
“Enforce the law justly; manage according to the standard regulations” 公正执法 规范管理
“Manage according to the standard regulations” 规范管理
“Enforce the law justly” 公正执法
Cell block corridor, looking east.
Cell block corridor, looking east.
Cell door
“Punishment and transformation are joined together, with transforming the person as the purpose.”
“What is this place? Who are you? Why are you here?” (Lit. “What is this place? What person are you? What are you doing here?/What did you come here to do?”) 这是什么地方？你是什么人？到这里干什么？
“What is this place? Who are you? Why are you here?” (Lit. “What is this place? What person are you? What are you doing here?/What did you come here to do?”) 这是什么地方？你是什么人？到这里干什么？
“Build a standardized prison division” 建设规范化监区 “Construct harmoniousness, transform the scope” 营造和谐改造范围
“Discussion Room” inside north east gate.
Stairs inside the north east gate.
Stairs inside the north east gate.
“Resolutely implement the ‘Strict, Civilized, and Scientific’ supervisory principal. 坚决贯彻”依法严格文明科学”的监管原则
An upside-down 福 (“fu2” — blessing; fortune) decoration, because “the Fu is upside down” 福倒了sounds like, “Fu has arrived” 福到了。
Trees are well on their way to reclaiming the space occupied by these buildings.
A 福 (“fu2” — blessing; fortune) decoration.
Peeling whitewash obscures large painted characters.
Peeling whitewash obscures large painted characters.
Courtyard columns on the left and signs on the right bearing illegible slogans and propaganda.
“Establish Proletarian New Thought & New Culture” 建立无产阶级新思想、新文化
“Mao Zedong Thought is the highest, brightest, and reddest beacon.” 毛泽东思想是最高最亮最红的灯塔
L: “Read the Quotations of Chairman Mao…” 读毛主席语录…… (Only “Read” and “Chairman Mao” are legible.) R: “Establish the New Thinking of the Proletariat…” (remainder is illegible) 建立无产阶级新思想……
L: “Read the Quotations of Chairman Mao…” 读毛主席语录…… (Only “Read” and “Chairman Mao” are legible.) R: “Establish the New Thinking of the Proletariat…” (remainder is illegible) 建立无产阶级新思想……
“Establish Proletarian New Thought…” (remainder is illegible) 建立无产阶级新思想……
“Long live the Great Leap Forward!” 大跃进万岁！
“Long live the Great Leap Forward!” 大跃进万岁！
“Long live the Communist Party!” 共产党万岁！
“Long live Chairman Mao!” 毛主席万岁！
“Long live the People’s Communes!” 人民公社万岁！
I found two other photo collections: one from August 2013, and one from April 2016.