So, I am back in Dalian, and have been greeted with the twin choruses of 'You've got thinner!' and 'You still speak Chinese!' as I staggered through the doorway, post one final night on a train. It was a good train ride to finish with - decidely the poshest Chinese train I have been on, with specially sanitized toilets, stylish yellow fittings and actual soft bunks. However, it also featured a man so in love with his Applemac he insisted on watching films on it till 3am, and when he had finished stroking it lovingly, he proved also to have a snore so loud the woman in the bunk above him swiftly evacuated herself to the corridor seats. As a result, I did not sleep especially well. My host elder sister has also returned from Taiwan - looks like things could be livelier with her around.
As you may have heard, the main thing that did not happen in China this week was the Jasmine Revolution. The journalists turned up, as did very large numbers of policemen, but no protestors. Thus the journalists all happily took pictures of disproportionate numbers of policemen outside MacDonalds in Beijing, which resulted in a few of them getting arrested. It would have been much better if the police had just stayed away (for China anyway): then all the journalists would have been able to take pictures of would have been a few people going to MacDonalds, which really isn't news. The disproportionate response continues - there seem to be police everywhere at the moment. There are grannies in 'Public Security Volunteer' armbands wandering the streets and gossiping in service of the state, instead of wandering the streets and merely gossiping as they would normally do. According to one friend, students in Beijing universities were all given impromptu talks on 'respecting the law', and doubtless most dissident activists have just been rounded up once again. From my point of view, I am now even having to read news of the cricket via VPN. I do wish they would relax down a little - revolution here does not seem remotely likely. This is not Egypt, and most people here are unaware of any call for revolution, and have better things to do... Besides which, I really do just wish to read the cricket unimpeded. I don't think Ireland-England as reported by the Guardian is particularly subversive.
I did witness one protest this week however. They do happen, with some regularity, but almost always caused by specific grievances as far as I am aware. In this case, a family were demonstrating outside a hospital in Kunming after medicine prescribed for a cold/flu had somehow led to the death of their son (if I read the Chinese banner correctly, I think he fell into a coma and subsequently died). They were all clearly devastated, but were trying to raise money and awareness so that they could take the hospital responsible to court. They had gathered quite a sympathetic crowd by the time I arrived, and were handing out incense to all they could. However, having attracted a crowd, they also drew the attention of the police, who quietly but swiftly began moving people on. I left as one of the protestors started trying to hit a policeman for breaking up the demonstration. I imagine it ended peaceably enough - the police were not being aggressive, but sadly I don't think the family have much chance of success either. A tragic case, for sure.
PS Most of my knowledge of why they were demonstrating was based on translation of their banner - I'm reasonably certain I am right, but not entirely. I certainly have the essentials correct that their son died and they felt the hospital was responsible.
