Here are a few places you can watch what's going on as National Day celebrations unfold in HK and on the mainland: South China Morning Post's Live Coverage Twitter hashtags to follow: #occupycentral #hkdemocracy #hongkongprotests And, for a sense of scope, here's drone footage of the protests on Saturday that I just stumbled across. Incredible how many people are out on the streets. If you've listened to, read, or watched the news in the past few days, you might have heard about the "umbrella protests" in Hong Kong. Technically a part of China since England gave the colony back to Chinese leadership in 1997, Hong Kong is still in the midst of a huge transition. At the time of the transition in 1997, the Chinese government in Beijing signed on to a deal that would allow Hong Kong residents to democratically elect their own local leader in 2017. Just last month, though, Beijing went back on this statement, announcing that the candidates for the position would have to be screened by a Chinese-government-selected committee. This event, in addition to the general tension of Hong Kong's uncertain future relationship with the rest of China, led residents of all ages to take to the streets in protest.
Read more here about why, over the past few days, college students and other common people in Hong Kong have blocked the government's headquarters, fending off pepper spray and tear gas using umbrellas. Also, here you can read an analysis on CNN Opinion of what this protest could mean for China & Hong Kong's future. This piece was written by Will Piekos, a former student of mine from Middlebury College. National Public Radio does a series on "found recipes" — recipes that people get from friends, family, or somewhere else besides Pinterest. I heard about this one driving home the other day, and it sounds delicious! Maybe we could try it in class this year . . . Listen to the podcast for the story behind this one, or just read the recipe in the link!
No, not the character from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves! I mean the Chinese online shopping platform whose executives are looking to expand into markets currently dominated by Amazon and Ebay. If you're interested in learning more about the future of how we might do online shopping, check out this article from the South China Morning Post.
Next week is the week of the Mid-Autumn Festival, or 中秋节 (zhōngqiú jié), which is an important harvest festival in China. Falling on a date in the autumn when the moon is full, the festival is usually celebrated by gathering together with family to eat a big meal and enjoy the moonlight, and of course, by exchanging mooncakes. In mini-celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I give you a modern rendition of Teresa Teng's classic song "The Moon Represents My Heart," or 月亮代表我的新 (yuèliang dàibiǎo wǒ de xīn). I'm giving it to you a little early so you can practice singing for next week to impress your family and friends. Enjoy! |