Xinophobia

…to stop undesirables from accessing the internet is to provide sporadic and unstable internet service.

This situation is likely to continue for another 48 hours. I’ll try to stock up on posts. I’m actually about five days behind on posts. Coincidentally, I also get about five hours of sleep every night.

The day started out with a good bit of Internet browsing. I admit: it is really difficult to go more than 12 hours without checking online. The ADSL so popular in China is not bad. Slower than Comcast’s Craptastic Cable but at a great price differential (adjusted for forex rates, etc.). And I like logging in. It makes me feel like I’m back in those golden days of 14.4k.

Alimusi and I went out for a bit of shopping and lunch. The subway system in Beijing is a joy during offpeak hours. The station names are wonderfully descriptive: “The Tomb of the Princess” (pictured), “Five Pines” and “Mountain of Eight Treasures” just to name a few.

For your safety, you are politely asked to please refrain from bleeding on the train.

There are some hardworking people riding the subway. In fact, the majority of people in China will work as hard as this man. He is shouldering a plastic sack that is probably as big as him. In his free hand, he is holding a bucket of something. Probably a heavy something. In front of him is a woman maybe three-quarters his size with two giant sacks slung on two poles that she is carrying on her shoulders.

I am reasonably strong guy. I would not last half a day doing their job. So remember this the next time you hear popular media bitching about how “The Chinese” are stealing jobs, etc. Chinese people do not steal your jobs, throw them into a sack and then run off laughing into the night. This is pure, honest hard work from someone willing to put in the effort. This person has no medical, no 401(k), no vacation days. They are lucky to have enough strength of body or will each day to earn a subsistence wage.

Their efforts then go into stocking these neat little underground malls.

Surface malls tend to want you to go up. This particular shopping center is entirely dedicated to electronics. Here, I bought a fairly priced authentic Sony MS Pro Duo and a neat little webcam. Super cheap knock-offs are available for those who want to test their luck. 8GB MS Pro Duo for $40, anybody?

We made a quick stop at the bank to convert some foreign dollars to RMB. This young lady not only wished to assist you but she wore a sash to that effect.

Flush with several thousand RMB, I told Alimusi to choose anything he wanted from the picture menu at the Byone restaurant. Yes, even ice cream. Every restaurant so far has had large print, hardcover, glossy picture menus. No, not just for us. For everybody. These guys are not kidding either. WYSIWYG. The menu had a picture of lamb chops with star-shaped carrots on the side. I could have very well taken a picture of my order as delivered and put it into the menu.

After lunch, we visited the most esteemed Peking University. There could be an opportunity for me to do a dual degree here. Certain complicating factors stand in the way but those are for another post.

The West Gate at was packed full of students, friends and family. It was graduation day!

Some of the active buildings at BU have been around for a long time. There is a unique attraction to having class in a building with this much character and history.

The campus was gorgeous even on such a hazy day. It is carved out of a large park system hence the lake and the stone boat. The pagoda is unfortunately no longer used but very imposing nonetheless.

Unused parts of the campus are reclaimed very quickly. This is a shot from the courtyard of the surrounding buildings which have not been used in three summers.

Alimusi and I took some downtime before rolling out for a light meal and another trip back to the airport. We were going to pick up the last cousin to fly in and complete the group. Exciting times ahead!

Porridge: mostly water with a bit of grain, vegetables and meat but a fine late night (22:00) meal.

Those who know me know that I am not an avid shopper by far. There are few exceptions but in general, I won’t buy stuff that I don’t need. I do not need this entire menu. But ordering one of everything would cost me $5USD. It took great effort to avoid buying food for a week.

One last tidbit from Beijing Capital International Airport: the most advanced hand dryer in the world.

Apparently, blue hands are placed inside where they are bombarded with anti-bluons. The owner then removes his or her hands and becomes the happiest person in the world.

What is it about blue LEDs that they can instantly grant a Cool +2 to any object?

Some things are well worth it.

Like a $1600 plane ticket that you were overcharged on with no recourse. Thanks, Continental!

And a three hour delay in Newark. Thanks again, Continental!

And a cramped, noisy ride for 13 hours. *cough* Continental *cough* On a plane where the entertainment system was malfunctioning. I have never seen a dozen reboots of a custom RedHat build in so short a time. Continental.

But I got to Beijing. Where an entire terminal full of passengers was squeezed through a single checkpoint. Nothing to declare? Too bad.

As I waited, I had ample time to notice some interesting things.

1) Deer Airlines – because deer are known for their flying prowess
2) Only women’s restrooms have baby changing areas – is this because men can change babies without the need for a table or because single dads are just out of luck?
3) Graphical explanations of prohibited and declarable items – It was a good try. But one of the declarable items is a pair of lungs. Among the prohibited items appears to be a factory. A ban on sweatshops, perhaps?

As I left with Alimusi on an “invigorating” ride back to the city, I saw that my countrymen have spared no expense to remind you that “YES. YOU ARE IN CHINA.” Check out this toll plaza, for example.

We went to dinner at a super nice restaurant. The food was excellent but what really surprised me was how attentive the servers were. We were seated in the main dining room and there were two waitresses standing behind our table. At all times. It was somewhat disconcerting to be honest. I had a hard time taking pictures. Nevertheless, they were quite good at their job and very enthusiastic. Strange when we fault people for being too good. I would say that the overall quality of service in China is far superior to that of the United States for the types of restaurants I go to.

I would state for the record that Alimusi is a “Nice Guy.” So is his family for that matter. And quite appropriately he has a “Nice Ass Apartment.”

(Here is the view towards the courtyard and the other buildings. Very Blade Runner, I thought.)

It’s very different from what I’m used to. It feels like home.

(quick update, full post to follow…)

Sites that are accessible:

- Gmail over 128bit SSL

- International Google

- myspace.com (not confirmed entirely accessible)

- facebook.com (ssl login okay)

Domains not accessible:

- wordpress.com

- livejournal.com

- meetup.com

- bbc.co.uk

Tools used:

- Vidalia (Tor) and privoxy

- open proxies from proxy.org

Success on all blocked sites with the above combination.

It took a LONG time to grab the list of relays in the Tor network. Given how few entry points there were, I suspect that most of the entry points are blocked. Tor has to find at least one open entry, pull an updated list of relays and then try to build a connection. I would not rely upon this method in the long term. Sad, but true.

Note on open proxies: use as much caution as you would any unfamiliar website. Many open proxies are heavily polluted with ads, pop-ups and worse. Proxies based out of your country may be your best bet.

(The next update may take a while. I only slept 3 hours before my flight and am experiencing just a touch more jetlag than expected. Crashing in 3…2…1…)

On the other side of the world…

…there is a Great Firewall looming over the webscape. Like any good defensive wall it keeps out invaders. Yet, the oft unnoticed aspect of walls is perhaps just as important. It keeps people in. Whether the wall is cyber or physical, it sends a not-so-subtle message that “We are all you should be interested in. There is nothing out there that a right-thinking person would want to see.”

Let me point out that this is true to some degree everywhere. Some methods are explicit. Others are far more insidious – a subtle manipulation of reality. But this is a topic for another time.

Like the typical wrong-thinking person, I have become accustomed to my free access to the Internet. Being unwilling to give it up, I have prepared for a small scale inspection of this Wall with just a touch of breaching as required.

First would be a survey of what is actually allowed and prohibited. The easy way is to hit the hotspots: wikipedia, major news sites, blog hosting sites, etc.

Next step is to examine what tools remain accessible. Are open proxies still available? How about the Tor network? One can quickly get a feel for if/what kind of crackdown has been made. The availability of some kind of open access, even sporadic, would have a huge impact on the success of breakout attempts. Open access means a chance to download new tools, refresh lists of proxies, exchange information and in short, buy oneself a little more time.

Finally, I will examine what methods are required to reach the blocked content. Personally, I suspect that one method will work for everything but there are inherent risks in being a one-trick pony. The sentries, though lumbering, are always moving. Sitting still is one of the best ways to find yourself locked down. Without outside assistance, it could be very difficult to break free again.

Reports on the above are forthcoming over the next week. Silence on the wire would suggest a much stronger adversary than I had anticipated.

To leave you with a bit of concrete information, I present the following tips on finding power outlets at airports.

1) Endeavor to fly through good airports and on good airlines. The Southwest terminal in Austin-Bergstrom has laptop bars setup with stools and a raised counter with two outlets per person. Good for your cell phone, too! The Continental terminal at Newark International actually has most outlets covered up with metal plates. Which leads me to number two.

2) Look around you for electronic devices. TVs, speakers, lighted signs, etc. all require power. If they’re going to wire those signs, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to place an outlet on the floor or wall. Electric cart parking/recharging areas by definition have power. Construction vehicles used indoors are usually electric. Discovering where they charge is akin to finding the lair of a dragon.

3) Wander into an empty part of the terminal and look for others with electronics. These people may have done the work for you.

4) Check near pillars and other structural supports.. An unadorned pillar may have surveillance or NBC detection equipment inside. Water fountains also require beaucoup electricity.

5) If your desperate, check behind the ticket counters at unused gates. Just be aware that security may not be happy to find you back there.

6) Another last-ditch power source can be found in restrooms. Some models of automatic sinks plug into the wall. Of course, this depends on the type of sink and layout of the bathroom. This is option is wet, conspicuous and difficult to explain.

7) Use your imagination! Observe your environment carefully and take nothing for granted. Even if you have to stand in the middle of the floor and strike a pose while you text.