Yay, McCully's holiday is finally over

Few days ago I blogged in my Chinese Blog on Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade(MFAT)'s slow reaction to the Crisis in Gaza. New Zealand was like one of the very few Western countries which didn't have a offical response to the crisis there. It looked like that all MFAT people were enjoying their summer holiday and forgotten there was a war going on. Some even attributed MFAT's silence to the fact that John Key is a half Jewish, which I don't agree and many right wing bloggers fiercely attacked that suggestion.

But finally, Foreign Minister Murray McCully, issued a response today:

"New Zealand is deeply worried by the mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of the continuing Israeli ground offrensive," Mr Murray McCully said.

"We call for Israel to immediately cease military attacks and for Hamas to immediately cease rocket and mortor attacks.

"New Zealand also supports the intensive efforts of world leaders, including President Sarkozy of France, to halt the fighting.

"It is imperative both sides -- Israel and Hamas -- focus on the mounting humanitarian situation for the civilian population of Gaza.  Both sides have obligations to avoid putting civilians in danger."

Given the fact on the nature of the governing party we have, I wasn't surprised on this kind of the response at all, and I have to say, it's fairly balanced as both sides are responsible for the large amount of civilian casualties.

Emissions Trading Scheme review now calling submissions

My position on climate change is that it is happening, and it is not as some said, "just a recovery from the little ice age" - human activities are at least partially responsible. There are uncertainties on how worse it would be, but there should be no doubt that it is happening.

So I feel very unease to talk about a "balance" between combating climate change and accommodate economic growth.  Environment, the global weather system is still something that we don't fully understand how it works and when it will strike, yet it is so closely connected with  the future well beings of  mankind. Nature should be something that every one of us respect, not something that you can do "trade and exchange" or mess up with. Our survival solely depend on environment, not economic development.

For this review, any significant change that denies the existence of the climate change will send a wrong message to the world(yes, I'm talking about Rodney Hide). This looks unlikely for now, but there are still chances for surprises in the final select committee report, for example, extracted from the terms of references:

• identify the central/benchmark projections which are being used as the motivation for international agreements to combat climate change; and consider the uncertainties and risks surrounding these projections
• consider the timing of introduction of any New Zealand measures, with particular reference to the outcome of the December 2009 Copenhagen meeting, the position of the United States, and the timetable for decisions and their implementation of the Australian government

Well, what you say? The submissions close on February 13 - it's shorter than usual, but hey, at least they didn't sneak it through the system before the Christmas.

Sanlu tainted milk update

As you may know, top executives of Sanlu are currently before the court,  facing charges which the maximum punishable sentence of death.

The herald has a report on the reaction from Fonterra, New Zealand's biggest company which had 43% share of the Sanlu Company. The prosecutors of this case also disclosed more details on the case, here's my translation of  the summary, and the original is here (in Chinese).

• While sick babies appeared as early as in march last year, Chairwomen of Sanlu only learnt the problem with their product in May, and nobody knew the actual cause (melamine) . Sanlu product was sent away  for inspection on July 24. To keep the issue secret, the inspector was informed by Sanlu that the samples they received are "some raw materials".
• An emergency meeting was held on 1 August, hours after Sanlu received the report back the inspector.  Fonterra claims this is the first time that the issue has come under their attention. News from the Chinese side seems to confirm the claim, however, with one thing missing in the herald report: although Fonterra wanted a product recall, their directors "did not reject" the proposal of not to recall openly but to do it in secret.
• Chairwoman of Sanlu, Tian Wen Hua, made a report to local government a day after the emergency meeting, but had no clear response.
• First Chinese media report on the link between kidney stones and Sanlu products, published on September 9. As Herald reported earlier,   New Zealand Ambassador to China was instructed to act on the issue on September 8.

You know the rest.

I think it's becoming more and more clear that New Zealand government played a big part of making the scandal public, and NZ officials' should be praised for their effort.

However,  there's also more evidence pointing out that there was indeed a cover up at some level, possibly between Sanlu and Hebei Provincial government. And I have to say, if Fonterra really tried hard to make the recall happen as they claimed before,  there's no reason why the total public recall shouldn't happen in Augest. I'm still very suspicious of the Fonterra's involvement in the cover up.

Recession? What recession?

Just back from holiday. It went quite well, very relaxing, and the the weather seemed to be moderate than usual.

Weather was not the only thing that went well. Economy.  NZ as a whole, despite the worries,  spent more compare with the last holiday season. Even me, a typical Chinese who loves to save rather than spend, nearly exhausted my purse.

However, it doesn't mean that I and other shoppers have full confidence on the economy, instead, I feel exactly the opposite. That's why I have spent most of my money on  stocking up  clothing,  small appliances and  other stuffs I really need rather than luxuries,  so I don't need spend another cent on non-necessities until the next Christmas.

Most businesses fully realised this kind of thinking among the shoppers.  They also need  to  keep themselves alive in 2009,so there was also an urgency for them,  that they need to convert stocks to cash as soon as possible before the recession hits them hard.

It's kind of a win win situation, both shoppers got what they want in the holiday.  Actually I'm now starting to think that recession isn't that bad as I first thought - reduced price on food, oil ... nearly every thing, aren't those what we wanted a year ago? This sounds more like greedy businessmen's recession, rather than the one for the general public.

For those who are likely lost their jobs in the new year (National predicts that will be about extra 4% of the work force), a comprehensive and working social safety net is where their confidence lays.People know the state will help them if they found themselves in trouble, so when come to spending, they were less hesitated to open up the purse.

holiday season

As the Christmas and New Year fast approaching, I'm planning to take a holiday away from this blog, and possibly away from Auckland as well:), so this will be my last post in 2008.

No doubt that 2008 was a tough year, people, especially my fellow countrymen back home, they had suffered a lot - nationwide snowstorm, earthquake in Sichuan ... but as what we always say, a new year means a new start.  You cannot go back in time and change what's already happened - they are set in concrete;  but the future is always in our hands and we can do whatever we want with it, the only thing you need to do is just don't let the chance go.

Bush Senior's vice president, Dan Quayle once quoted: " The future will be better tomorrow". Sounds funny, but in principle it's actually quite right. The force that drives most of us to work hard is indeed the belief that there will be a "better tomorrow". This is also the force that drives our world to progress.

But  that kind of thinking can sometime get you into a really unhealthy loop.  You always work for tomorrow but never stops for a while and enjoy what you achieved today and in the past. So don't push yourself too hard in a new year, achieve what you can, and let others go. Whenever you feel tired, rest for a while, look back and see what you have accomplished, then you will find the power to keep yourself going.

I'll be back sometime after the new year, until then, I wish every one here to have a very happy, and safe holiday.

off topic ...

I've been blogging serious topics for too long (especially in my Chinese blog), and the atmosphere is starting to make me choke. Not that bad, but the recent topics really made me want to keep myself away from here for a bit, nobody always "on" forever.

I think its time to go off topic a bit. What I usually do in my Chinese blog is to dig up some video clips from youtube, and introduce them here. I tend to turn my attention to the ads on TV ... for no apparent reasons.

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First one is a promo from National Geographic Channel Australia. If you watch other versions of the channel, the chance is, you have never seen the following clip before as it is for the Australian version only.

This is the most beautiful, in fact, most elegant piece of art I've ever seen on all the television channels you can get in New Zealand. But sadly, as a lot of wonderful things in New Zealand, this promo is also made in Aussie.

Second one is an ad of gorilla drumming and trying to sell you ... Cadbury Chocolate.

I understand this "gorilla campaign" débuted in the United Kingdom some time in 2007, and New Zealanders saw this ad on their tellies a year later. The ad was a huge success in the UK and it was so prominent, there is even a Wikipedia article for it. In New Zealand, the ad helped the song in the ad (Phil Collins, "In the Air Tonight") re-enter the NZ singles chart and briefly reached #1.

However, I am still having difficulty of understanding how this ad is suppose to work. What's the connection between a gorilla drumming and chocolates? This ad appeared on TV many times but I still cannot recall which brand the ad is for before the brand name appears at the end.

Third one is a Kiwi classic - "we don't know how lucky we are". I doubt if there is need for me to introduce this song to New Zealand audiences.

This is a remake version as no original version is available on youtube at the moment. Sadly, again, as a lot of good things in New Zealand, they are either made in Australia, or become Australian later like John Clarke.

The last one is an example of how not to do your TV ads. It's in Chinese so I'll explain it a bit later.

If you were suspecting your computer crashed like how a video tape jams a player, you are far from alone. It's in Chinese, and there are basically three parts:

恒源祥，北京奥运会赞助商，龙龙龙！

Heng Yuan Xiang, sponsor of the Beijing Olympics, dragon dragon dragon !

First part is the brand name, second part is very self explanatory. The phrase has been repeated 12 times in the ad, and only the last part is different in every loop. Like in the example, the ad went on to read every Chinese zodiac animal three times in every 'loop". Hardly innovative, but highly annoying. When this ad first appeared on Chinese TV, most people I know got up from their couch and had a very close inspection of their TV just to make sure it is still working.

There were also people who went further and called their local TV Stations, besought the station to take off the ad. I wasn't in China at the time but I understand for the business, it was a huge campaign and the ad appeared in almost all channels.