It is interesting that an essential nutrient, fat, has become the scourge of the western industrialize world. There are probably thousands of researchers with medical or science training but none have “discovered” how we westerners can prevent becoming fat.

Many in the western world assume there will eventually be a pill to solve our excessive body fat problem, just as there is a pill for almost everything else, weight loss being one of the few exceptions.

The accumulation of body fat is a complex problem and can affect your health to different degrees. Are we motivated to lose weight so we will look more attractive to potential partners or are we concerned about excess fat adversely affecting our health? We all know that heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers are directly related to excess body fat.

Currently, there are numerous diets claiming to solve the “overweight problem” but each seems to only work for some people and not others. Many diets require willpower that most of us don’t have. Overall, however, no particular diet has worked for the majority of people as overweight and obese people in North America are so common it has just become acceptable as part of the human condition.

To paraphrase Albert Einstein… “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results.” Perhaps instead of beating our heads against the competitive diet wall, we should look to a society that doesn’t have the problem and never has.

The Chinese municipality of Chongqing, population 34 million, is known by many titles… City of beautiful women… The mountain city… City of no bicycles… The fog city. The interesting thing is overweight people are very rare and you could go six months without seeing one obese person. Even more interesting is that research by Dr. Colin Campbell of Cornell University, in the famous “China Study”, revealed they eat more calories daily than Americans. That’s right… the slimmest people in the world eat more calories daily than the fattest people in the world.

The westernization of China is resulting in more and more overweight and obese people in Beijing and Shanghai, the two most westernized cities. Judging from the number of American fast food chains and bakeries that have appeared in Chongqing in recent years, they won’t be far behind those other cities. However, the traditional diet and lifestyle resulted in a slim, healthy population that wouldn’t understand our inability to prevent gaining weight.

I wouldn’t claim to understand why the traditional Chongqing diet results in slim bodies with no excess fat because their diet seems counter intuitive. Although they eat a great variety of vegetables and fruit in much larger quantities than we in the west, they also eat carbohydrates, primarily rice and noodles. Furthermore they do not avoid saturated fat and eat meat and/or fowl at almost every meal. Almost all western diets advise us to avoid carbohydrates or saturated fats, but looking at the people of Chongqing, this advice becomes suspect. It would seem that the “overweight problem” we have in the west must be re-examined as we seem to have been on the wrong track.

This Uphill Rush 3 game is the latest game in the very popular game series which are all free online flash games. Just like in the previous two uphill games this has all the action and graphics of a great game too. So what is it all about with Uphill rush 3, well the game has some great racing tracks with a lot of cool vehicles. With these vehicles you can do stunts or just race to set a record time.

You can choose between 15 different vehicles in this game. You can choose a nice motor cycle or monster truck, or if you want to have some fun try the inline skates for example. They implemented some crazy things too, for example you can choose a cow or a horse! how crazy is that! In this 3rd game of the series it is also possible to create your own outfit. So customize the character who is driving the vehicles. You can create a zombie or an astronaut, or if you prefer a robot that is possible too.

Play and drive in different well-known cities around the world. For example you can choose to race in: New York or Paris or Shanghai. In each city there are 3 difficulty levels and of course different surroundings to do your stunts. When you manage to finish a level you will unlock a more difficult level you can play next. There are two game types, the time trial (race against the clock), or choose the race type. In the Race type a computer controlled character is your opponent. In uphill rush 3 you never will be bored again. You can score money to buy new upgrades or other vehicles. When you start the game you will have 6 lives. Be careful because if you fall or crash (for example into a wall) then you will lose one life.

Just like in the previous uphill rush games this game has great tracks to drive on. The quality of the game is even better as the other 2. And it has a lot more features than the other ones. So drive and jump around and set the fastest time in this game.

Have you ever been to China? China is one of the amazing places to visit in the entire Asia. If you are planning for an exotic vacation, make sure that you choose the best China tour package for an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

Although you can travel various places on your own but, if you really want to know about each and every place, getting along a local travel guide is the best way to explore the wonders of the ‘Forbidden city.’ And, this is true because most tours led by travel guides generally assure good accommodation at affordable rates and quality services. Not only do they guide the tourists with historical facts and values of tourist-attraction places, they also make arrangements for commutation and all. In fact, a travel guide delivers you with ample of knowledge about Chinese culture and traditions and makes you completely familiar with the place.

Many China tours and travel agents offer Hong Kong vacations, trip to Beijing -Forbidden City, Yangtze River cruise, Shanghai hotels, Tibet travel, etc. So, all you need to do is simply choose the best one for yourself among them all. Every place has its own charm and beauty. Apart from this, when selecting a travel destination, be clear about the purpose of your vacation. If you want to relax yourself and enjoy the scenic beauty and environment choose a calm and serene place. If you want to party hard and enjoy the sun tan and the golden warm beaches you might have to look out for suitable locations within the country. Whenever you are planning to go on a vacation, it is better to set out your priorities so that you enjoy the most out of it.

Besides, China has a rich variety of flora and fauna, incredible landscapes silhouetted with pristine natural beauty that makes it a top choice among various travelers in the world. The amazing architecture, unique cultures and traditions, delicious food, regional beliefs and heritage are some of the reasons tourists are allured to visit. When you are in China, you are bound to be drifted away in a different world – the tinge of oriental exotica and the flavor of Chinese traditions.

Tour of China is not complete without seeing the huge and amazing landscape that the country has to offer. China is blessed with the sights of nature thus, it has become one of the must visit places in Asia or rather in the world. That’s not all! The climatic conditions of China coupled with its well-developed transportation facilities make it one of the best places in the list of Destination World.

Whenever you take a tour in China make sure you visit each and every place in China- try and know about its civilization, people and culture. Once you do that, you will surely be in love with China and want to visit it again and again.

So, have you decided to plan for a memorable expedition to China?

Here is a summary of very effective methods of cost savings during business trips, that you may want to consider for yourself.

• Book a standard hotel room instead of staying at the executive floor. If you book a standard room you can save a substantial amount of money and can still enjoy a good night’s sleep.
• Negotiate room rates. Presently hotels are experiencing much lower occupancy rates and it is worth to bargain for a better rate especially if you plan to become one of their long-term customers.
• Fly Economy Class. If you book an economy class flight with one of the airlines famous for good in-flight service, you will also end up with a decent meal, better than average leg space, reasonably comfortable seats, and can still save a lot of money.
• Use public transport. Cities like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai have an excellent public transport system that offers you a much cheaper and mostly faster alternative to taxis. Many hotels and fair operators offer free of charge shuttles buses to the exhibitions that you could use. You can save substantial money by staying further away from the exhibition centers in a comfortable hotel at a much lower room rate.
• Online Registration. Use the online registration services of the fair operators and receive your free of charge entrance badge in advance and avoid queueing at the entrance.
• Save on your meals. Why not try the much cheaper local food and reduce your dining expenses. A local noodle soup costs only a few bucks and tastes delicious. Instead of having breakfast at your hotel, you could visit one of the numerous coffee shops around your hotel area and get even a free coffee or tea refill.
• Shorten your trip or reduce number of trips per year. If visiting fairs in China is a must for you, perhaps you should consider to focus on the most important ones. In many cases there is a spring and autumn version of the same fair and you may want to skip the spring version because it may not have the same importance than the autumn version.
• Don’t miss out on anything by hiring a local Consultant. The American president is a very busy man and does not have the time to read all newspapers by himself. There are experts that do the clipping of vital articles for him and allow him to receive the necessary information. The same is true for importers. You cannot cover everything during your trip and you cannot visit every factory as it should be the case. In these difficult times you need the help of experts that are already on the spot. They can take over part of your duties even if you have decided not to travel to China. Their decades long experience with Chinese factories will help you to maintain your import activities and at the same time reduce your cost during importing substantially.

Hong Kong is the pearl of the south. It’s a fully integrated match of China and Europe, with all the best features of both. This is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a lot to see in a small space though you can literally explore it on a shoestring budget, without wearing out your shoes. Travel insurance and economy trips are easy to find. You can do all your business and bookings online, too.

Hong Kong- China’s southern showpiece

Hong Kong was a fishing island that was turned into one of the great cities of Asia. It soon became one of the great trading ports in the world, and everyone owned something “Made in Hong Kong” by the mid 20th century. The city contains a mix of modern Western and Chinese values, with a very strong streak of the southern Chinese culture throughout.

Hong Kong is also a match for the booming Chinese culture of today. It’s a financial and trade centre, and it’s a very beautiful place, even as the “Shanghai Effect” becomes noticeable. The city’s skyscrapers stand like a stone forest, big, modern and impressive, but they also match the Chinese coast, which in this part of the world is an interesting mix of mountains, islands, and a lot of green space in the parks in the New Territories around Kowloon.

So much in one place

Hong Kong Island and its surrounding islands are like several different worlds. The island includes its own big park on Victoria Peak, a Trappist Monastery, colonial museums, a bewildering supply of local markets, a zoological park, Disneyland, and a lot of temples, and that’s practically next door when you’re staying there.

It’s no wonder so many writers were so fascinated, and so many movies have been made there. Junks and sampans still ply the harbor, next to huge bulk carriers and luxury cruise liners. It’s a mystical place by nature, as much as by design.

The coast and hills, tourist heaven

For tourists, Hong Kong has always been and remains a great place to go. It’s quite cheap, by world standards.

Anyone who’s ever seen the South China Sea coast at its best will appreciate the comfort, the modern luxuries and the deep Chinese character. Like the rest of China, the only real risk to your budget is the desire to buy all the beautiful things you can find. Hong Kong is one of the major distributors of the fabulous Chinese art, cultural items and furniture around the world, and Hong Kong shopping for Sinophiles is positively addictive. The trick to a cheap trip there is to pay all your travel insurance, accommodation and fares front, and make sure you’ve got enough in your budget to shop carefree. You can buy everything else when you come back, anyway.

Learn Japanese fast! Imagine trying to speak English without being able to express actions. As you know, saying phrases like “to study” and “to talk” is critical. You’re about to learn that these compound verbs are just as critical in Japanese. Get ready to learn all about the compound verb “to do” in this Newbie Japanese article. You’ll learn that the Japanese word shimasu is your key to talking about things that you do. “To speak,” “to watch,” “to learn”; you’ll find it all here, plus much, much more. This Japanese article also contains numerous sample sentences that you can start using today!

Vocabulary: In this article, you’ll learn the following words and phrases:

Shanhai – “Shanghai” (city in China)

nihongo – “Japanese language”

hajimete – “for the first time”

mae – “ago, before” (suffix)

yo-nen – “four years”

ichi-nen kan – “period of one year”

benkyoo – “study”

joozu – “good at” (-na adjective)

Pekin – “Beijing” (city in China)

kyo’nen – “last year”

Nihon – “Japan”

Grammar: In this article, you’ll learn the following words and phrases:

Useful Vocabulary

joozu – “good at, skillful”

Joozu is an -na adjective, and the reading of kanji is irregular. The opposite word, heta, is also an -na adjective and has an irregular reading.

kyonen – “last year”

Memorize the following vocabulary words.

1. “last year” – kyonen
2. “this year” – kotoshi
3. “next year” – rainen

yo-nen

ichi-nenkan

Please study the time duration for years.

“English” / Japanese

“1 year” / ichi-nen ( kan )

“2 years” / ni-nen ( kan )

“3 years” / san-nen ( kan )

“4 years” / yo-nen ( kan )

“5 years” / go-nen ( kan )

“6 years” / roku-nen ( kan )

“7 years” / nana-nen ( kan ) or shichi-nen ( kan )

“8 years” / hachi-nen ( kan )

“9 years” / kyuu-nen ( kan ) or ku-nen ( kan )

“10 years” / juu-nen ( kan )

“How many years?” / nan-nen ( kan )

Watashi wa Chuugoku no Shanhai kara kimashita.

“I come from Shanghai in China.”

In Newbie series Season 4 Article 26, you learned how to say where you are from using the word shusshin. We can use this “___ kara kimashita” sentence pattern to talk about one’s origin.

For Example:

1. Shusshin wa Ejiputo desu.

   “I’m from Egypt.”

2. Ejiputo kara kimashita.

   “I’m from Egypt.” (literally, “I came from Egypt.”)

Grammar Point

In this article, you are going to learn how to talk about past activities and the usage of shimasu, which means “to do.” Please check the conjugation rules for the masu form of a verb below. 

Non-past Negative (formal): Replace –masu with –masen.

Past Affirmative (formal): Replace –masu with –mashita.

Past Negative (informal): Replace –masu with –masen deshita.

Non-Past

“English” / Affirmative (-masu) / Negative (-masen)

“to go” / ikimasu / ikimasen

“to understand” / wakarimasu / wakarimasen

“to eat” / tabemasu / tabemasen

“to come” / kimasu / kimasen

“to do” / shimasu / shimasen 

Past

“English” / Affirmative (-mashita) / Negative (-masendeshita)

“to go” / ikimashita / ikimasen deshita

“to understand” / wakarimashita / wakarimasen deshita

“to eat” / tabemashita / tabemasen deshita

“to come” / kimashita / kimasen deshita

“to do” / shimashita / shimasen deshita

Shimasu – “to do”

Shimasu (“to do”) is often called a nominal verb, which can create compound verbs.

Noun / “English” / Verb / “English”

benkyoo / “study” / benkyoo ( o ) shimasu / “to study”

shigoto / “work” / shigoto ( o ) shimasu / “to work”

denwa / “telephone” / denwa ( o ) shimasu / “to call”

ryokoo / “trip” / ryokoo ( o ) shimasu / “to travel”

paatii / “party” / paatii ( o ) shimasu / “to have a party”

sunooboodo / “snowboard” / sunooboodo ( o ) shimasu / “to snowboard”

Practice

Please answer the following questions according to the things you did yesterday.

For Example:

Nihon-go o benkyoo shimashita ka.

(If yes…) Hai, shimashita.

(If no…) Iie, shimasen deshita.

1. Sushi o tabemashita ka.

   ________________________________________________________

2. Paatii o shimashita ka.

   ________________________________________________________

3. Terebi o mimashita ka. (terebi means, “T.V.” mimasu means, “to watch.”)

   ________________________________________________________

4. Basu ni norimashita ka. (basu means, “bus” norimasu means, “ride.”

   ________________________________________________________

5. Nihon-go o hanashimashita ka. hanashimasu means, “to speak.”

   ________________________________________________________

Imagine the usual environment and stresses of a standard city with say 2-3 million people in – very sizeable by any stretch of the imagination! Now picture the same environment and stresses in a city of 12-13 million people and this is very large. Actually, for many of us who don’t live in these colossal giants, quite impossible to imagine.

Any city that has over 10 million people living within its metropolitan area is said to be a ‘megacity’. These include Shanghai (China), Mexico City (Mexico), Johannesburg-Pretoria (South Africa), Dhaka (Bangladesh), New York (USA) and London (UK). While these megacities have had much attention focused upon them by people and publications interested in cities, a recent television programme by broadcaster Andrew Marr titled ‘Megacities’ has covered these and bought them to a prime-time audience.

While all megacities, all five featured in the programme -London, Shanghai, Dhaka, Mexico City and Tokyo- all had different characteristics, benefits and drawbacks. However, for me, the most interesting comparison was between Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, and Tokyo, capital of Japan. Both cities are megacities and suffer from overcrowding and other pressures. Dhaka is a very fast growing city -with an extra 500,000 people moving into the city from the surrounding countryside every year, being a city with economically poor people in a poor country that is also at risk of flooding. Tokyo, on the other hand tends to have by-and-large a far more affluent population which until recently lay within the world’s second richest economy behind the USA – though Japan has now been relegated to third place behind both the USA and China.

Before too much thought, and certainly my personal thought, was that the city with the most stressed inhabitants would surely be Dhaka, due to the risk of flooding, trying to scrape enough money to live and indeed, living in self built house closely compact and nearly on-top of ones neighbours – even quite literally the case. On the other hand Tokyo would be stressful, of course as it is a megacity, but not to the same degree as Dhaka and that people would have more opportunities to relax due to greater personal wealth and facilities on offer. It seemed however that actually the opposite is true.

While under no circumstances do I want to suggest a romantic view of being economically poor -because in the 21st century there should be no such thing as poverty- I actually got the impression that the poorer people with the slum in Dhaka were actually happier than the richer people in Tokyo. The reasons for this are as follows.

Firstly the people of Dhaka had a very strong sense of community. People live with immediate and extended family in very small and confided spaces, in close proximity to neighbours and relatives. People seemed to talk and help each other out where possible.

Secondly, in Dhaka, while people seemed to work very hand – and indeed many do work exceptionally hard to simply keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table; much of the work seemed to be of the hard physical labour variety that while very hard on the body, does not place mental stress on the mind that lead to psychological burnout.

People in Tokyo on the other hand, while more affluent, actually seemed far more stressed. While people live in very close proximity to one-another as in Dhaka -with people crammed into small apartment placed high above each other into the sky; unlike Dhaka, there did not seem to be the same neighbourliness and personal interaction between people – especially between neighbours and strangers. People were living very mono-centric lives, living close to one-another but having little interaction.

With the nature of much employment in Tokyo – finance and other office work – stress tends to be psychological rather than physical stress on the body as with Dhaka. Alongside this, and something that was pointed out to Andrew Marr, was the impersonal nature of the city, an almost clinicalness – something that appeared to annoy Marr after only two days in Tokyo. Very small clinical apartments are one thing, but the ‘rent a friend’ scheme for people who have no friends just shows the loneliness that can exist in such a big city. It is ironic that a city of over 12 million inhabitants can have people who are so lonely!

Finally the most striking thing about Tokyo is its clockwork organisation. On the surface this would surely lead to less stress – with very rarely a late train and infrequent technological failures. We humans though, as a species crave different environments and experiences that change from day-to-day. And while delays and route-changes making us late every day would be unwelcome, slight daily change and the unexpected are essential for us. This is why I feel that despite all the cultural advances, Andrew Marr found Dhaka -along with Mexico City which was also focused upon in the programme- to be strangely less stressful. As I have already touched upon, Marr admitted himself that two days spent in Tokyo was enough and that he actually felt unnerved by the city impersonal nature of the city.

To conclude then, with anything in life including stress, the unexpected can actually happen. At first thought, I would have said that Tokyo would have been the least stressful city, with its clockwork transport system and modern hi-tech gadgets to help us in life. But actually, surprisingly, Dhaka seemed to be the less stressful of the two for Andrew Marr, largely as a result of the social interaction and close bonds that existed in the city, more-so than in Tokyo – though it has to be said that life on the breadline in Dhaka is only slightly less stressful!

Both cities then are extremely stressful places to live and work by no-means should we romanticise poverty and deprivation. But it does go to show that sometimes we can have these hi-tech innovations designed to free us that actually cause us less free time and greater stress. This stress is of course multiplied in a megacity: mega-cities mega-stress!

I first came to China in 2005. I flew in via Hong Kong to Shenzhen and was completely blown away by this city. I didn’t know quite what to expect but it certainly exceeded any expectations I might have had. Thirty years ago Shenzhen was just a small fishing village across the river from Hong Kong but with an idea of creating a model city to rival Hong Kong, the then leader Deng Xiaoping set out his vision for this super-city. In my opinion Shenzhen is an amazing modern city with futurist tall buildings, well designed family friendly apartment blocks, wide tree lined avenues, lush vegetation, relaxing parks and a vibrant economy to compete with any western city. Wow! I thought – this is communist China!

It wasn’t however until 2007 when I came to live in Zunyi, a ‘small’ city in Guizhou province did I come to discover the real China. The fact is you never really know a country until you live there and for me, it was a real culture shock! Make no mistake about it, life in the west is so very different from life in China.

Population: As we all know, China has a huge population – 1.3 billion people, a figure which is difficult to comprehend. Zunyi is considered to be a small city in China but has a population bigger than England’s second biggest city – Birmingham. And because everyone lives in apartment blocks, the inhabitants are more crammed in than English cities. Only the mountain right in the middle of the Zunyi creates a refuge from the noise and busyness of the city but most cities here don’t have mountains in the middle of them. The bigger cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Chongqing seem to places of endless habitation but fortunately the city planners have thought about this and there are always either beautiful parks or historic sites to escape too. Because of the size of the population it is difficult to get away from people in China; even the countryside where agriculture is labour intensive, it can be difficult to be totally alone. Having said that, I have been fortunate enough to be taken to some stunning countryside away from the city where all you can hear is the birdsong and only occasionally meet another person.

Cultural differences: It is quite difficult to define Chinese culture so simply because like western culture, it is changing. There is the old traditional culture which underpins society and there is the new modern culture imported from the West, Japan and Korea. Although China has one of the oldest civilisations, it is actually one of the newest countries. Sixty years ago was the Cultural Revolution lead by Mao Zedong which swept away thousands of years of dynastic rule by emperors and freed the great majority of people from impoverished living. China reinvented itself in 1949 and became a truly communist country but that was sixty years ago and there can be no comparison between now and then. Only long held traditions and values remain and some of these are under threat from modern day life. Today young people in the cities have high aspirations and want all the modern day fashion and technology they can get their hands on.

So, on the surface in the modern cities all can appear the same as in the West. The men and women wear the same stylish clothes, the girls wear skimpy clothes to reveal their figure and the boys wear fashion to imitate their pop idols; business people drive expensive saloons and 4 x 4s (often black) and high-heeled ladies shop in expensive boutiques. Look up at the skyline and you’ll see amazing high rise blocks of futuristic design which equal or even better western skylines. Under the modern exterior however, most people are very traditional and it is best to be aware of these traditional values if you want to live, work and do business here.

Family: In China, the family unit is a very strong one and there is generally great respect afforded by children to parents and to grandparents. That doesn’t mean that everything is perfect in family life but family is the refuge and the security here. When people need help they turn to family, if they need financial backing for a business venture they turn to family and if they need advice, they do the same. It is not only in life that respect is given but in death also. Every year in April there is ceremony called Tomb Sweeping Day and on this day families will visit the graves of their relatives to clean the graves, say prayers and burn paper money for the dead. This creates a strong connection between the living and their ancestors, and gives an underlying message to the living that they won’t be forgotten, even in death.

Today in China there is still the one child policy, although this does not apply in the countryside where there is a need for labour. This means that the family is small and often the children are cosseted. Most often both parents will go out to work and therefore the grandparents are frequently called upon to assist with the child’s care. Sometimes the child will live with the grandparents if the father and mother have to work away. Many people have to work in other cities and commuting is impossible and so can only visit their family once or twice a year. This makes festivals like Spring Festival so important to the family. At Spring Festival most workers get a week’s holiday and this is a big time for family reunions. This can be the only real holiday a lot of people get in the year.

Marriage: In China, marriage is still considered the only way for a couple to live together and there is strong pressure for young people to get married before they are 30, especially for the girls. The idea of a woman seeking a career above marriage is almost unheard of and equally of not wanting children. If a woman doesn’t want children, she will be considered to be not normal. A lot of young people have an idealised view of marriage despite the divorce rate being high here; they always believe they can make the successful marriage. What’s more there is still a notion for a lot of young women that they should be virgins when they get married, although this idea doesn’t really hold in the big cities. Also, a lot of men want to marry virgins, especially in the countryside where old attitudes prevail and it is sometimes expected for a girl to produce a certificate from a doctor to say she is a virgin.

Youth culture: Young people now wear the latest fashion from Japan, Korea and the West but this can give the wrong impression as to their attitudes about love and sex which are still old fashioned. They may look like any young person from a permissive western society but they don’t sleep around, they don’t expect to have sex by the time they are eighteen and they wouldn’t dare to bring a baby into the world without being married; what’s more they’re not into drugs either. High school students are discouraged by their parents from forming relationships until after they have graduated at the age of eighteen. Young girls may look stunning in the tight clothes and ultra short skirts but unlike many of their western counterparts, they are not party animals and don’t go out on the town to get drunk; in fact a lot of them don’t even drink alcohol at all and they certainly don’t expect to be chatted up by strangers. Yes, attitudes are more westernised in the big cities but there is still a strong recognition of what it is to be Chinese and young people are very proud of this. The Chinese people are conservative by nature and this should be understood by western visitors, so as not to offend.

Work: There is a very strong work ethic in China and people are not afraid of work here. The fact is that if people don’t work, they get no support from the state, not that they would expect it. Most people will do any work to earn a little money and don’t feel a sense of shame if they have menial jobs. It is quite quite humbling to see the types of work that people will do to earn a small amount of money. People here take a great sense of pride in having a secure job and will do nothing to threaten that security. This can mean that some employees are exploited by their bosses who know their staff will not cause trouble if there are difficulties at work. Another fact is that there are too many workers for the jobs available and so people are always grateful to have work. Chinese people will work long hours doing the most tedious jobs without complaint but of course many do aspire to better themselves but competition for jobs is great and the greatest fear for a student at school or college is not to have a job after graduation. This is why students are prepared to begin their school day at 7 a.m. and finish their last class at 9.30 p.m. and will go to school on Saturday and then attend private classes on Sunday with little complaint. They get tired and worried about the never ending round of exams but they do it because they want to work and not just want work but want to have a good job. Many students today aspire to being rich and why shouldn’t they, when their country is heading towards becoming the strongest economy in the world.

National pride: Chinese people are immensely proud of their country and their country’s achievements and this was strongly reinforced during the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan when the entire country rallied to help the stricken area and its people. China is made up of many ethnic groups, each with their own traditions and dialect but is united under one flag and one leadership. There has been descent in some parts but on the whole, the country is as one. The Chinese people also have very strong feelings about Tibet and also Taiwan and I suggest that until you research the history about these areas, you don’t get into a debate with Chinese people about them. There has been a lot of misinformation spread around about these, especially about Tibet by people who don’t fully understand the history of China. It is a good idea to read some good books about China’s history before coming to live in China; it will help you understand its people.

Manners: This may be one of the most difficult things to come to terms with in China because the Chinese people don’t adopt the same manners as we are used to in the UK or US. It has sometimes been my opinion that Chinese people don’t have manners at all but this is an over generalisation. Chinese people don’t like to queue or wait to be served; if you are in shop being served, expect someone to barge in front of you but of course you don’t have to put up with it. You have to learn to be quick and in some cases assert your ground. Also if you are in conversation with another, don’t expect people to wait until you have finished your conversation before another will charge right on in to say their point. This will be much more so in the smaller cities where people have not become so educated and not so ‘westernised.’

The thing to remember is that this is their way and there is little point in trying to change it because you won’t. I believe however that you should maintain your own manners and civility but not try to thrust your beliefs onto others. When I first came to China, I found that no one ever smiled at me and no shop keeper ever thanked me for my custom. I thought the Chinese to be a very cold race but once I got to know people, I found them to be very warm, friendly and generous, even if they have little to give. My suggestion is that you smile first and let people know that you are friendly toward them, and that way they will soon begin to respond to you. The Chinese people in general are shy people and this explains a lot of their reticence to smile.

Big city, small city: If you live in one of the major cities like Shanghai or Beijing you will pretty much be invisible as you go about your daily business but if you choose to live in a smaller city or even a town, you will be source of much interest. In Zunyi I am one of a dozen or so foreigners and so I am often starred at and always in demand by students to talk English with me. I get lots of invites out to have a meal or go on trips; it certainly compensates for the isolation I have often felt. And while on the subject of being invited out for a meal. It is customary for the person doing the inviting to do the paying, so don’t be concerned about others paying for you but out of politeness, you should return the invite and pay for them.

There times when you can feel completely frustrated by living in China, with the constant noise and smells, the apparent rudeness and disregard for others; it can really get to you but you have to accept it and try not to get angry. Chinese are far more tolerant in this respect; they have to be more tolerant of each other because there are so many people living in such close proximity to each other here. They are not fazed by air-horns, motorcycles on the footpath and people pushing in or cars cutting them up. It is important to remember that you are the foreigner here and this is not your country.

If you want to come and work here, I suggest you embrace the differences and don’t try to resist them. I have gained so many friends here in China and it will be a very sad day when I finally return to the U.K. At times China has driven me mad with frustration but on the other hand, China has given me so much.

Today it seems like there's a martial arts school on every block and many of them are of dubious quality. Most of the students are children, and they're taught some form of combat sport. Some schools offer self defense training or promise a good workout, but few teach real combat martial arts. There was a time though when people did learn the practical skills that they needed to survive a real street fight. Among the few instructors who truly understood combat martial arts and self defense was Charlie Nelson who took what he learned during World War II, and used it prepare the average citizen for hand to hand combat.

Charlie Nelson's story begins in upstate New York where he grew up in a Catholic orphanage, and he joined the United States Marine Corp at the age of 19. While with the Marines he would receive the best close combat education possible. Before any close combat training, Charlie was good boxer. The first chance he had joined the Marine boxing team. This is when he learned from Colonel Anthony Drexel Biddle who had trained Marines in hand to hand combat for World War I. Biddle, and was teaching FBI agents at Quantico at the time.

As fate would have it, while at Quantico, Nelson would bunk with John Styers an expert in blade combat who would later author Cold Steel an excellent book on close combat with weapons. It was probably here that Nelson first learned the truth about self defense that would shape his life long view on combat; a street fight is completely different animal than a sports match.

Colonel Biddle would not be Nelson's only teacher while in the Marines though. He would train with Sergeant Patrick Kelly who had served with the Fourth Marines stationed in China. Kelly had trained under Dermott O'Neill who also served in the city of Shanghai which at the time had the well earned reputation as the most violent city in the world. The Marines along with troops and police officers from many other nations assigned to the international city regularly battled violent street gangs and other criminals as they tried to maintain law and order as well preventurgences from taking the city. It was here the Marines would learn many important lessons from William Ewart Fairbairn and the Shanghai police department.

Even though Nelson would not meet Fairbairn directly, Fairbairn had a substantial impact on how Nelson would learn to fight. During Fairbairn's time as a police officer in Shanghai, he made an extensive study of many Asian martial arts in an effort to create a simple and effective combat martial arts system. He drew heavily on his Judo and Jujutsu experience, and stripped away any unnecessary ritual and movement, revealing a simple system for combat called Defendu. In addition to hand to hand combat training he also has effective shooting and edged weapons methods (the Fairbairn fighting knife). He would later train spies and commandos in WWII. Nelson would draw on all of his influences in order to create his system for self defense, but he always has credit to his mentors.

After serving honestly in WWII which included taking part in the battle of Guadalcanal with the First Marine Division Nelson retuned to New York and setting up the Charlie Nelson's School of Self Defense Combat Jujitsu and Karate. At the second floor school on West 72 Street in New York City the students would learn how to street fight, and Nelson abandoned traditional martial arts uniforms in favor of street clothes because he said that what people really did when they cooked. Every move he taught could be used by anyone regardless of size or strength, and all his training scenarios were grounded in reality based on his research into actual crimes. He taught people how to "fight not play games".

Charles Nelson like some many others of his generation is no longer with us, but his work lives on with us in The Red Manual. The book is filled with useful techniques that will work against even the most violent assaults. Nelson makes martial arts practical to for the average citizen and teachers them how to deal with attackers armed with knives, baseball bats, and even firearms. Even experienced martial artists like former Army Ranger and police officer Carl Cestari was taken down by his dirty fighting techniques by a much older Nelson. Cestari was so impressed he would become certified in Nelson's system and include many of his techniques in his own. Unfortunately not everyone took notice of Nelson's system, but if people did the criminals there would be the ones living in fear. Nelson's methods of self defense are all but forgotten.

There are a few who still teach some of the principles handed down by these for fathers of modern day self defense and reality martial arts. One such organization is The Self Defense Company. A global network of instructors dedicated to teaching the systems of proven self defense programs that combine these valuable methods of combat with modern day systems of training.

Synopsis

In 1925, the Japanese have occupied the city of Shanghai. They have the city divided across several settlements. They are preparing a large scale invasion of China. Not only are the Chinese being bullied by the Japanese, they also are harassed by Westerners who have come with their influence and getting rich off their businesses.

Chen Zhen (Donnie Yen), a former soldier during WWI has reappeared as Qi Tianyuan, a business man in the city of Shanghai. He frequently hangs out at the Casablanca nightclub where a beautiful singer, Fang Qing (Shu Qi) aka Kiki works.

Qi Tianyuan’s best friend, Liu Yu-Tian (Anthony Wong), is the owner of the nightclub. Together they are planning to lead a resistance against their Japanese oppressors. The ambitious Japanese military is discovered to be plotting an assassination of General Zeng (Shawn Yue), the son of a north China army commander by the resistance fighters.

They see an opportunity in that to cause internal strife amongst the Chinese people. The Japanese will then plant the blame on a rival military leader, General Zhuo (Yue Ma). When the Japanese kill off Zeng it will cause a civil war between the two rival military leaders to ensue and make their conquest of China easier.

The plot is thwarted by Qi Tianyuan when he disguises himself as a masked superhero wearing a black costume. Colonel Takeshi Chikaraishi (Ryu Kohata) is the sadistic leader of the Japanese military faction in Shanghai. He begins killing people of the anti-Japanese resistance on a list sent by his superiors in Tokyo.

Colonel Takeshi also starts putting two and two together to find out that Qi Tianyuan is actually Chen Zhen the masked hero. Elsewhere, Qi Tianyuan/Chen Zhen is falling in love with Fang Qing. He soon finds out that Fang goes under the name of Yumi Yamaguchi, a spy for the Japanese military.

Colonel Takeshi Chikaraishi, in an act of testing Fang/Yamaguchi’s loyalty, orders her to kill General Zeng’s girlfriend Vivian (Siyan Huo), a friend of hers. The angry General Zeng allies himself with the Japanese and attacks General Zhuo, who was blamed for the murder of his girlfriend. Chen Zhen is shortly taken captive after being cornered by the Japanese.

Chikaraishi Takeshi brutally tortures Chen. Soon after his friends attack and destroy the building he is being held in. The Japanese decide to release the severely injured Chen. Eventually Chen awakens from his coma to confront the sadistic Takeshi and 100 of his men in a brutal battle to the death in his Japanese Karate Dojo. The same Dojo Chen Zhen killed the Colonel’s father 10 years ago.

Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen: Review

Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen is an expensive Hong Kong action/martial arts production. The plot of this movie has been done before in various Hong Kong films. Several Hong Kong films have similar aesthetics such as the Jet Li movies: Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Fist of Legend (1994), Fearless (2006), and the Donnie Yen film: IP Man (2008).

The films listed are similar in terms of the themes of oppression on display. The Superhero costume worn by Donnie Yen in Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen is very similar to the design of Kato’s Green Hornet costume. Jet Li wore a variation of the costume for his 1996 Black Mask film. The fantasy style action scenes for Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen are also a lot like the Black Mask film. The actors in Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen do a good job. The beautiful and sexy Shu Qi shines in this movie.

She was great with her energetic performance as the party hard Casablanca nightclub singer, Fang Qing aka Kiki. She is often drunk throughout the film. Fang Qing shows that she has a heart in her final scenes as the spy, Mrs. Yamaguchi, which unfortunately leads to her sad demise.

I have seen several of Donnie Yen’s movies from his early days to recent. He just keeps getting better. His martial arts skills are more impressive now. His charismatic presence has even more star power now. Of his most recent work, I enjoyed Flash Point the best. SPL was also very good.

Donnie Yen is in top shape, as his body is even more chiseled than earlier in his career. In terms of realism, Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen has a lot of fantasy elements and inconsistencies. When Donnie Yen is dressed up like a superhero he has superhuman strength, speed, and agility.

Donnie Yen’s fighting skills become enhanced by the wire-work and special effects applied to them. Not that he needs such enhancements since Mr. Yen is pretty fast and badass on his own. He often does an excellent job when he choreographs the fights in his movies.

Without any explanation, when he is not in costume, such as in the ending fight he is normal and can be pushed to his limits. Or when he is cornered by Colonel Takeshi and his thugs and beaten severely. That just didn’t make sense to me in the Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen movie.

The fight scenes for the movie were choreographed by Donnie Yen. He incorporated many mixed martial arts (MMA) elements in the film, along with the utilization of Wing Chun. The movie is somewhat of a tribute to Bruce Lee. Donnie Yen added Mr. Lee’s signature scream in the Dojo battle at the end. He also makes use of Nunchaku just like Bruce Lee did in Fists of Fury.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I first saw Donnie’s attempts at doing the “Wachoooo”, while kicking ass in the Dojo fight. It was a bit cheesy and awkward looking, but it’s all in good fun. Highly gifted actor, Anthony Wong always does a job with his performances as a good guy or villain. He often plays the part of a psychotic bad guy such as Wong Chi Hang (The Untold Story 1993), Johnny Wong (Hard Boiled 1993), the perverse sadistic King Kau (Black Mask 1996), and as Sergeant Tung in Beast Cops (1998).

Japanese actor, Ryu Kohata does a great job as well. The sadistic main villain, Colonel Takeshi Chikaraishi, is a real nasty guy that you will not like. Ryu Kohata plays the creep perfectly. The visuals and cinematography for the Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen are stunning. 1920’s era’s Shanghai, China looks flashy and beautiful.

The best directed action sequence in the movie was the opening WWI battle scene that will get your adrenaline pumping. The spectacular battle sequence explodes on you with the unstoppable and impressive Donnie Yen as a one man soldier. He single-handily makes quick work of the German forces with his stylish fighting skills.

It’s unfortunate that there were few action scenes that stood out following the opening one in Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen. Most of the film was comprised of somewhat confusing drama scenes. The character development is often told through flashback scenes. I found the lack of explanation of the Chen Zhen character escaping death from the Japanese 10 years ago, after discovering who was responsible for his teacher’s murder as poorly scripted.

The music and instrumental score for Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen is done well. Taiwanese born actress, Shu Qi does her own singing for the songs she performs at the Casablanca nightclub. Shu Qi isn’t a natural singer, but she is cute in her performance of the catchy songs.

There is some graphic content in the film such as a lot of blood during violent scenes and a semi-nude Donnie Yen while he is being tortured. The film has some derogatory terms said during some heated scenes of arguments between the bullied Chinese, Japanese, and Europeans that reside in Shanghai.

The Chinese people are called well known racial epitaphs by both the Japanese and the Westerners in a couple of scenes. The Europeans get called names as well. Some things are said about females by the Japanese. A Japanese soldier refers to them as only being sex objects.

The nationalistic themes in Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen has been overdone a lot in Hong Kong cinema.

The Japanese on display are made out to look really bad in this one as well. The intense final fight was well choreographed by Donnie Yen and isn’t short. He shows off his best Bruce Lee impression and how awesome he is in the finale. He gets knocked down and comes right back like the Superhero that he is.

Overall the Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen is an entertaining film. It could have been better if there were more impressive action scenes displaying Donnie Yen’s fighting talents. The Blu-ray I have of this movie is a special edition version that comes with a special features disc.

The bonus disc has six behind the scenes documentaries. Some interviews with cast members Shu Qi, Anthony Wong, Ryu Kohata, and Donnie Yen.

Each of the actors/actresses discuss their characters and experiences working on the film. Donnie Yen discusses the fight choreography for the Legend of the Fist The Return of Chen Zhen. An interview with director Andrew Lau who discusses a lot about the film is also added.