http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs Fearless. Thoughtful. Witty. Canadian. And Opinionated. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:25:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Considering the gloomy state of the world media, the April launch of Global Times was an ironic affair. At a lavish banquet in a Beijing hotel, "glasses clinked under crystal chandeliers," The Guardian reported, as hundreds of diplomats, journalists, and other dignitaries welcomed in style the English-language addition of the ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2009/05/05/coming-soon-to-a-newsstand-near-you-the-chinese-government/ I recently travelled north to the Mongolian border and south to Guangzhou and Macau, working on separate stories about human trafficking and China’s African population. This postcard is from Macau, where prostitution thrives even as the casinos tank. MACAU—The hosts at the Chinese sauna — twenty years old, tops, with brush ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2009/02/17/macau-and-you-thought-vegas-was-weird/ I recently travelled north to the Mongolian border and south to Guangzhou and Macao, working on separate stories about human trafficking and China’s African population. Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing some short postcards from each of the cities, since I think they provide interesting snapshots of China ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2009/01/19/big-trouble-in-little-africa/ I recently travelled north to the Mongolian border and south to Guangzhou and Macao, working on separate stories about human trafficking and China's African population. Over the next few weeks I'll be writing some short postcards from each of the cities, since I think they provide interesting snapshots of China ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/12/05/dinosaur-bones-and-brothels/ For expats, the razing of South Bar Street for a residential development was the end of Old Beijing A few blocks from Workers’ Stadium, which was commissioned by Mao Zedong in 1959 to mark the tenth anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, is a neighbourhood called Sanlitun, the city’s centre ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/11/04/the-new-new-old-beijing/ BEIJING—It's just after 7:30 am on the day of the closing ceremonies and we're counting down the hours at the CBC studio. The Games are almost over, and thank the good Lord for that. It's not that I'm happy for the Olympics to end (rather glum, actually), only that I ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/08/24/the-games-are-over-now-what/ SHANGHAI—The New York Times has an article this morning heralding the arrival of CCTV on the world stage. Turns out the Beijing Olympics has awakened advertisers to the vast viewership enjoyed by the state network—an eighteen-channel conglomerate—in the world’s most populous country. The finals for women’s table tennis, for example, ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/08/22/not-your-mothers-cctv-anymore/ BEIJING—Last Saturday something incredible happened in the Bird's Nest. Usain Bolt, the aptly named Jamaican extraterrestrial, demolished the world's fastest runners with a swagger, cutting three hundredths of a second off his own world record. I was fortunate enough to be there, and I've never seen anything like it. The ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/08/19/tears-and-loathing-in-beijing/ BEIJING—It's quiet up here at the Olympic Green. A little too quiet maybe. According to the Associated Press, the Olympics are decidedly lacking in both fans and vibe. "After the first few days of the Beijing Games, some cracks have appeared in China's perfect party," including "empty seats at the venues, ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/08/14/no-fun-games-not-exactly/ BEIJING—A pall fell over the Olympics on the opening weekend, after the bizarre stabbing of an American couple and their Chinese guide Saturday afternoon, and more explosions in Xinjiang Sunday. The weather didn't help the mood any. It's just after 5:30 a.m. in Beijing on Monday as I write from ... http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/08/10/gloomy-opening-days/