News Story of the Day, Without Comment

The Chinese government acknowledged widespread quality-control and safety problems for domestically sold goods ranging from food to baby clothing to grass-cutting equipment, a reminder of the toll on its own consumers at a time of increasing foreign scrutiny of imports from China.

Beijing's statistics-filled assessment had a sobering main finding: Nearly one-fifth of the sold-in-China products that were studied failed to meet the country's quality standards.

***

Separately, the Ministry of Health yesterday announced a recall of two brands of diapers popular in rural areas because of excessive amounts of fungus, the Associated Press reported.

***

Yesterday, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Li Yuanping, a senior official in charge of imported and exported food safety at the quality-control watchdog, as saying that "99% of food exported to the United States was up to safety standards over the past two years, which is a very high percentage."

At the same time, an editorial in the state-run China Daily newspaper said food exports have sometimes failed foreign guidelines "not because the food itself was of low quality but because the standards we use may be lower."

***

"These are not isolated cases," Han Yi, director of the watchdog's quality-control and inspection department, said at a news conference at the time, according to a report in the China Daily.

Link for lucky Wall Street Journal subscribers.

4 July

Much too much heat and boredom and beggars at Tiannemen Square, a climb on some balony or something at Mo's tomb, a quick run through the Forbidden City. (Another criticism: the tour is very superficial, like we buzz through the grounds of the Summer Palace but go into none.)

Shayna cracked under the sun and heat so we bagged the afternoon activities, lunch somewhere and a rickshaw ride, and returned to the room to recover.

In the evening was a banquet at a hotel, putatively in honor of the group but, because of overlong naps, bagged that as well. One the tweens said it included like an hour-long speech. How much it could be in our honor when we guests of honor are tired and fried and smelly and dirty without a freshening break eludes me....

And the angina (and agita!) with the extra day of hotel stay, with much sturm und drang and stress got resolved... but not at all easily....

2 July: Shayna, Superstar

Day started with a whimper but had a couple of bangs....

Started the day hanging the lobby waiting to bus up and pull out. While so waiting, spoke to a mom and discussed Shayna's Kumon modeling gig; a photo is being used on one of the wee brochures they give out at the various centers. No money, just a What the Hell thing.

Keep that anecdote in mind (as if this entry's title isn't enough hint....

First stop was a pointless one; the Beijing Department Store. Just what Western tourists want to see: luxuries at retail prices. As one of the dads asked our group's guide while congregating to leave: There were more traditional discount stores a block or so away; can we go there? Short answer: No. This stop, we suspect may have been required, so to speak.

At least I saw the Tag-Heuer of which I'd really like a copy....

But it gets better.

Lunch: Too soon -- on one hand, the visit to the TV tower got bagged because of haze and time -- and we were due somewhere at 2:00.

So lunch at the Yun Zun Fu Cabaret: While we ate, showtime! A group of dancers alternating with a man playing handpipes.

And then the 2:00 stop.

Arrived at Qiyi Primary School -- a "model" or special school, I suspect.

Arrive to band and each child being paired up with a student. Shayna's was named Nancy (or "Nancy"). Vert sweet and shy child. Believes knew no English to speak but Shayna claimed that she was just too shy to speak to me in English....

Greetings followed a demonstration of the che ling/ xiang huang/ dou kong zhu -- Chinese yoyo to us lo fan (non-Chinese).

And then the follow-up to the demo; the school's masters teach our kids how to play with the yoyo.

Except there's a ringer in our group.

Shayna.

Who proceeds to bring honor to America with her proficiency.

Tour then continued with a dance presentation and then finished with us == the kids and many of the parents -- singing a few songs for our hosts, "Two Countries" and "Edelweis". With us is the head of our tour, the woman in charge of putting it together every year, Lisa Kifer, who diplomatically and accurately pointed out that while the school spent much time getting its act together for us, we had spent a few hours (actually, a couple of minutes over a few hours) that day getting our act together.

But briefly, about the school: Oldish buildings but very well kept. The course of study seems to be a lot of drilling, somewhat longer days than in America, discipline and a lot of homework.

But there's more to this stop.

The whole thing was being recorded but a large crew from a Chinese TV channel, CCTV.

(Daddy had to throw in that photo.)

After the tour-ending concert, I see the head of English instruction speaking to Shayna. I go up and am told something about a short interview. I hoped it referred to, like, leaving Shayna in Beijing for a year of study.

But nooooooo.

Turns out it was an interview for the media.

Shayna was asked how she got so good with the yoyo. Three years of study and lessons, she said.

She was asked her name, age and where she lived in America. She was asked what she thought of China, similarities an differences. Alike: All the big buildings. Differences: China: Cars and bikes on the roads, US only cars and a lot more of them. And she was asked what she thought of the program. It was good because it gave the kids a chance to see what life was like for kids in another country.

Dinner was back at the YongAn Hotel restaurant. Special of the night: Chinese-style chicken fingers and french fies for the American kids.

And then a very tired group was taken to see an acrobatic show at the Chaoyang Theatre. Many had a great nap. (Shayna and I had seen essentially the same act -- maybe even the same troupe -- last winter.)

Poster's note: One hears about problems accessing certain non-Chinese sites from China, then one actually, like, experiences it. Like, I can post to this blog but I can't, you know, actually see any Blogger blog, including the one I can post to.

And then, this morning, it refuses to upload photos. And God knows we have a choice assortment.

Go figure.

So Plan B.

See the photos here.

Day 2; 1 July

Morning at the Summer Palace (link and link). Unbelievable. Awesome. Makes the case for royalty or near-limitless wealth. Beyond beautiful on beyond beautiful grounds. On the other hand, pretty hot. (But it would get hotter.)

And Donna and I posed for our official portraits.

Lunch at a restaurant/banquet room at the Freedom Hotel. Also had a few shops with an adorable little supermarket.

Afternoon excursion was to the Temple of Heaven. It was hot. Not the temple, which was, but much moreso the weather. People were, like, wilting.


Dinner (too soon after too big a lunch): A resteraunt set up in one of the outbuildings of the Temple of Earth.

And after a hot, tiring day, this:

/mitchell