Comments on: on Chinese addresses and what a township is http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/12/05/on-chinese-addresses-and-what-a-township-is/ An exploration of virtual experiences and environments in and about China. Mon, 21 May 2012 16:12:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Du Yisa http://www.virtual-china.org/2006/12/05/on-chinese-addresses-and-what-a-township-is/#comment-542 Du Yisa Fri, 08 Dec 2006 03:32:45 +0000 http://207.47.0.153/?p=443#comment-542 Yes, MaryAnn's blog is something special: it is both palpably personal and rigorously academic. Together, these qualities express the depth of her commitment to her environment. Rather than attempt to present a purely academic analysis, she invites readers to share in her interests. As a reader, I might not be predisposed to care about a particular topic that she chooses to discuss in some detail. By including herself in her analyses, she helps the reader recognize the personal effects of one's environment and its changes, on many different levels. In the film Drowning by Numbers by Peter Greenaway, there is a child who likes to do things like count all the hairs on a dog, or leaves on a tree. What is the purpose of this kind of knowledge? What difference does it make? MaryAnn's blog is precisely about how changes make a difference. Although it can be rather detailed, it is never merely a collection of details; rather, it attempts a clearsighted description of effects and their context - for herself, for the many residents of Shenzhen, for the reader. I personally feel very lucky she is in this city. She has helped me understand it better, on more than one occasion. PRC, Guangdong, Shenzhen Yes, MaryAnn’s blog is something special: it is both palpably personal and rigorously academic. Together, these qualities express the depth of her commitment to her environment. Rather than attempt to present a purely academic analysis, she invites readers to share in her interests. As a reader, I might not be predisposed to care about a particular topic that she chooses to discuss in some detail. By including herself in her analyses, she helps the reader recognize the personal effects of one’s environment and its changes, on many different levels.

In the film Drowning by Numbers by Peter Greenaway, there is a child who likes to do things like count all the hairs on a dog, or leaves on a tree. What is the purpose of this kind of knowledge? What difference does it make?

MaryAnn’s blog is precisely about how changes make a difference. Although it can be rather detailed, it is never merely a collection of details; rather, it attempts a clearsighted description of effects and their context - for herself, for the many residents of Shenzhen, for the reader. I personally feel very lucky she is in this city. She has helped me understand it better, on more than one occasion.

PRC, Guangdong, Shenzhen

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