Tricks to Persuade the Audience, ChinaDaily

Reading the Chinese state mouthpiece news media ChinaDaily has always been among the most unappetizing but funny. For real, the bland blue and grey sans font, the messy layout that leaves an entire right section blank (I thought you at least have the sanity to maintain your site well for oversea access instead of having the right part en blanco ey?) with China-US, China, US taking up three columns alone just shows how desperate you are. It really doesn’t make China great as well when “China” and “US” are put side by side. 

Yet today, as I finally stumped foot on a visually appealing article while reading through ChinaDaily, the extent of propaganda, ideological reinforcement and positive embellishment is quite chilly. The article “Xi’s vision of media: Responsible, innovative, global” captured my eyes, and I have to admit there is a slight hope I had there with the impossible.  The article is made of a single jpeg file that looks back on the principles with the role of media in China, established by President Xi Jinping during his visit to various flagship news outlet in February 2016. Check it out below in the slideshow.

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It thoroughly relieves me that there are Chinese graphic designers out there that understand well the principles of visual appeals and how they enhance the meaning or desirability of a text. Let’s see how much they stand.

Debunk #1 All bullshit to Look Good

Loyalty to the Party

A. It’s logical that if A is run by B, A should respect B’s will and leadership.

• Except since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, almost all media outlets in Mainland China were state-run. Even as independent outlets emerged in the 80s, state-run media outlets such as Xinhua, CCTV, and ChinaDaily continue to hold significant market share and kicking others’ butt at getting advertisement, readership and funding.
• The General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT), continue to set strict regulations on subjects considered taboo by the government. You have to be very careful writing on anything vaguely relevant to the legitimacy of the Communist Party, Tibet-and-Xinjiang-related issues (although pornography is also in there, which I think is quite funny because that only helped thriving torrents providers and Japanese economy with its booming porn industry).

I understand your urge to use the Party as much as possible. You even capitalized it. But enough is enough, and you’ve even used Party fourth, one more than the Rule of Three. I therefore strongly recommend simply stating “media outlets in China” to avoid the setback and possible confusion that there are independent free media in China.

B. Guide the Public

Nice slogan. Good use of a light bulb, appealing to the idea of enlightenment. However, how can the “enlightened” guide anyone if they are pressured to bow to ever growing governmental control over what they could do, slowly made to become mindless mouthpiece of some PARTY(I choose to further the capitalization, of course as a purpose to elevate its status and credibility).

C. Serve the Country’s Overall interests

Are you confusing “country” and “nation” and “government”? I suggest you study Political Science 101 in any university first year course again.

D. Unite the General Public

Yeah, right. Damn the enemy who are also part of the public.

Oh, I am tired with this one. Moving on and see if I’ve got any more surprise.

The Chinese Dream

“Guide” is a really modest word here to use, a brilliant tribute to the Chinese much valued virtue of modesty. You know, technically you are supposed to say “I did ok” when you are confident of getting 98%, so now you know what this “guide” mean.

“Rejuvenation of the nation”. What is that supposed to mean? Some kind of imaginary epic come-back at the west when we create a utopia of China ruling the world? Very appealing. Beautifully practical.

Public supervision here implies a paternalistic perspective of guiding the “masses” to go on the right track of opinions. Like nobody else has brains.

Positive publicity. Of course it would make sense to forcibly have Southern Weekly changing its defense of individual freedoms into a piece on the government’s achievements. By the way, I still haven’t read or studied the Chinese Constitution as a Chinese student because those rights promised won’t be put into practice anyway.

Activists, intellectuals and rights advocates are dismissed, detained, and rendered docile. Activist Liu Xiaobo imprisoned; protest artist Ai Weiwei “disappeared”, tortured and passports taken away; The “Feminist Five” detained arbitrarily for performance art protesting domestic violence; Senior editor Yu Shaolei, after nearly 16 years with at Southern Metropolis Daily, one of China’s leading commercial newspapers, decided to quit once and for all the struggle to border the boundary of free speech. Thanks to technology we have sites as freeweibo that hold information deleted due to “sensitivity” issues.

 

Connecting China and the World

I invite you to analyze this third principle in the context I have provided. Consider it a fun exercise to train the critical thinking skill that is malnourished by the lack of critical textual analysis related to “context” in our lovely educational system.

Farewell. Hope to see you at another chance of debunking, or even better, you debunking those text while you are reading them.

 

 

Czechia: Faith, Tales and a Devoted Spirit

The old tale of Prague Spring still wanders around in the hymn to the daring who walked on the edge of politics; the mass congregation in the glory of the God sung and upheld holy for long; the city that stood resolute through Thirty Year’s War, the two World Wars – all the most catastrophic; the focus of art, beauty, culture and history. Prague has started to amaze me with its complexity and appeal.

When walking on the streets, I can read the city’s history like reading a book which blends many different narrative, that altogether creates interesting effects. The oldest stories are woven into the heavy stone walls of Romanesque churches and rise to the sky with the slender pinnacles of Gothic churches. However, the diverse mosaic of Prague’s historical centre is complemented by equally valuable examples of modern architecture and designs, and a culture fascinating. 

Not So Christian, But So Christian

Founded during the Romanesque and flourishing by the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras, Prague was not only the capital of the Czech state, but also the seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and thus also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

However, strangely enough, Czech Republic was more atheist than Christian, although the more than 40% of its population, Christian, are most likely devout Catholic.

St. Ludmila, the dominant feature of Náměstí Míru (The Square of Peace)

Fortunate enough, I was able to attend a sunday Mass at Saint Vitus Cathedral with Martin’s help. Brought out in atheist society, I was not informed too much about religion. It was quite magical in that I felt I was embraced by something encompassing, not necessarily the grace of God (as I did not feel him, I must say), but a collective spiritual stream that became sublime in the process of prayer, singing, and quiet thougths that only everyone there know. Even though I don’t understand the language because the Mass was done in Latin, Dutch and Czech.

My visit coincide witht the XXXI World Youth Day Krakow 2016. In the Church, I witnesses groups of young people, devout, passionate and full of possibility, united under a common belief, and engaged in passionate singing of ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy’ (Mt 5:7), which is the theme of this year’s youth day. It was fortunate of me to see this vitality and re-evaluate the strength of a united belief and the effects it has on people and society.

Karl Marx once claimed religion “the opium of the masses”, but I had little understanding as to what it concretizes into. In this case, I wish to refrain from judgement and express my sincere gratitude to be able to be here, and to alter my mindset to observe what was deemed “divine at its very presence”. As someone raised in an atheist family, with limited exposure to Buddhist temples, it was an experience of awe, reflection, respect, and thankfulness.

After all, we all appreciate the values to do good to the world, and that should definitely be embraced.

Squares, Tales and Martyrs

 The Old Town Square of Prague is one of the most popular tourist attractions, historical heritage and popular gathering space. The square features various architectural styles including the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn, which has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century.

The clear hierarchy of male and female can be clearly seen here. The taller and bigger tower is the male, as no one would feel surprised about. However, I was “fascinated” as to how the tourists, especiallly groups, took this for granted when they were introduced of this fact, and I was not so sure if they simply took it as a historical fact of still continue to perceive the power structure in a certain way, as I saw some of them nodding with a crooky smile.

It was also a struggle between the Hussites and the Catholic. The church was occupied by the Hussites for more than two centuries. Thus, nearby in the square is a statue of the religious reformer Jan Hus, who for his beliefs was burned at the stake in Constance, this led to the Hussite Wars.

St. Ludmila, the dominant feature of Náměstí Míru (The Square of Peace)

Speaking of martys, there is another tale in about the maker of Prague Orloj, the medieval astronomical clock located on the Old Town Hall. The legend, recounted by Alois Jirásek, has it that the clockmaker Hanuš, after building the clock, was blinded on the order of the Prague Councillors so that he could not repeat his work; in turn, he disabled the clock, and no one was able to repair it for the next hundred years. However, after some research, this turned out to be a hisotorical mistake, for the clock was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel.

Some Cute Enjoyment

Top 12 Europe’s Most Impressive Metro Station

I have had the chance to bump into what is obviously a fame, the Staroměstská underground station in Prague for it was claimed to have one of the most interesting and beautiful designs.

Impressed by its distinctive dimpled metal tunnel walls, Staroměstská is the among the most visited and photographed stations.

The design runs through the subway A line in Prague, with each station a different color.

They look like something from the dystopian film “A Clockwork Orange,” but the bubble-wrap design actually strengthens the metal.

To me, this creates a dazzling effect where visual illusions seem to be applied here. When inside the train after it got started, I feel a strange sense of time traveling created by the stream of color out on the wall flowying past quicker and quicker.

This is indeed among the best visual spectacles. I would love to look into some more of these examples of great designs for public transportations or utilities.

That is Where You Feel the History

Paternoster, a name that was so foreign to be, now was brought to me, along the nolstagic feelings that it necessitates.

In Prague, škodův palác (Škoda Palace), I got to use one of these old elevators that carries with them the connotation of danger, outdated, but also history and development. The paternoster consists of a chain of open compartments that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building without stopping for passengers to step on or off at any floor they like.

The construction of new paternosters was stopped in the mid-1970s due to safety concerns, but public sentiment has kept many of the remaining examples open. By far most remaining paternosters are in Western Europe, with perhaps 230 examples in Germany, and 68 in the Czech Republic. 

First patented by British engineer Peter Hart in 1877, Paternosters were popular throughout the first half of the 20th century because they could carry more passengers than ordinary elevators. Although they are rather slow elevators, typically traveling at about 0.3 metres per second, to facilitate getting on and off successfully.

It was an experience, not big whatsoever, and “stupidly touristic” to many, but it just struck me as an example of the past – a past that after rapidly developing and trying to discard what is “outdated”, get to survive. The people played an important role in this, for sure, because it was because of a collective will to preserve that eventually saved these from demolition, although I do agree that extra safety measures should be taken to keep the passengers out of danger.

It is a reminder for us all that we do not forget where we started, while we do not let the past stop us from moving forward.

I hope in this world rapidly modernizing, that semtiment could be preserved.
As an end word, Czech Republic has just gained its new name official as “Czechia” so as to refer to it in short. In the spirit of my friend Martin, I would like to honor the decision and his preference by saying,

Czechia is a feast for me, and it is wonderous. 

 

 

Prague: Public Space, Drinking and Surprising Music

Despite the city’s fame for being a heaven for alcohol lovers – which I have no dispute on – I found something quite fascinating about how public spaces are used, and how there was a dynamic and vastly different atmosphere to an outsider like me.

Street Piano

In Prague, it is not uncommon for you to come across something like this: a lonely piano in the streets, with perfect conditions to be played and a nice little chair kindly put in the front – or course chained to the piano so you cannot take it away for sneaky reasons. It is a static beauty in the swarm of people current flushing by. Sunshine as dressing, wind as anthem, making you stop by to ponder on what it is.

 

Street Piano Installed at Faculty of Philosophy(Charles University) in Staromestska        Photo: Victoria Yaqing Yang

I was so fascinated, so are many.

Recently, a policeman in Prague played an excerpt from “Yiruma – River Flows in You”, thus bringing these street pianos into spotlight.

 

It turned out that this is a project named “Piána na ulici” (Street Pianos), initiated by a couple of enthusiasts who seek to make cities more special and lively places. There are pianos randomly placed in public areas, in perfect condition and ready to be played.

The mastermind behind the project, Ondrej Kobza, is a quirky and well known personality in the Prague underground community, as well as a popular bar owner, and he says that this project is changing the face of Prague’s social scene.

Street Piano Installed at Faculty of Philosophy(Charles University) in Staromestska        Photo: Victoria Yaqing Yang

The sound of piano interacts with the dynamic environment of the streets, and especially how it can create interesting magic effect with the traffic. I happened to walk past this man playing. I could not detect which piece of music he is playing, but it was flowing smoothly, calm but has an underlying pulse. With the people walking past him, in normal footstep, it somehow created an implicit interaction. People would unconsciously simulate their footsteps towards the one played by the music, or stop to taste the musicality, like me and Martin(friend).

This concept is increasingly gaining momentum inside Czech Republic and beyond. A similar project, or artwork Play Me, I’m Yours by British artist Luke Jerram has reached over 10 million people worldwide – more than 1,500 pianos have already been installed in over 50 cities across the globe, from London to New York, bearing the simple instruction Play Me, I’m Yours. This sort of project encourages the public to engage with, activate, and take ownership of their urban environment – which we gradually deem as not part of OUR space.

I feel awesome. It calls for us to reclaim the idea that public spaces are to be enjoyed by all, instead of a cold, senseless, dull space that people quickly pass by to head to their own home. 

Locations of Piana Na Ulici (Pianos in the Streets) in Czech Republic

 

 

Parks and Social Squad

This might not be a distinctive things to many, but for someone like me, raised in China and having vastly different experiences with parks, this is something.

In Prague, many people like to spend time in a park on the soft grass, alone but mostly with other people. Sunbathing, drinking, chatting, sleeping, picnicking, doing yoga, you name it. The parks are so well-connected with the surroundings that people can suddenly find themselves in a park, without any sort of barrier or gate, and not even a transition.

Hanging Out in a Park

It is another sign of an emphasis on making the public spaces more accessible and intimate to the people, and it worked perfectly. Between the cozy houses and historical buildings and churches, the parks provide a piece of green space, reminding us all that we are part of the nature still, that we should remain that way. In the hustle of the urban world, it is rare for me to have that feeling of being embraced.

Drinking carries on here as well. You don’t have to hide your bottles when police drop by. Carry on with having fun – or maybe invite the police for one beer ? – and as long as you clean after yourself and stay far from making troubles, you will be fine. Although I think that alcohol has made us gradually lose the ability to socialize normally and interactively without it, it nevertheless brings people good time in the park setting.

When I was lying on the soft grass and enjoying the sunshine, I wish I could lie there forever.

 

What Is China doing with Parks then?

As much as I have some personal grievances with how people in China use parks, I must say that it is an interactive environment as well, just in a different way.

1st Exercise

Parks are often used as free gym by many, that people would go to these cute facilities and get their bodies moving. I have no opinions against this, for I think it is a cheap and enjoying way of relaxation and fun.

2nd Square Dancing

You will see mass squad of people, most of them are old, dancing in parks with loud music. Parks become community space here, integrated into the daily lives of people. However, I would definitely have appreciated more if the music is not disturbingly loud or still on at 9:30 pm in the evening. That was not so nice.

3rd: Tai Ji ( or Tai Chi)

Beijing residents practice Tai Chi Chuan(Tai Ji Quan), a traditional Chinese martial art, at a park. (Photo by Andrew Wong/Getty Images)

 

It is interesting for me to cross compare how public spaces are treated and used in Prague and in China (or rather my limited knowledge of it).

After all, it is important that we do not let the concrete halls that separate the sky and view stop us from being creative, from having surprises in the most mundane of daily living. 

Music on, beer open, dance started. Hope that happens in every corner of the world.

 

 

References:

http://www.streetpianos.com/

Image Source:

Locations of Piana Na Ulici (Pianos in the Streets) in Czech Republic:  http://www.piananaulici.cz/piana-na-ulici

policeman playing: youtube

Hanging Out in a Park: Google images

 

 

The Unbearable Heaviness of Propaganda

Walking in the former Mausoleum in the place of the current National Memorial at Vítkov with the somewhat horrendous but wondrous tale of the preserved body of the dead communist president Klement Gottwald, I have come across one of the most direct experience with intense state propaganda. While it was funny to see Milan Kundera mentioned in the memorial along with other influential political leaders just because the sheer contrast in it, it nevertheless fits that the propaganda, as I am going to discuss today in this post, fits perfectly in reference to his most famous work The Unbearable Lightness of Being. 

The Ridiculously Extreme Body Preservation

First of all, a bit of context.

Klement Gottwald was the first communist Czechoslovak president and was strongly upheld as one of the forerunner to be looked toward. 

He was very close to Soviet and pursued extreme-left policy when he was still just a deputy of the Party. The policies in the early 30s were oriented against the First Republic official policy. Consequently, a warrant has been issued against him to cause him to flee to Soviet Union, where he ended up again after the Munich agreement in 1938.

Starting from 1946 when the communists won the election, he became the Prime Minister. Then there was the coup d’ etat of the 1948, the “Victorious February” when he became the President of the Republic. Of course, there followed Stalinization, collectivization of agriculture and destruction of civil society. Forced labor camps and executions of political prisoners were among the notorious things done under his government.

However, the party is willing enough to go full of propaganda, totally mindblowing to me. Apart from “normal scheme” done by all sorts of authoritarian governments when mass media is controlled, popular cultures filtered and monitored, everywhere existence of the ideological presence, the state took THIS decision.

The Communist Party decided to embalm his body and expose it to the public after the fashion of Lenin.

Chamber where the body used to be

Ok, it is not a quote of someone. However, I just thought it was really a horrifying idea – that regardless of whether the president himself wishes his body to be constantly treated, filled with special chemicals, and looked at with various emotions or feelings, it was a DECISION made and that was all it mattered – how power could be best kept in the hands of the people that were in power. 

Entry to the Underground Lab (Centre)

 

Elaborate measures were taken so the body could last long. Therefore, an underground lab was built, rooms for doctors and nurses on duty, changing rooms, a machine room, a control room, storage area and also extensive air-conditioning system keeping the body in constant temperature and preventing it from decay.

I don’t think we have even gone that far with Mao, the first leader of the Chinese Communist Party and of the People’s Republic of China. We had stopped at monuments and pictures up hanging in the Tiananmen Square. But this was just like, Wow.

Wow.

The ‘Many Life’ of Hussite Movement

The Hussites (Husité or Kališníci; “Chalice People”) were a Christian movement in the Kingdom of Bohemia following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus (c. 1369–1415), who became the best-known representative of the Bohemian Reformation and one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation against the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire.

The Hussite theme started to circulate again in Czech lands at the turn of 18th and 19th centuries. It was influenced respectively by two schools of thoughts- Enlightenment and Romanticism.

Flag of Hussite Movement

Hussites: Four Articles of Prague

Mostly, in summary, the Hussites believe in these things that are quite different (even radically) from what was preached by Catholic Church at the time:

• Freedom to preach the word of God
• Celebration of the communion under both kinds (bread and wine to priests and laity alike)
• Poverty of the clergy and expropriation of church property;
• Punishment for mortal sins i.e. the punishment of notorious sinners, among whom prostitutes are singled out for special attention

 

Habsburg ‘1st Life’ of the Movement

The state propaganda of the Habsburg Monarchy played a major role in spreading the
“legend” of Hussite warfare, using it during the wars against Napoleonic France to rouse resistance against the French armies. Personalities in the medieval movement became subjects of academic and professional interests. In particular in the romanticism, the Hussite leaders were depicted as strong and resolute personalities and freedom fighters.

Hussite Wars Depiction

‘2nd Life’: Formation of the Modern Identity of the Czech Nation

The rehabilitation of the Hussite movement came with the man named Frantisek Palacky, who reevaluated the era positively in his History of Bohemia. In the later half of the 19th century, the representations infiltrated into the popular culture and in the formation of a modern Czech identity.

It is amazing how a nation revive an ancient tale of knights and heroes, peasants taking power in their hands to fight the enemies(at which time is the Holy Roman Empire even), to construct its modern identity. A sweep of reference to the movement occurred:

• Naming of public spaces after Hussite heros
• Unveiling of the monuments dedicated to their honor
• Decorating of houses with related motifs
• Patriotic men and women dressed and adorned themselves with emblems
• Performing and public craze for theatre plays inspired by this past

These are elements that showed how much the movement, as a form of a successful propaganda that took strong hold within a nation, had started to define a country and of course, was necessarily politicized.

It was a symbol of challenge, of defiance to a subordinate group – in the original story’s case, the Catholic and the Holy Roman Empire, and in the context of the late 19th CE and the ealry 20th CE, an urgent call for independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Later on, it also evolved to become part of an ideology. The Czechslovak Church was built on Hussite tradition, supposedly served as a national alternative to Catholicism and to support state ideology, but this move might have embittered the Catholics and other groups within the diverse, at the time newly formed, Czechoslovak Republic.

‘3rd Life’ : The Selective Utilization of History

After the rise of communism within the country, the Hussite movement was explored again to support communist ideology of struggle to legitimize the new political order. Extensive campaigns were launched, in cultural activities, massive exhibitions, scientific works, arts and films, to depict the movement as predecessor of communism. Certainly the religious aspects were deliberately weakened because communism preaches atheism(or rather ‘religion is the opium for the masses’). Attention was put on warfare – as fight against both internal and external enemies. It became ironic, of course, to take a hindsight perspective on it after the fall of the authoritarian regime.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being explores the intellectual life after the invasion of Soviet Union into Czechoslovakia and three other Warsaw Pact countries – and its aftermath. It challenges Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of eternal recurrence, that each person has one life to live and one only – the lightness of being. However, the existence of propaganda persists on, shaped into different form, but follows the same principle over and over again, sometimes gradual and implicit, sometimes sudden and horrendous.

Heaviness, yeah. The universe and its events have already occurred and will recur.

You know there are places where propaganda resurrects, and it is worth rethinking.

 

 

Reference:

First-hand Experience in the National Memorial – sadly I forgot to bring SD card for my camera, so the photos are not taken by me.

Wikipedia for certain information check and reference.

National Memorial.

 

Christiania: A State within a State

A unique existence unseen in other parts of the world, a free-state proclaimed within one of the most stable states in the world, Christiania, in the borough of Christianshavn in Copenhagen, amazed me with the audacity of such an experiment, the insistence of its people and the struggle for freedom.

The area of Christiania  is a 84-acre enclave consisting of the former military barracks of Bådsmandsstræde, but the apathetic, steel-cold touch of the “forbidden military area” has been transformed into a haven of creative expression, challenge to authority and communal love and living – everything that I can associate with the hipsters.

Indeed, the founding of the Christiania, as I was told by Sofie (who brought me to Christiania) along with some pre-reading, originates as a protest against the Danish government because at the time there was a lack of affordable housing in Copenhagen. Whether the takeover of the former military barracks was contended, but it coincided with the the hippie movement, the squatter movement, collectivism and anarchism at the time in the 70s.

Burst of Freedom 

On 26 September 1971, Christiania was proclaimed open by Jacob Ludvigsen, a well-known provo and journalist who published a successful magazine called Hovedbladet (‘The main paper’). In the paper, he wrote an article about an exploration into what he termed ‘The Forbidden City of the Military’:

Christiania is the land of the settlers. It is the so far biggest opportunity to build up a society from scratch – while nevertheless still incorporating the remaining constructions. Own electricity plant, a bath-house, a giant athletics building, where all the seekers of peace could have their grand meditation – and yoga center. Halls where theater groups can feel at home. Buildings for the stoners who are too paranoid and weak to participate in the race…Yes for those who feel the beating of the pioneer heart there can be no doubt as to the purpose of Christiania. It is the part of the city which has been kept secret to us – but no more.

Ludvigsen was co-author of Christiania’s mission statement, dating from 1971, which offers the following:

The objective of Christiania is to create a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community. Our society is to be economically self-sustaining and, as such, our aspiration is to be steadfast in our conviction that psychological and physical destitution can be averted.

The sense of Christiania being a social experiment is therefore strong. It has been changing, not necessarily for the better, but the sense of it being an ideal states have been there from the very beginning. According to Tom Freston, whose article published on Vanity Fair in 2013, portrays Christiania in its early stage in 1972 as “more of a festival to me than a society”. Everything was so mesmerizing. Thousands of young Danes – feminists, anarchists, hippies, artists were turning their back on straight society and have created this idealistic world they inhabit now. When I was scrolling in the streets, hotch-potch of warehouses, huts, houses, beautifully colorful murals and grotesque sculptures captured my eyes. A front facade of a house was painted green with a peaceful-looking Buddha sitting on a lotus flower, with a man (perhaps the artist himself) sitting right below it, talking to his friend next-door. The famous Danish musician Lukas Graham was born and raised in Christiania, and I think his artistic spirit was definitely nurtured well.

Overtime, Christiania has evolved into a somewhat exclusive community because it wishes to retain the progressive, artistic characteristic it sets out with. If you wishes to live there, you can’t just buy a house or apartment and move it – you have to be recommended by a resident there. 

This might be one of the few places where rich money throwers are handicapped. 

Architecture

Christiania is full of houses built by residents themselves, entirely catering to their artistic choice. As I was walking along the twisted, somewhat unmended, trails with my friend, I have seen some of the most peculiar architectures unexpectedly.

Tiny UFO House

This tiny house situated beside a lake, with its glass windows opening up the views of the sky and the lake – something I find all Danes are very fond of. The color scheme establishes nice contrast with the surrounding, thus bringing the tiny house into prominence. A small dock outside the house for coffee and relaxing time with friend is a perfect accessory to the already brilliant design.

Tiny UFO House

When I walked past this house, I was thoroughly amazed. The person living there must be very interesting. The glass windows serves as good source of light, with the roof being a possible playground for children to use as a slide. The shape of the roof encloses the little space in the middle, bringing a sense of Danish hygge(cozziness). Privacy is paramount, as I can feel from the house. It was lucky of me because I could only see this because we accidentally found this little messy trail that led to this great view.

Tiny UFO House

This house is idiosyncratic of “modern architecture without architect”.

 

True Anarchy or No? 

As the occupation of Christiania took place, there has always been struggle between the people on this land and the government. It has also very interesting features associated.

Own Constitution, Anthem and Flag

Christiania has its own constitution called “Christiania’s Common Laws”, which are basically a collection of Dos and Don’ts.

The Do’s: “Love each other, play music, kiss, burp, feed your turtle, have babies, pick flowers, go to the toilet, have a bonfire.”

The Dont’s: “No weapons, no hard drugs, no violence, no private cars, no bikers colours, no bulletproof clothing, no sale of fireworks, no use of thunderflashes, no stolen goods.”

The 1976 protest song I kan ikke slå os ihjel (“You cannot kill us”), written by Tom Lunden of flower power rock group Bifrost, became the unofficial anthem of Christiania.

Freetown Christiania

They even have their own flag! The three dots symbolizes the three ‘i’s in the Christiania.

The free-spirited land cannot be even more quirky to me:).

Bitter Negotiation – Struggle for continuance

At the beginning, people living there refused to pay taxes. The houses were unkept, streets getting trashed more day after day. Therefore, since 1994, residents have paid taxes and fees for water, electricity, trash disposal, etc.

Another issue is land-ownership. The Danish government threatened to evict the residents there because they did not own the land they currently live on. Therefore, in June 2011, the residents of Christiania agreed (very reluctantly because Christianites opposed the idea of private property) to collectively set up a fund to formally purchase the land at below market prices.The community made its first payment in July 2012, officially becoming legal landowners. However, it is interesting to note that the land is bought as shares – which means that it is not a single individual that owned a specific piece of land but all owns all, something very much aligned with communist spirit.

A resident there explained:

We now pay double for half the freedom, considering the interest cost and increased rent. We have moved into a capitalist structure. Money talks now. It’s possible for the state to keep turning the wheel on the rent and the banks to keep making the interest higher. It will be harder and harder for older people, disabled people, to keep a home here.”“[i]f we do not keep up our payments, we have three months’ notice and the state can throw everybody out.

It is a question that has been asked for so long: to what extent should we sacrifice freedom in exchange for an umbrella protection or a conformity to the collective? It is a question to be reevaluated.

Drugs

One of the most famous ‘selling point’ of Christiania is its main drag, known as Pusher Street(named Greenlight District there), where hash and skunk weed were sold openly from permanent stands until 2004. The struggle has been very bitter because it was hard to reach a consensus on this. In the campaign against hard drugs (such as heroin), the Junk Blockade was launched by Christianites. For 40 days and nights, men, women, and children patrolled ‘The Arc of Peace’ and whenever they found junkies or pushers they gave them an ultimatum: either quit all activities with hard drugs or leave Christiania. In the end, the pushers were forced to leave, and sixty people entered drug rehabilitation. It was a huge success in the history of Christiania.

However, the Cannabis trade continues in Christiania. There has evolved a distinct way to purchase drugs secretly – for drugs are illegal in Denmark. I did not get to know such process because I had no such intent, but I could feel the vigilance in the Pusher Street when I walked past – the glances from the men and women there seemingly to inspect something. I did not acquire any photos thereof, for it is known that photo-taking devices will be forcibly taken away from tourists like me because the sensitivity of the trade.

The drug trade has been a constant political discussion in Denmark, particularly regarding Christiania. So far, as the chart below shows, the support side wins with a small margin of practicality.

Proponent	Opponent
concentrating the hash trade at one place would limit its dispersion in society	Universal principle to ban drug trade – Christiania and elsewhere
Could prevent users from switching to ‘harder drugs’	No differentiation between soft and hard drugs
Open cannabis trade was one of Copenhagen’s major tourist attractions	It scared other potential tourists away.
Even though the police have attempted to stop the drug trade, the cannabis market is still thriving in Christiania.

Indeed, as I have heard, after a violent and thorough crackdown of drug sales, with arrest of several pushers, the hash deal would restart in a few days with some different dealers selling the exact same thing. Furthermore, it is argued that the politicians always emphasize the most illegal part of the freetown (the Cannabis trade), associate it with other criminal factors such as gangsters, in order to confuse the public, blurring the basis of the free state of Christiania and thus reduce sympathy and support. I could see that Christianites reluctantly took the deal about the land purchase as said above could be a result of this.

Christiania is a fascinating wonder, and I am fortunate to have been there on July 14th, 2016. Its creativity and challenge to authority will remain a legacy of Denmark and a message that tourists like me with bring back home.

Let freedom rise!

A Spontaneous Reaction to Unperceived Ignorance

It is always paradoxical. Singularity gives prominence to plurality; loneliness contrasts togetherness;  complete isolation and forgotten-hood brings out the sense of self and awareness of what surrounds us the most.

At the edge of the world, secluded, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island lies a Pearson College that conspired with my Utopian vision of living in a wonderland where possibilities are limitless and new paths are to be explored. I am very fortunate to have been there and have been thereof grateful for its presence in my life.

The idea of “alternation” comes naturally and is not completely unexpected.

While at Pearson, one of the things I greatly appreciate is how much diversity is respected and emphasized – in other words, as for a single individual instead of a collective of student body, how an “alternate” reality is permitted and encouraged to stand strong on its own.

That put me into this never-ending mode of self-discovery and exploration – How much of myself that I have always regarded as normal is not necessarily universal? How much I have not known about the world?

It is precisely that thought, which have been wondering for quite a long time and eventually come into form of a blog. Quite shamefully, I have not yet found time to take the action until today – but it is never too late to start and carry on. It is going to be a personal dialogue when I estrange myself and create an audience (or maybe I will have an audience, if you are seeing this) to narrate my genuine thoughts.

Alternation could be many things. It will not become a personal rambling blog – I tell myself here firmly and will keep it an oath – nor a simple recording of daily consumption that would not be missed whatsoever. Alternation is a change of mindset – to document what I have witnessed from my experience, catered to my interests in art, culture, or the creative aspect of society in general. Meanwhile, I find in the recent time, with the eyes that crave for pondering, I have discovered so much more.

Whether I am physically on a foreign land, as I am right now, or mentally bumped into intriguing matters related to aesthetics, culture, society that contemplation can take place and thoughts can be rethought – alternated is an absolute result in forms of reversion or modification – I will be here.

It is only through making meaning out of what comes to us that we find the complexity of the beauty that we previously ignored.

Light’s on.