Pray for Japan, and for Hong Kong

The world is watching on Japan since the massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami and nuclear crisis stroked the northeastern coastal area on 11th. March . 


There are thousands of media coverages of this massive tragedy all over the world. Chinese and Hong Kong media and the netizens respond to the  Japanese earthquake in a sympathetic way even there is a slight inharmonious voice. I am happy to see people can put aside the historical issues and help the Japanese in a humanistic manner. 


I also noticed that there are many critics that comparing the Sichuan earthquake in 2008 to the current one in Japan. In 2008, the most vulnerable buildings were the schools while schools in Japan are the strongest buildings which can be used as shelters during earthquakes and equipped with life-aid bags. There are also coverages on how Japanese people staying calm and disciplined after the earthquake.  News tells that there are shops selling food at discount rate; people are helping the elder and the women; people queueing up for bus without any hustle. All these news coverages intrigued hot debate over Internet both in Mainland China and Hong Kong because the "cleaness" and 'normalness" of the aftermaths which are something we lack in our own culture.Yes, Japanese showed the world their merits and taught us a lesson. And  doubtlessly we need to rethink our own everyday behaviors and culture.


I have worked in a Japanese bank in Shenzhen before I came to CUHK. I still remember vividly I found a safety helmet under my desk on my first working day. Later, I came to know the bank give every staff a safety helmet in case there is an earthquake. The Japanese bank further surprised me that there was a separate room storing biscuits and instant noodles. I once entered that room the quantity of the food there were huge.  The the Japanese safe culture struck me deeply at that moment. But at the same time, I was doubting whether the Japanese were just making a fuss: there is no earthquake in Shenzhen and around and there won't be any according to "common sense" and historical records. 


It proved that I was wrong. A small earthquake happened just months ago in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. And similarly, the Daya nuclear plant, which is just 60 kilometers aways from Hong Kong, had slight nuclear emission two times months ago too. So we are actually not danger-free. 


I am thinking what if the earthquake and nuclear emission happened months ago in a bigger magnitude? what will Hong Kong people react? We do not reserve a safety helmet under the desk.  We do not have life-aid bags in schools. And we are so used to rush and hate people who is standing in our ways. We only think ourselves first like what we are doing now: stocking salt at home.


Fortunately, we do not have a big disaster so far. And we have experts and government officials telling us the Daya nuclear power plant is safer that the troubled Japanese one even they are both belong to 2nd generation technology. So we are relieved. We are relieved that we don't have to change our life and we don't need to fear the dangers which are only heard of. We simply sympathize Japan and have few debates over Internet. That's it. We certainly will sleep well during the night.


So let's pray for Japan, and for Hong Kong.

轉發： 上等人的身份焦慮

“上等人”的身份焦虑

从当时中国的实际情况出发，“让一部分人先富起来”并没有错。一些人先富，总比大家一起穷更好。而且，在逻辑上，先富起来的人是可以带动另外的人一起富的。但是，中国社会显然忽略了人的这种心理并从制度上加以规制。

WCHINESE中文网讯，中国社会在阶层、权力、财富、生存机会上正在进行“代际传递”。“官二代”、“富二代”、“穷二代”现象持续地构成社会热点和痛点。

“李刚门”毫无疑问提供了一个分析现代“官二代”飞扬跋扈的经典文本。然而，有必要借助这一事件继续追问：“官二代”、“富二代”们这么嚣张，是否不仅和个人教养、权力-资本在博弈中占压倒性优势有关，而且更是中国社会在撕裂中，权力-资本阶层要牢固地确立他们和普罗大众的“阶层壁垒”的无意识产物？“官二代”、“富二代”们那种夸张的炫耀性表演，是不是一种“上等人”阶层在形成过程中“自我认同”的焦虑？

从这个个案的表层扫视过去，“我爸是李刚！”（相应地可以演绎出“我爸是xx富人”、“我们是xx人！”）和飙车、泡美女、炫富等，实际上是一个形成中的“上等人阶层”，在进行夸张的身份建构的宣示。在心理上，它们的重要意义就在于，由于充满了来了自身和他者认同的焦虑，富人（包括拥有权力和资本的人）和他们的子女必须依靠这种极端的方式，来让整个社会知道他们是什么人，让他们确认自己所属阶层，与他们眼中低贱阶层的区别何在。它是中国改革开放30年来，一个新的阶层在形成中，建构自我认同时无法避免的神经症性紊乱。

从当时中国的实际情况出发，“让一部分人先富起来”并没有错。一些人先富，总比大家一起穷更好。而且，在逻辑上，先富起来的人是可以带动另外的人一起富的。

但是，中国社会显然忽略了人的这种心理并从制度上加以规制：一旦一个人富了起来，尝到了他比别人有钱的甜头，在心理竞争中，他就不希望别人也一起富。

不仅如此，改革开放30年来，很多先富起来的人，实际上就是直接或间接地榨取穷人才让自己富起来，并不断地积累财富的，而为了经济发展和自身利益，肉食者对此一直纵容。前段时间，中共十七届五中全会释放了加强分配体制改革的信号，马上就有政协委员站出来解读，说这绝非劫富济贫。他说的没错，期待“先富带后富”极为天真。巴菲特和比尔,.盖茨游说中国富人捐款，就吓怕了很多人。而面对中国社会的“不安全感”，很多富人选择的也是移民，而不是掏几个子儿给穷人来买安全感。

这一事实已非常清楚：先富起来的人，想到的并不是帮着穷人一起富，而是要让自己和穷人在身份上，在获取资源和财富的机会上彻底区别开来。正是在这个意义上，改革开放30年乃是一个重新构造阶层并不断形成阶层分野的运动。

穷人除了心理结构，在身份上或许没有多大变化，但是，对于富人来说，则是一个从原先的阶层把自己提升为“贵族阶层”的过程。本质上，现在的“阶层固化”、“阶层排斥”，都是意在建构一个“上等人”和“下等人”相互对峙的阶层结构和等级秩序。无论以何种手段获取财富与权力（政治的、经济的、知识上的），也无论是否有“原罪”，是否“犯罪”，富人阶层都倾向于对自己的“上等人”身份进行建构和认同。

以中国富人的粗鄙，他们自己可能也明白，自己离“贵族”还十分的遥远。30年过去了，现在仍然只是中国社会形成一个“贵族阶层”的前夜。这个历史时间段充满并仍将充满残酷、荒谬、无序和歇斯底里。

建构和维持一个“上等人”和“下等人”的等级秩序，一个必要的手段就是维护既得利益秩序。权和钱是建构“上等人”身份的材料，为了让自己的地位不遭受冲击，就必须把穷人的出路封死。整个社会的“拼爹游戏”、“培训富二代”、“隐形世袭”，以及税收体系、政策层面的“劫贫济富”，无不反映了这种特征。

“穷一代”们可能已经绝望或说认命，但在一个到处充斥“成功学”的鼓噪，并且在经济发展的宏大叙事中，在理论层面也允诺了很多人可以改变命运的时代，“80后”、“90后”的“穷二代”们越来越感到改变命运的受挫，则注定会让一个社会出现大麻烦。面对漫山遍野的失意者，权力和资本阶层一定会感到不安。但也恰恰因为如此，不安和焦虑会让他们更为紧张地维护既得利益秩序，更少让步。因为越是在这种情况下，让步越会出现更多的危险。

对于很多人来说，“自我”是他者眼中“我是什么”的一个认识。在心理上，一个人当然可以随便把自己想象为什么，比如想象自己是上帝，但这更多地只是一种神经症的症状。对于一个“上等人”阶层的身份建构和自我认同来说，没有“他者”，而尤其是与其对立的阶层的认同，“上等人”的建构是无济于事的。

因此，权力-资本阶层牢固地在社会中确立权和钱处于价值排序的高端位置，制造一种金钱的身份观和价值观至关重要。道理很简单，只要确认金钱和权力在社会价值排序中处于高端，并且，它们被赋予了一种“成功”、“高贵”、“有价值”的光环，拥有权力和金钱的富人阶层，他们属于“上等人”，在合理性上就可以得到论证。

I wanna collect masks

Watched the Noh Theatre Masks on youtube, I began to think about collecting masks. I wanna collect as many as possible. 

ME: I want masks


Masks: Why you want masks?


Me: I hate myself. I want FREE POWER LOVE HATRED DEMONS GHOST OR WHATEVER. I just want NO ME.


I am tired of being myself!!!
        
Free Me!!!


Masks: (handle a mask to ME) Now you are POWERFUL.

Revisit the past

Why we don't say recall?  


How can we revisit something when it's  no longer there ?


What are the differences between recall and revisit?


Does revisit mean we recall something in the past as an outsider? 


Why should we do that? 


Can we achieve the "objectivity" when we revisit? 


Is "objectivity" is what we want?


why I felt so sad when I practiced revisit?


I felt sad because I injected emotion? can I avoid it ? why should I 


avoid it?

HK: A wORLd CItY ?

Had my first CNY away from home this year. 
I know it's a fixed activity in Hong Kong, so I went there full of expectation. This year for the carnival the topic is " World City, World Party". 

Justin "Around The World"

We skipped the class to see Justin's solo concert in Hong Kong Coliseum on Friday night. This was my first time to watch a pop concert in Hong Kong and also the first time to sit in the Hong Kong Coliseum.

The Hong Kong Coliseum was something very "special" to mainland 80s generation. We, 80s, grew up at a time when Hong Kong pop music was still prosperous and dominated the Mainland pop culture. We adored and followed the Hong Kong pop stars. Never been to Hong Kong, we were familiar with the Hong Kong Coliseum because superstars held concerts there.

Watching a show in Hong Kong Coliseum was a longing dream for many of us. But when dreams become true, reality is always not that pretty.


To be honest, the Coliseum itself is not very impressive to me and I did not feel very excited. I have to be honest again, the show was very good but I was not totally immersed into the show and environment. This was partially due to my still poor Cantonese listening ability and the poor seat which by the way was a result of being poor.  The Cantonese music has lost its charm. 


This show ended the aura of the Hong Kong Coliseum and Cantonese music. (to be continued)

LEt's BlOg TODay

Testing Testing Testing