• 06:51 AM ET  08.07
Views
2418
Comments
1
The familiar ring of my Chinese mobile phone - not the SI-issued one whose ring I couldn't recognize for the first few days I was here in Beijing, but the one I've been using for years on various trips to China - beeped again this afternoon. It's the Chinese/Nokia version of "You've got mail!" and this time, it was a Chinese-language missive from the Chaoyang District government, reminding me that the Olympics start tomorrow and to ask my support in helping to wish the athletes luck and to be extra-conscientous in order to have a successful Olympics. It's one of the peculiarily fascinating aspects of the social education story in China: the missives asking residents not to spit, to remember to stand in line and wait their turn to enter a subway car, and most interestingly, to pay attention to fire safety at home. (A few days ago I saw a large group of placards with cartoon illustrations and with text in Chinese and English on the general theme of fire safety: don't leave oil cooking unattended in the kitchen, make sure your fire extinguisher works, etc.) When I taught university in a small southern Chinese city, the local government sent along a message the day before local high schools students were to take the nationwide university entrance exam, reminding us to be extra-quiet over the weekend to give the students the best chance to succeed at the exams. In this country, nothing is left to chance when it comes to helping citizens understand their social responsibilities - so sometime this afternoon thousands upon thousands of cell phones in the Chaoyang District of Beijing beeped, one message for the masses a day before the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
 
August 7, 2008  02:10 PM ET

Ah, nothing like tyranny in it's purest form...

Comment

Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.


Coming soon: Log in with your Facebook account, send comments and Throwdowns to Facebook and more.

Start Your Own Blog

Start Now

Stub Hub

The 2009 schedule has been released. Search for tickets!

Truth & Rumors

MOST POPULAR

  1. 1
    No Favre Vikings jersey -- yet
    Views
    2572
    Comments
    1726
  2. 2
    Indians open to trading Lee, Martinez
    Views
    30091
    Comments
    305
  3. 3
    Yankees chasing Cuban prospect?
    Views
    25406
    Comments
    178
  4. 4
    Celtics putting full-court press on Rasheed
    Views
    18908
    Comments
    72
  5. 5
    Marbury's Celtics run over?
    Views
    10848
    Comments
    65

Most Active Users

Comments + Blog Posts + Throwdowns

  1. 1
    Porkins: NOT BILLY MAYES!!
  2. 2
    RobertMenn: Alves Rd3 TKO
  3. 3
    Perfectpats
  4. 4
    Sassafras
  5. 5
    Oso New Jack City

Message Boards

  1. NFL > General NFL

    Steve McNair dead in apparent…
    Views
    5932
    Replies
    5
  2. NFL > Chicago Bears

    Bears ranked 14th on NFL…
    Views
    602
    Replies
    64
  3. NBA > General NBA

    Ron Artest going to Lakers!1
    Views
    146
    Replies
    14

Blogs