Chinese censorship

2009 Summer Korea/China/CETI trip journal

Chinese Censorship

Wow, even though this is not the first time i've experienced the censorship in China, I still find it pretty insane. I can't seem to access anything with remotely linked to www.blogger.com. Come on - this is a blog! How else am I going to record every minute detail of my wonderful experience here? Everything is so systematic and follow-the-rule style (said nicely) such that it appears people are just robots. Ugh...okay, fine, i'm just angry I can go on blogger.

Man, I even tried asking a computer savvy friend if there's some way I can bypass this - but it seems very very formidable. I think anything with the word "blogger," and there's an automatic error message on my computer screen. Of course, it's in Chinese, and I can't really understand what it's saying, but the message is loud and clear.

But it's not just www.blogger, so far, I can't access YouTube either! ah....how can watch mindless television now? Thank goodness for google docs.

Friends have said that I can add new entries, but I can't see my own blog - but I still haven't figured out how to do that - anyone know? Someone else suggested MIT vpn - great! but...it's so slooooooooow to download. At least I managed to figure out how to get a certificate and all with a bunch of Chinese.




Swine Flu Epidemic - or at least it appears this way for the Chinese

For some reason the government has decided that SARS was something it was going to keep under the cover and pretend nothing happened, but when Swine Flu came about (something that has a cure and can be cured if caught relatively early), is something that requires heavy quarantine, airplane checks, and essentially use of civilian scare tactics. Note the following:
"WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a
reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness
caused by the virus."

Yet, when I entered China - well, not even entered, because I was still sitting on the plane - people in white coats, face masks, and gloves come on the plane and measure each person with a thermometer to the forehead. When I accidentally noted that I had lived in Seattle in the past 7 days though I was in Korea for the past 6 days, the quarantine officer asked a lot of questions and sounded concerned. oh dear... i passed.

From Travel Alert:
"In some instances, children have been separated from their parents
because either the parent or the child tested positive for 2009-H1N1
and was placed in quarantine for treatment. This situation presents
the possibility of Chinese medical personnel administering medications
to minors without first having consulted their parents.



The Department of State has received reports about unsuitable
quarantine conditions, including the unavailability of suitable
drinking water and food, unsanitary conditions, and the inability to
communicate with others."


Relatives won't see me because of Swine Flu

I found my grandfather and aunt had called my other aunt (where I'm staying) and asked if it was really necessary that I visit them. Come on! I'm your freakin' granddaughter and neice! Are you REALLY not going to see me because of swine flu? Okay...maybe there's a chance I have it if there were NO quarantine officers checking each plane - but I got checked, AND I had lived outside the states for a couple of days.

Somehow, they decided I could visit them, but uh oh... I got a cold from the AC being turned too low the previous night. I told them I might have a cold from the AC (how stupid was that?), and they freaked out. Said I should go to the hospital, eat medication - I really thought they were going to quarantine me. Maybe that's why there was a big rush to get me out of their house when my aunt came to pick me and my cousin up.

I was still forced to take my temperature - i really feel fine! - and it appears I have a temperature of 37.3 (normal is 37) - Well, now I'm really scared they might lock me in and not let me go on my CETI trip around China to spread around my deadly disease.