Editors blog

anyMeta 4.6.58 - Atom module 0.3.2 2017-05-11T16:54:21+02:00 http://www.couscousglobal.com/feed/atom/47/en?q_object=1059 Editors blog http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/1031 2008-11-14T14:30:47+01:00 Finally the Olympics

22-08-2008 Beijing

After Gabrielle stood in line for three hours, we finally got tickets...I do not get it,: it is very difficult to get tickets, but there are lots of empty seats and we hear crowds of Chinese seatfillers are hired to look better on TV. Any way we are in and enjoy the Olymic spirit in the flesh, after seeing it the whole day on TV like you guys everytwhere. Especially the womens volleyball seems to be on everytime we have to eat. Boxing is OK, the crowd is nicer to look at. All the happy nationalism everywhere is quit entertaining...the flags, the winning the audience for you(the Turks are very good at it) the dressing all up like the Thai people, dancing in the streets. Also the graphics on the big screens are very nice. The best thing is the French guy losing, crying like a baby and having a total fit. As you can guess Sports isn't really my thing. But we have music again at night. "Life Journey" is called the band of Wei wei we met before. They are playing above the "Cool record shop" best CDshop in Beijing. Little round maps from coconut are put on the floor and in comes the audience, mainly girls, chatting and p-leying woith their laptops, camera's and telephones. I learned today that besides backpackers you now have Flashpackers, backpackers with camera's , Ipods and laptops in their backpack. The audience looks like local flashpackers. After a live song everybody looks at the clips on their laptops from the new CD untill the band falls in again with the laptopclips.....they are all having a good time photograping eachother, having a drink, swaying on the music. Interview with the band later:(whole interview will be available in a few weeks, here on Couscousglobal) Whats the songs about? Being happy, we want to make people feel happy, no angry. Also lots of songs about love and girls. And about how we hate school and education, it is all to hard for us.(2 bandmembers are still in highschool, where they have a very hard examn at the end before goiing to university which is more free than highschool) So it is a little bit like hippies? What is a hippie? I try to explain this ,. "Oh" someone suddenly says" I know, I saw once a hippie on a dvd, with the long hairs". I suddenly realize, that a hippie is a very Western type of man, and part of our very Western society. China dealed completly diffrent with bourgeois elements in the sixties as the hippies did. They had their cultural revolution. So the people I am talking to never saw images of the hippies, not in the news, which was closed, not in the familyalbums, no parents or grandparents in hippie outfits, diffrent images. What do 20 year olds in the West know about the Chinese images in those days? "We want to be free and have fun, love the girls, no more angry things, no polotics, just be happy." So we hang out and chill with them. It is nice. Later in the Hutong II buy the magazine 0086 and it is like an illustration of this generation, or is it the other way around? In a window I see a nice Chinglish text( Enlish coming from Chinese translations..)The Chinglish is a great poetry anyway.Happy everyday to you. I hope everybody has. maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/1024 2008-09-09T12:29:40+02:00 The day after..in the hutong

21-8-2008 about hutongs and the post 8o generation.

The day after the debate we take it slow. In the morning we go to a cool Hutong. A hutong is an old part of town, the ones you always see in Chinese movies… 1.5 million people have been moved from their houses because of the Olympics and a lot of hutongs are torn down. Now off course they are very fashionable and very expensive. In the hutongs are the small café’s where you can get cappuccino and pizza, and the cool tshirt shops are there etc. After coffeer shopping we go to the friendly and wonderful Ou Ning, a curater, filmmaker , magazinemaker, researcher of the Chinese rockscene 10 years ago…. He shows us the magazin 0086 and I interview him about this whole post 80s generation issue. Now: Before I tell what Ou Ning said I want to state that all descriptions of generations fail, a generation is always divers and personally, being of the so called” lost generation” I always hated a tag on me because of age. Although thete is also some truth in it. Having said this, here is what lots of people think about the Chinese post 80: especially in the design and creative industry( a tag is also a way to market a group, isn’t it?) The young generation born after 1980 is very different from the geberation before. They are happy, they make thing to make other people happy, they are not interested in politics, they search for identity in a globalized world. They love Beijing, much more than other cities, because they love old tradition. They are nostalgic to their childhood things, the games, the sneakers, music, magazines, designs, brands, and the TV shows when they were like 6 or 7. They are the first generation who grew up with Internet and computers. They are mostly from rich parents and study abroad. For them it is easy to create subcultures through the Internet( like a “groupie-network, the groupies of Beijing bands , all beautiful and famous themselves)in the old days you had t print magazines, pay for the covers etc. they do it all online. 0086 is a printed magazine they make and like. The older generation thinks they are superficial, spoiled and egoistic. An exeption are the Hong Kong kids, who have very deep discussions and are much more inelelctual. Sorry guys, “dwebushi”(God, my Chinese is not improving…), if you do not agree, please react on the forum or after this blog… Tomorrow finally the Olympics than…I’m of to bed now after a great Chinese footmassage by a woman who is also post 80 but from a completely different background, like a few million I guess;):):):) maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/1001 2008-09-09T12:31:57+02:00 Talking to the Other

"Travelling we feel that something inportant is happening, that we are part of something while at the same time we are witnessing and creating it." Ryszard Kapuscinski" The Other"

Beijing 20-8-2008 Hello everyone. There is a strange silence on our site, where are you guys? We are open now for a week and a half, and there is not much action goiing on. I startt wondering if we are doing the right thing, if we made the right buttons on the site to react, or maybe the site takes to much time to follow. Anyway, everyone says it takes time to build up an audience, so I guess I am , as usual, too impatient. For those who are following or stories: Please let us lnow you are reading them by reacting on the forum, or writing an email. So how is Beijing? I have been talking to Waling Boers yesterday, owner of the BoersLigallery here. We met at 7 o'clock in the morning in the Beihai park while everyone was doing their gymnastics, taichi, aerobics, sworddance etc. The light was beautiful, the lakes were full of flowers, the people and he music dazzling. Waling has beel living for 20 years in diffrent places, and lives for four years now in Beijing.I Loved the way he compares the diffrent models in which he has been living and working. We talked about he arrogance of the West, and how we always judge other cultures through our model of living. About the rudeness of the Western societies towards eachother, that it is normal to say Fuck You, to whomever on the streets and how China everyone is very respectful and cautious about words and opinions. There is the more reserved way of communicating here in China, but at the same time the people are dancing and singing in the parks. It is very touching. After the park we make our way to Tiananmen square where I pay my tribute to Mao and young generations of all decades. In the evening I am filming Amanda, who lives in a Hutong. We talk about the other side of living in a country with reserved communication. Amanda is 22 and in 3 weeks she will start her studies in England. But is almost everyone she is an only child, and she has to leave her parents. There is not a lot of communication between parents and children. The kids have to perform so much when they are young, because the have to fulfill all the reams of the parents. Parents push and strive but never say that they love their children or that they are proud of them.....Also Amanda talks about he loneliness of her generation, growing up without brothers and sisters and with parents who do not communcate love. " I have never learned to live with my enemy, she says, never learned that you can go on after arguing....if i had a fight with a friend I just did not talk to her anymore, and found someone else". If I ask her what she wanted to have liked: " I would have liked to havean older sister, so she could teach me how to put on make-up, and shop with me, and eat with me. Now I always shop and eat alone." All the films will be edited the next few weeks. I am sorry we cannot put them on line right now, so please stay tuned........ I learned so much today. At night I watch CCTV and see our friend Jeroen on it. He is doiing fine, saying wise things about Western Journalism...I made a little clip you can see on the homepage. maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/987 2008-09-01T14:56:43+02:00 Holland Heineken House(HHH)

And than the Dutch are afraid of the Chinese Nationalism? HaHaHa

After the really nice and soft spoken people on the Boat we decided to make a short stop at the HHH. Maybe the diffrence in atmosphere was just to big , but it was a complete cultureshock..... We heard that Holland was making the best party in the city and that you should go there. HHH is a palace too big to be true in a pompues style. Inside all the Orange Dutch Fans were celebrating, hundreds of them. I guess this is how Dutch corporate and city gouvernement life looks like on holliday. Doing things you wouldn't do back home. They looked like the English people going wild in Amsterdam for the weekend. I felt ashamed. All the other parties in Beijing were more sophisticated than this one. I felt ashamed. Sorry. Dwebutsji...... maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/981 2008-09-09T12:32:52+02:00 Being Gay in BJ

Beijng 18-8-2008 Maartje talks to the BJ Homosexual community on The Boat. Thank you all visitors of the boat, and thank you Ilsa and Michael for a beautiful conversation on Third Culture/ Global Nomad kids.....we should also make a movie about that......I'll be back....

The Boat is floating in the embassy neighboorhood. Classic Chinese views(waterlilys, ponds, bikes, fisherman) and just new skyscrapers are making a new image in my head of Beijing now. The Boat is a meetingpoint og gay and lesbian Beijing but there are lots of gay bars, disco's and dark rooms in BJ. It is very funny that while shooting on deck ,all the young boys whom are standing in front of the embassys are going home for the day and so they march and yell and sing in a military way all around is." we are goiing home, we are the hope for the future, we are strong" someone translates their singshouting.... Although China always strikes me as highly sensative to authority, it becomes clear to me this night that they do not have an upper MORAL authority, because they have no (official)religion. There are no rabbi's, priests, mullah's, ayatollah's, or popes who tell people how to behave morally, nobody says what is good or wrong for an individual. The only authorities to feel a responsability to are the parents, grandparents and their genes. And so this is what I learned his night. Chinese are very tolerant towards gays, although it is even much more easier for the young generation now than it used to be for the generation who is now 40+. China has a great history in homosexuality, even lots of stories about gay emperors, and it is well documented, as ithe Arab world has had in its poetry. The boys I talk are called Seyan and Billy(english name) and they also perform in a film I see later that night about transgender people in China and the thousends of operations that are performed every year in BJ. Seyan wants to put on some make up before we do the interview, and so Billy helps him put it on as you can see in the pics below. Both Billy and Seyan are totally open about being gay and all their friends know it but they haven't told their parents yet. The problem is not so much that they will be rejected, but hey do not want to hurt their parents in not giving them a grandchild. We also talk to Xiou Gang who runs an on line dating and talkshow for gay, transgender, bi community. Xiou is 46 years but although everybody knows he is gay, and all of his work is with gay people he never found the courage to tell his parents. He believes that if it would be allowed for gay couples to adopt a child, and lots of couples tried after the earthquake last month, there would not be a problem anymore. To the Dutch guys of Jong and Out I have to say from them: " We, the Chinese gays, have heard about your canalboat in the Gay canal Parade in Amsterdam. We think it is wonderful that you were there and your parents were in a boat behind you. That is also why it is nice to do this filmshoot on a boat, although it is in China." maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/978 2008-09-09T12:34:48+02:00 First Debate Beijing Art Garden

17-08-2008 In the studio of wonderful Sheng Sheng and her family camara woman: Xao min

You can see the movies of the debate the first week of September. For now already some pics of my friend Gabrielle Marks, who is the most fantastic guide in this city. The group: All people were friends of Xao Min from her village near Beijing. They all came from the country to Beijing and live more or less half an hour by car from the city. Some were still in highschool(or middle school as it is called here) Some were artists, some study in Beijing. Topics we talked about were: What kind of music and fashion do you like. I showed them the questions of the Amsterdam Pal West students. (They loved the Ni Hao and the Chinese counting from Zinzi.....) Their taste was very divers: from traditional Cinese country music to hard rock, Cold play, R&B and soft English popmusic. About fashion: they were not really in the brands like Gucci and D&G Most liked sportsclothing, and liked, but could not afford Nike and Adidas. They did not like the fakebrands, they rather save money and buy he real thing. Other topics were: Beiing an only child, The Olympics(only one could affordto go, tickets are rare and expensive, I still do not have any tickets yet either) and the longterm effect, marriage( it is OK for Chinese couples to have SEX and LIVE TOGETHER BEFORE MARRIAGE). he way he West is looking at Cina, Obama(Colour is o issue for the kids) and the friendship of China and Africa. Thank you all, dear friends of Xao min, it was wonderful to talk to you. We will show your movie of the debate in Holland the second week in September. After that it will be on line at couscousglobal as well. maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/976 2008-09-09T12:52:35+02:00 Midnight talk with Wei wei and Been

2 o'clock at night in room 101 17-08-2008 Bejng

Wei wei is making music. He writes his own lyrics and loves soft pop music. What do you write about? Wei wei: About my soul and the pain I have. I feel lonely, lots of my friends feel lonely. Our parents want us to work and earn a lot of money, but we just want to make music, hang out and feel our souls. The parents do not understand us and so we all feel lonely. But if I make music, that all disappears, it is beautiful and I am happy. But I do not know how long I can go on with my music. Lots of my friends gave up music and became serious. In the end we all have to be serious? When is that I ask? Wei wei: When I get married and will have my one child. Than you have to start being serious. From the website www.theworld.org of a tvshow about Chinese young generation: China's young generation is riding a wave of prosperity and globalization. And this generation of Chinese youth includes more "only children" than anywhere else on earth. About 100 million of them have been born since China enacted its one-child policy, 27 years ago. One child per family has become the norm in the cities. And parents have poured all their resources and hopes into these only children. maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/969 2008-09-09T12:53:59+02:00 Mao live

16-08-2008

Mao Livehouse Beiijing 16-08-2008 Today we first filmed Xidan 77th street, a big underground shoppingmall for the young people. In the main hall a DJ was playing, it was full with people hanging out, not so much buying stuff as just being there. There is one big gameroom packed with all sort of games for different ages, also for the very young.Lots of drumming games. I will try to upload a small movie of one. Afterwards we went to the Boers-Li gallery. In another artist village a bit out of town. The show was called another Xijing, talking about an Asian sort of Utopia , another version of the Olympics. We interviewed the artist from Korea, China and Japan. It will be on our site in 2 weeks time. We met the godfather of the artworld here Mister Ai Wei Wei, who told me that he was not the godfather but the godmother of the artworld in China. Than we hit it back to town again. Enjoyed a real spicy dinner and lots of discussions with it. It is very refreshing to have discussions with the people here. They take time to phrase, words mean something here, and you are forced to listen carefully. A lot is being said in between the lines, and a lot of humour is in between as well. After dinner we went to Mao livehouse. The Post Chinese Punkband “ Queen Sea Big Shark” was playing with the charismatic Fuhan as the lead singer. She was great. Hope to upload the movie this afternoon, for now the Internet is to slow here this morning. Anuway we drank a last beer in a 24 hours bar” room 101”, and walked home through the soft warm night. maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/966 2008-09-09T12:55:20+02:00 fake and real in Beijing artdistrict 798

especially for the Pal West group: remember our debate on copying?

Friday 15th of August We had an appointment with Sheng Sheng, a documentary filmmaker in the @cafe. One of the big suprises of Beijing is that there are real art villages in the city. It feels more like Berlin in there than China. When I saw these art pieces thought of you guys from Pal West and our debate shown on this site" Copying is not allowed". How real is fake? And is fake not as real as real? Who is imitating who, and why always the West? And how do you feel as an immigrant? Fake or real in your new country. And if I meet the other? Do I meet a real person or a fake layer of cultural identities i guess the real person has? Anyway, I got real philosophical about all this real/fake shit today, while walking and eating in city where the Olympics are , but I only seethe games on TV, just like the rest of the world, but it feels strange to be so close to the real thing and not goiing there. We are running around, meeting all those incredible nice people who want to help us with organizing the debate on the 20th......Thnk you all in advance, and for the Beijing young people: please participate in the debate ,register and leave us a note on the site...... maartje nevejan http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/176 ARTICLE news http://www.couscousglobal.com/id/964 2009-03-17T10:29:05+01:00 China Chain: China Olympics

The first day of Cous cous Global in Bejing!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lMw0PfOpdYQ&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lMw0PfOpdYQ&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> - ARTICLE film