20 Feb 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotwhat a journalism grad can look forward to in beijing:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-grads19-2010feb19,0,4022980.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+(L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories)
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Homeowners there, sensing the demand for affordable rentals, started putting additions on their square, gray-brick houses. Guan's landlord purchased two prefabricated metal shelters, the type used to house migrant Chinese laborers on construction sites, and attached them to his roof. He then subdivided them like rabbit hutches to create four cramped rooms, each about the size of a typical American bathroom.
To reach his room, Guan must climb a steep, steel staircase to the roof, which doubles as a patio. The four friends share one sink and cook on an electric hot plate covered with a waxy layer of grease. The quarters are often chilly, but Guan's Manchurian roots have toughened him to Beijing's frosty winters.
Guan has done what he can to enliven his surroundings. He laid interlocking colored foam tiles on the floor to act as a carpet. He hung a $1 poster of a lighthouse. His girlfriend visited from Liaoning province and affixed cartoon monkey stickers to the tatty walls. She gave him a teddy bear in denim overalls. It sleeps with Guan under his Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck bed sheets. Nearby is an empty cookie box where he stores his DVDs. One of his favorites is Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 classic "Blow-Up."
Despite the cramped and dirty conditions, Guan is stoic. "The bathroom situation is inconvenient," he admitted. But "Chinese people are used to small spaces. My friends say my room is cozy."
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20 Feb 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotPlenty of space and opportunity for Chinese in Africa! Nigerian light rail and road projects, Angolan construction, highways in Malawi, that interesting runway in Chiadza ... China gets work in Africa where other countries can't.
so many recent Chinese grads, so few entry-level jobs ...
whence the Chinese Miracle?