Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Shanghai: Part II

And then we all took a step back and realized…

that it’s the World Expo Convention Center.

Disappointed? Me too.

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Shanghai: Part I

Two unsuspecting gardeners go about their daily duties.

Until an impact so strong ripples the very foundation on which they stand.

The braver of the two cautiously approaches the massive, foreign object– still hot from its unfathomably long descent.

CONTACT…

Post dedicated to: I’m An X-File

Sleepless Long Nights

I seemed to have underestimated the emotional toll our research would take on me. We’ve met mothers who work in the city, send money home to their families, and only get to see their children in their home provinces once a year. We’ve met children who are not allowed to attend school in the city because of rural discrimination (thus continuing the cycle of poverty). And the list goes on…

These systematic injustices run deep and the people in power who are benefiting from society as it is aren’t willing to budge (though this is probably true in every country, but with such an overbearing government, China is a more severe case than say, the U.S.). Government press releases state that  new policies have been implemented that  benefit migrant workers in Shanghai, but the language is vague, and when it comes down to it, no real change takes place. It’s all about face. And it’s all very frustrating.

But, seriously,  things in this city are changing every day. We’ve met so many great people here who are doing exciting things (wow.. NOW who’s being vague?) I truly believe that, in Shanghai’s state of flux, there’s room for a lot of good to happen.

…for now, I’m just a little mopey– not gonna lie.

Happy (late) Father’s Day!

My dad follows through. Love you, Daddy!

Mileage update

San Jose to Los Angeles- 350 miles

LA to Austin- 1,396 miles

Austin to Houston- 169 miles

Houston to Las Vegas- 1,480 miles

Las Vegas to Burbank- 270 miles

Los Angeles to Shanghai: 6,491 miles

Total traveled: 10,156 miles

O HAI THAR, SHANGHAI!

Before I leave for Shanghai tonight, I thought I’d fill you in on a 58-12 Design Lab project my friend Tammy and I will be working on during my stay.

Some background:

Massive migration from rural to urban areas has been called “the phenomenon of the century” (Zhang 1998) for China, and constitutes the largest flow of labor out of agriculture in world history (Taylor 2001, p.5).

Beginning in 1978, economic reform in the countryside and the emergence of rural markets gave households in those areas more freedom over the means of production and the allocation of labor. The demand for labor in both rural enterprises and the service sector in urban areas attracted rural workers interested in diversifying their household income to urban areas. The government began to loosen its control on population movement, but still restricted social benefits to cover only the official urban population under the household registration system (the hukou system).

In 1980, the Communist regime started an industrialization process in which urban areas were privileged and its proletarian class enhanced. Urban populations received free access to public health care, education, grain and oil rations, as well as subsidized housing and lifetime employment (Garcia 2004). Meanwhile, the rural population was left to rely on its own resources for its daily necessities and received little aid from the national government. The act of migration does not entitle a peasant to change her formal household registration and has no legal basis. Only temporary residence permits and labor contracts are available for migrants, who are not counted as part of the official population of cities. Interestingly enough, migrant laborers constitute the biggest proportion of the floating population, frequently estimated as being as large as 100 million people (Garcia 2004).

With the 2010 World Expo as a backdrop, we would like to conduct an ethnographic study on the economic and social problems faced by migrant workers in Shanghai. The World Expo in Shanghai highlights socio-economic inequalities within the city. Although China’s wealth and the city’s ability to host the World Expo is a result of migrant workers’ willingness to work long hours for little pay, due to social stigma (and because most cannot afford tickets) surrounding peasant workers, migrant workers won’t be welcomed at the event. Many workers were involved in the construction of Expo pavilions and were evicted from their Shanghai homes for the duration of the World Expo.  

We want to see the ways in which the Expo has addressed issues of poverty, how it has lived up to its motto “Better City, Better Life”, and the ways migrant workers have been affected by it (providing new jobs, evicted from homes, etc.). We realize that we are approaching these topics with a slight bias, and know that despite the seemingly neglectful attitude of the government towards its low-income and often marginalized population, benefits have resulted, as well.

I’ll be updating more on our research as it takes shape. For now, I will enjoy my last day in Los Angeles.

Works Cited:

Garcia, Beatriz C. “Rural-Urban Migration in China: Temporary Migrants in Search of Permanent Settlement.” Portal 1.2 (2004): 1-26.

Taylor, J. Edward 2001, ‘Microeconomics of Globalization: Evidence from Mexico, China, El Salvador, and the Galapagos Islands’ Report to the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office of The World Bank.

Zhang, Xianchu 1998, ‘Some Legal and Social Issues Concerning the Rural Labour Migration in China’ Unpublished paper.

Mmmm, Donut Summit

Donut connoisseurs gathered yesterday at 1pm at Griffith Park to partake in the 2010 Los Angeles Doughnut Summit. The cost of admission? One dozen donuts from your favorite local donut shop to add to the community donut pool. We carted over our dozen from Stan’s Donuts– a true Westwood gem. Here’s to Angelenos sharing!

The Spread

The Spread (cont’d)

You bet your new romper I brought my own coffee.

My plate. The blueberry donut on the left won for best cake donut (Tasty Donuts, West Hollywood).

I want to go to there.

…I wish I were trapped in cream filling and had to eat my way out.

This is what I ate the day before (El Tepayac)

Needless to say, Los Angeles, I’m yours.

For donut contest results, please read: http://la.metblogs.com/2010/06/13/donut-summit-announcing-the-donut-king/

From Houston to Los Angeles

SJC to LAX- 350 miles

LAX to Austin- 1,396 miles

Austin to Houston- 169 miles

Houston to Las Vegas- 1,480 miles

Las Vegas to Burbank- 270 miles

Total traveled: 3,665

Of course, some of this mileage is due to Southwest’s notorious layovers. But I’ll take it!

I think it’s interesting that I’ve spent time in both Houston and Los Angeles– two cities the rest of America loves to hate. No deep thoughts. Just sayin’.

Houston, TX- NASA (Part I): The pictures

“So long, Earth. Catch you on the flip side!”

Apollo Era Mission Control Center

This is the part in the movie where ground control is trying to figure out what’s causing the leak on Apollo 13. Eureka– a mid-mission oxygen tank rupture!

That’s “Flight Director” to you, young man.

Inside Building 4S where astronauts are trained. (Not pictured: my fake rocket engine noises as we ascend. Mind the turbulence!)

These three rockets are necessary to put this Apollo spacecraft into orbit. They would burn in about 8 and a half minutes and then fall into the ocean. However, since the Apollo program was canceled, this spacecraft is stored at Rocket Park.

Astronauts use this for Robotic Arm training!

…where portions of the International Space Station are monitored and managed.

Stay tuned for Houston, TX- NASA (Part II): The thoughts

El Lago, TX (Part III): Local treats

Rocking chairs at Hobby Airport’s arrival terminal. Don’t mind if I do!

1/2 gallon o’ AW HIIEELLL YEAH

Rachel’s homemade chili

Apparently, remnants of the Gothic Revival are alive and well in El Lago landscaping.

Joe Lee’s heaven-sent basket of deep-fried oysters and butterfly shrimp

T-Bone Tom’s: Bacon-wrapped sirloin and Texas toast surrounded by legumes that taste like meat

(not pictured above: the fattest glass of sweet tea you ever did see)

Hanging out with Josh and Rachel– the sweetest part of the deal!