Selective Abortion in China

Here is an old but relevant post from my previous blog http://shuaiding.nomadlife.org.

Since the introduction of the one child policy in 1979, Chinese government has been busy fixing the laws to diminish the side effect it entails; this includes allowing agriculture families have a second child and increase welfare to those with two daughters, in the hopes to release any burden man-less caused to those parents. Despite that, there is an enlarging surplus of men to women every year.However, China’s one child policy has been targeted as the empirical cause to the much skewed sex ratio. In pursuance to Chinese custom, men support their parents when they age, while women care for their husbands’ parents. Plus, men are usually seen as the beams of the society and heirs of the name. For those reasons, many parents understandably prefer the child to be male for they are limited to have only one. Those families who have a girl instead of a boy will seek ways to “get rid off” the girl secretly in order to have the boy. As a result, many practices are developed from female infanticide to baby abandonment, and the wider spreading use of ultrasound testing before birth enhances the practice of selective abortion.On the other hand, Chinese government’s supplementary regulations to the policy never seem to tackle down the sky rocketing male ratio. Chinese law prohibits the selective abortion and it is planning to criminalize abortion and ultrasounds obtained for sex-selection purposes. Nonetheless, the latest government figure gives a rising sex ratio of 119 boys to every 100 girls; in some rural places, the split is 133 to 100. Which mechanism produces the rise, selective abortion, female infanticide, female alive but hidden in population or female abandonment? The answer is elusive. What we can conclude is such outlawing won’t be efficient if female infanticide or abandonment is still readily available substitute.In over 25 years, Chinese government claims a reduction of 250 to 300 million in its population based on the growth, and plans the policy as permanent. Beneath the appealing digits, people are predicting about 40 million men in China may live as frustrated bachelors by 2020. Alongside that, there is a potential threat to social safety. Guess neither the rulers nor normal families can exempt from tasting the bitterness of aftermath.

Some Man-Talk（Points for entertainment）

Asking a woman to list several important things about her man, things may come as below (not following hierarchy)
1. good money
2. good job may be
3. good status
Women have more twisted standards when talking marriage as they need their men to be supportive enough for the family. Men also have requirements, but pure aesthetic (definitely hierarchy)
1. good body
2. good body
3. good face
Dave Chappell says that women like materials, men like women. Men like materials too because we know women like materials. Theoretically, if there were no women in the world, there will be no need to buy a Ferrari when we can fit in buddies’ cars. Why do we have to work when we can sleep and drink beers? Observing myself, I have to admit men are lazy creatures. We only do things when have to. This ironically proves the importance of women in the society as they are the actual boost of the society: they push men to work and build the society. This point is early realized by God, and that is why he created Eva when he thought Adam was having too much me time. (The fact has to be proven.)
Back to the materialism talk, there are different kinds of women. The one I want to talk is the Ferrari type. They are pretty, arousal, and the candy in every man’s eyes. It is very satisfying to own a Ferrari at first; it runs fast and builds you status. You enjoy the envy from other men, and women, more importantly. You give thirty checkups a day just to make sure the car is free from scratch. Then, slowly you realize that the car isn’t perfect. It doesn't roll into the busy markets; it is allergic to the rocky roads; and more importantly, the high maintenance is driving you nuts. What is more, the Ferrari starts malfunction when you cut down investment. It starts whining and never stops. It starts to spend more time in your garage than roaming on the roads. You become jealous about those regular vans, economic and very lovely. Therefore, the owner wants to sell the Ferrari. Anyway, it is a Ferrari he is selling, and rare guys will take the cost. Most likely, the owner will have to stick with the Ferrari the whole life.
The point is, if you earn 10 million a month, go ahead and have fun with a Ferrari. If you have to be all-out to have a Ferrari, please be wise. A regular van is much worthy and your life will be much happier.
It is interesting I end up deriving something valuable when write to here. The idea I want to share is:
Abraham Lincoln says that God must love common men because he made so many of them. A king’s life isn’t somewhere close to a normal guy’s comprehension. Treasure what you have and make the most out of them. Understand yourself, and utilize yourself wisely. Love your girls and be happy.

一抹绿

前不久从IKEA购入了一小盆草，叫发财树。我简称之为发财。往日印象中发财树干盘节似女子脑后的麻花辫，少说也有半米高。这样小巧玲珑的确实让我爱不释手，现在就安安静静地坐在我的台灯边。当时买它还有一个说头，是我觉得屋内风水重金火而弱水土，是以求些沾水土的小物件用以协调阴阳。这样，添置小草小鱼缸就列入了考虑范围。父亲笑说这又是谁的蛊惑？这概出自我回国前购买的《简说风水》。在北美，风水对房产估价有很重要的影响，更有许多人以风水顾问谋生。既然他们都崇奉这个，我作为风水出处的炎黄后人断不能不闻不问。真想去参透风水还得从道说起，小我是说不得的。不过其中的浅显情理还是可提。对风水的追求就是对生活细节及情趣的把玩，想一个人在有自然的环境里总比坐面灰墙要心情舒畅得多。

养发财还是很省心的，不需要怎么浇灌，对阳光及温度也没有特殊的要求。刚买来时，将此物托在掌心中，那几张可数的小叶在人的呼吸下微微晃动，似刚见生人的孩子般羞羞涩涩。 记得在回来的路上，过路人频频向发财施笑，更有一位老人手点着它呵呵作笑。也许它是可爱的，而人还是亲近自然的。

短短一周，发财已经初有长成。原来的叶子长得粗壮了很多，有两杆新叶更穿出了旧叶到了更高的位置。细细观察干与杆的连接处，些许小芽崭露头角。两周后，原来那两杆新叶已大的很了。那些小芽也送出了五，六瓣叶的小杆。三周后，原来的新叶已经被其他的新叶超过并且遮盖。就这样，新叶总是斜处探出并超过旧叶。一个月后的今天，发财已是绿殷殷的一簇了。

养发财倒不求它的名能给我日进斗金，只求心境的平和与对自然及生命的共享。多了它，我觉得书桌前可呆得久些了。我的小梅同学说她桌前的小草也长得颇有形态了。当时她在店中指给我看时，觉得那草好似君子兰但并非绿色通体，更像海带。想必那草经过从驴耳朵到兔耳朵的形态转变过程中，小梅也体会过惊喜和快乐。

生活就是这样，小能蕴大。愿我周围的每一个人都能以一颗好奇善良的心去体会生活的点滴，去捕捉那一份喜悦。

迷失的创造力

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语言作为文化的载体，是需要不断使用和沉淀的。我在这里的5年间，对中文的使用和深度探索确实是忽略了。看着朋友们在自己的空间中舞文弄墨，引经据典，我大都有羡慕的感觉。很想自己能够有时间对空道出经史子集的映像，可又从何说起呢？语言的停滞造成了我在平时中文表达时的平庸苦涩，言不达意更不切意。有时候真想感叹十来年的语文教育在我身上还留下点什么，可是感叹又不是我真会去做的事情了。有希望的总不便过早感叹。这也就是我为什么顶着凭空的脑袋在这里敲下点点字符，希望能在字句得拼拼凑凑中触到时而耸动的灵感，或者借此来激活蛰伏已久的创造源。

就像小时候画画一样，有时候心中并不是有一幅图的具象，只是任由笔尖在纸上划过一道，一串，一晃的线条。笔在我手中时，短短的两点一线总是那么的漫长，似乎可以有很多故事可以发生。线条在我眼中是很富有生命的，他们自我交织，为其上的故事互埋伏笔，而我只是在梦境中等待着。梦醒了，我便欣然的去辨认那一个个故事，那一个个人物，欣喜地点出这个像云，那个像脸…

画图现在似乎是我最好慰藉自己的方式。可是现在画的东西大有雷同之感，怎么看都是自己在找回小学时画写意时的惬意和流畅。记得那时候，最在行画花鸟，其中似乎画公鸡最在行。 平时里信手涂鸦时，纸上出现的多是一簇鸡冠。我也试图去寻求自己的绘画方式，但我的画风总会受别人影响。抵触并不是那么难听的词，在学习绘画的过程中却更利于促成自己的风格。走别人的风格显然不是我愿意看到的，可是却又在不知不觉中步人后尘。这是很讨厌的事情，以至于在这几年间的绘画不是很有发展。自高中之后，绘画在生活中的比重逐步下降。我手边常有一本厚厚的速写本，上边记载了近10年来的涂抹。从当时的为求技而作画到现在的求境而为，我能体会到现在笔端的滞涩和慎重，但心境却早已比总角时包容多了。说到现在，似乎我留恋的倒是孩子时梦想不受羁绊的时光。创造力的迷失成了自己不求变的借口罢了。

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