China's 干杯 culture kills policeman
Tal
December 15, 2009, 10:58 AM posted in General DiscussionIn this interesting story from the Guardian, you can read about Chen Lusheng, a Chinese cop who died "in the line of duty" and was called a "martyr".
Actually though he appears to have died due to having to drink too many toasts with local officials in Shenzhen.
It will come as no surprise to foreign China hands that this is by no means an isolated incident.
In November, a Communist Party official in eastern Anhui province died from alcohol poisoning after drinking heavily while entertaining business associates during an official banquet, the China Post reported at the time.
Two government officials in southern China died in separate incidents earlier this year after they fell into comas following official banquets that involved excessive drinking...
Chinese academics have estimated that government officials spend about 500 billion yuan ($73 billion) in public funds each year on official banquets, nearly one-third of the nation's expenses on dining out.
woshidarenhaha
December 16, 2009, 11:01 PM是吗？有几位中文很不错啊
bodawei
December 16, 2009, 02:52 AMInteresting question. Varies from industry to industry I imagine, nothing relatively 'universal' like in the West. I remember a film a few years ago (did the rounds of the film festivals) about the shocking conditions in private mining operations - someone was killed and they gave the family a (naturally) paltry sum as compensation.
It is also true that, in the West, the compensation for serious work injury is often much much higher than for death. Not many people like discussing these topics.
Tal
December 16, 2009, 03:02 AMHey bodawei, do you mean Blind Shaft? I watched that not long ago with my wife and really enjoyed it. A classic morality tale retold I thought, fantastic film-making which seemed to say a lot about life in modern China at the same time. Personally I like to know a little of the truth about 'real life'.
tvan
December 16, 2009, 03:40 AMA month ago I left a table with two business associates, one party official and six bottles of 白酒. It seemed like an awful lot to me; if its business as usual for the others I feel sorry for them.
changye
December 16, 2009, 03:57 AMI'm happy that my poor joke led to a serious discussion about labor conditions in the PRC, hehe.
bodawei
December 16, 2009, 09:21 AM@tal
That's it, Blind Shaft - maybe about four or five years old? A good one - not sure how popular it was in China but I gather you had no trouble picking it up from your local DVD vendor. (I love those ones where they wave you upstairs, behind the curtain, and you look through a pile arranged in a cardboard box. You know there has been a 'campaign' to get rid of dodgy DVDs. Actually haven't seen any evidence of these campaigns here in the past few months.)
BTW, glad to see that you're feeling better.
bodawei
December 16, 2009, 09:22 AM@tvan
I hope it was cheap 白酒, like the stuff in plastic flagons for about US$1?
tvan
December 15, 2009, 09:05 PMIs there such a thing as workers comp in China?
bababardwan
December 16, 2009, 11:06 AMtal,
Also very glad to see you're well mate :) Well this is something rare..to correct something you've written in English,even be it Aussie,but you can't quite put it like that:
a rough patch of crook
..you'd have to say ..of feeling crook or of being crook
[just like you couldn't say a rough patch of sick...it'd have to be sickness or illness or feeling sick...I can't recall anyone ever using crookness...perhaps you could but it wouldn't have the same ring to it or sound as natural].Anyhow,you're back in fine form so Jiayou mate. :)
Tal
December 16, 2009, 11:12 AMbaba, having my English put right by you feels so cool! Well, now I've learned something! In all honesty I'd never heard the term before you used it with me, (in fact I was a bit puzzled at first!) Cheers bro!
Right now I'd have to say I'm 还可以 I guess, fine form awaits! 苦尽甘来！
bababardwan
December 16, 2009, 11:35 AMhehe,great use of 苦尽甘来 tal.Isn't this like yin and yang?..opposing forces.Anyhow hopefully the contrast against the 苦尽 will make the 甘来 even sweeter.
Tal
December 16, 2009, 12:25 PM哈哈！那倒是，我希望如此！
woshidarenhaha
December 16, 2009, 12:50 PM楼上那位中国人？
zhenlijiang
December 16, 2009, 04:32 PMwoshidarenhaha, 你楼上没有中国人。只有美国的、英国的、澳洲的、还有日本的朋友们。
Tal
December 16, 2009, 10:36 AM@bodawei
Actually I did hear it had been banned in China, but I'm not certain about that. I downloaded it using a P2P file sharing program after seeing it recommended online. There are many films I want to see I can never find in the shops here, I'll have to ask to see the cardboard box selection next time!
Thanks for the good wish! I had a rough patch of crook, (an Aussie term right? I learned it from baba,) but I'm in the clear now I reckon.
changye
December 15, 2009, 12:12 PMCan they apply for workers compensation benefits?