The end of the semester approaches!

I am outlining and researching for a paper comparing Renewable Energy Law in Germany and China. This points my research at the intersection of economic development and environmental protection in the two legal systems. It needs to be 5,000 characters by the end of the semester, which in double-spaced English would be upwards of 15 pages and in Chinese will be 10 or so.

The Chinese constitution mentions environmental protection in it's "General Principles" section, but does not include a clean environment in its fundamental rights (or Bill of Rights). The Environmental Protection Law is extensive, and the largest problem is that it is not enforced locally. It includes a clause stating that the appropriate government department will "in accordance with the national standards for environment quality and the country's economic and technological conditions, establish the national standards for the discharge of pollutants."

I am hoping to get a feel for the different strengths and weaknesses of approach between 'developed' country with relatively strict environmental policies (ie, Germany) and a quickly 'developing' country where economic development still for the most part takes places with little or no regard to environmental protection.

I need to stop compulsively buying bread-products

I decided I needed a break from my room and my books this afternoon and went to the store. I purchased some "High Fiber Wheat Bread" whose brand logo includes stars and stripes, so I am reassured that I am in their intended market. Their brand name, "Mankattan," is a little disheartening, but I'll take it.

Last week, I purchased some "Well Chosen Oatmeal" from Lubin. It has served me well.

I also found a produce store that sells my beloved Juse VERY cheap, and sells good quality fruit. So that's exciting.

I have been sick this week. It's kind of sad, but if you all will consider for a moment my track record of illness which generally includes one or two bouts of flu or something similar every year and keeps me out of school for at least half a week or so each semester, the fact that I have digestive problems, allergies, and am just generally a weenie, I think that you will appreciate my accomplishment in not getting sick in China for two whole MONTHS. These months including solo international flights, busy orientation schedules, solo cross-country train rides, and the stress of taking classes in Chinese.

Xiaoxuan has, of course, been very helpful in taking care of me. I have not been awfully sick. I missed one class Friday morning because I concluded I would not be able to focus enough to understand a Chinese lecture, and the sound me trying to breath with my raspy lungs and plugged-up nose might also impede my classmates' comprehension. Xiaoxuan has been instructing me on what I am and am not allowed to eat (my peanuts are too heavy and full of oil, so on my shelf they sit, and wait for me) and reminding me to drink lots of water. We went out to eat yesterday, and to the supermarket a couple of days ago, and she consulted me on the health benefits of different dishes I was considering. I have been calling her "Doctor Hao," (in English) which makes her and any of her friends who happen to be in the vicinity laugh every time. So, y'know, overall this illness hasn't been much of a downer.

I was talking to Shirin, a friend I met in Macau who's attending Nanjing Univerity, about how strange that kind of is. Usually when I am sick it is an emotional as well as physical affliction. I can't concentrate, I am exhausted, and I quickly become depressed with my inability to do anything. I've been very cheerful with my cold-symptoms and low-grade fever for the last few days, and they are both on their way out. I had some very strange fever-dreams Wednesday night. One of them which I wrote down is entitled "The Devil is a Stop Sign," if you're curious. Both my mother and Christian Yetter can attest that it is quite trippy.

Anyway.

I just bought my plane tickets to Korea over winter break. I'll land on Jeju-do at 1:40pm on January 10th! Woohoo!

I'm also plotting out my plans for Thanksgiving break. Since most of the country will not be off work (different from our two other week-long breaks) it's a prime time to travel. I think I am going to be heading to Shanghai for a couple of days to get my Korean visa and travel around, and then stay in a hostel in Suzhou for the rest of the time, and see how much time I can spend near Tai Lake, whose management challenges I am researching for my Environmental Economics term paper.

Since I've been sick, I did not meet with my Five Project family today, but I'll be heading to their house next week to hang out again.

I have my first presentation in a Chinese language class tomorrow. I'm talking about representations of the famine during the Great Leap Forward in the movie The Blue Kite, and in one of our class texts.

Okay, I think I've procrastinated my International Politics readings for about as long as I can justify. I'd like to leave you with another music video; Year of the Rat by Badly Drawn Boy. I think that the title is meant to signify a time of great opportunity, but it actually doesn't matter at all. Just watch the video (er, if you'd like).

Here are the things I am spending my time on when I really should be reading for classes:

Geography quizzes! Click on the words! Check out the link! I know all the countries in Africa now! There are 54, and no one had told me.

Books about resource productivity and the next industrial revolution which can (and perhaps has begun to) come about through the understanding that business and engineering designs that aim to be 'in line with nature' by minimizing resource use and integrating as far as possible into the natural system (as in, using solar energy directly as it comes from the sun rather than only using the solar energy that has been processed by plants or earth surface processes) isn't just better for 'the environment' separately from humanity, it is the most efficient, rational, and lucrative for humans.
... I may move to Germany just for the run-on sentences. You're in my blog so you'll have to put up with my grammar, I'm afraid...
I also checked out a book with a bunch of recent essays from Chinese scholars on sustainable development, but have not gotten very far with any of them yet.

So much music.

We have a break starting in two days for China's National Day Holiday. I'll give you more "Things that have happened" updates then.

Thesis project!

I actually started writing my thesis today- I have about 500 words in a document! I met with my mentor on Monday and he urged me to take my timeline seriously. That, in addition to being finished with all of the pre-project paperwork, has jump-started my efforts. I organized my thoughts and goals and will easily have a fifteen page paper in a month or two, which with feedback should grow to the twenty or thirty pages it needs to be. As long as I keep plugging away!

It is, however, rather challenging to write easily comprehensible things about things about the way that policy happens in China. The book I am reading at the moment (by which I mean: it is sitting next to be in my chair at Capanna's Coffee and Gelato) says that, "China's environmental laws are general and often intentionally ambiguous" and also that the relationships between the three main policy-making entities (the Chinese Communist Party, the State Council, and the National People's Congress) are "not clearly defined- either formally or informally." Ah, well.

The book is also careful to note, however, that although many Westerners believe policy-making in China to be rigidly top-down, with decisions strictly enforced from above, regulation can definitely be influenced by regional and local entities. So, ambiguous, but not hopeless.

I feel I must remind you that you were warned this blog would be boring until I actually leave the country.