But what really continues to pisses off is the fact that the Government strictly controls what anybody in this country can see and hear.
This is painfully felt every time when accessing the Internet.
There is a computer.
There is broadband Internet access.
And next there are all those limitations where one can go and where one cannot go.
The websites blocked by the Chinese Government are numerous and this gives a weird feeling.
Like there is a constant silent and dark presence of a power controlling.
When one has been living in societies like the European Union and the United States, one is used to live in rather total freedom.
At least the Internet is free to roam.
It is very exceptional when a website is made inaccessible or is forced to close down.
In the free societies it is also unimaginable that a documentary for TV first must be shown to the authorities who need to give permission for broadcasting.
One way to open up a closed society and lift restrictions is to have it come in contact with free countries and people propagating democracy.
Next year are the Olympic Games in China and the Games are a wonderful tool to achieve this goal.
Zhang Wei is 19 years old and works as a waiter in a coffee shop.
This coffee shop is in a big hotel where also foreigners are staying.
For the convenience of the international clientele he has adopted an English name: Bobby.
Zhang Wei had seen the story in the newspaper about the project “The most beautiful people in the world”.
He wrote an e-mail claiming he was one of the most beautiful.
The team of “The most beautiful people in the world”, together with the guest team member Thomas Sauvin, a museum curator from France based in China, met Zhang Wei in the coffee shop where he works making 110 Euros (160 $) a month.
Zhang Wei has a beautiful presence.
Still very innocent and shy but knowing what he likes and loves.
Later we went where he lives.
A neighbourhood behind the hotel of very small streets with deplorable houses.
One of those buildings was a boarding house.
In a dark room with no daylight were bunk beds.
Zhang Wei rented a bed for 16 Euros (23 $) a month.
This was his home.
He had put pictures of beautiful women next to his pillow on the wall and his small suitcase was under the bed.
Although the conditions he was living in were rather miserable, for Zhang Wei it was not a problem.
He was happy and optimistic.
Saying:
Every time when I watch fashion magazines I imagine I will look handsome in those clothes. But my personality is also beautiful. I am kind, self-confident and earnest. This comes from how my parents educated me.
Today is the birthday of Zhang Wei.
Happy birthday, Bobby!
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Copyright of the images on this posting are by Thomas Sauvin.
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1 comment:
Is that you in the pics ????
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