oooo hubub

Unlike a lot of people I actually like routine. I refer to it as a 'groove'.

On weekdays, I get a coffee from KFC and what I believe is called a jian bing guo zi. It's a crepe with fried egg and scallions wrapped aournd what is essentially a savory doughnut. Then I plan my classes.

But, over the last few days, my routine has been forced to include a daily gawk at the large group of protestors in front of the Shengli building.

I'm still not really sure what the protestors are all about. I've heard three different versions:

1. The oil company wants to move the workers out even further into the boondocks.
2. The oil company wants to take away their hospital. (Chinglish for health benefits?)
3. The oil company president has absconded with their health insurance money.

In related news I learned a Chinese word for embezzle. Then I forgot it. I think it’s tan1 wu.

The protest looked pretty tame. There was yelling through loudspeakers and sign-waving and all the good stuff of protest. Plus they were effectively shutting down the main road. But sources say that it got out of hand and cop was handed a bit of a beat down at one point.

I must say I was surprised to hear that. There were cops hanging around the protestors, but they didn't seem all that antagonistic. The cops are paid by the party and this is an oil company problem. They seemed to be operating under the theory of "give em some room."

The cops present consisted of a pair in jeep rooting around for a lost bag of potato chips and a lady cop in military fatigues wearing sparkly makeup, idly chatting on her cell phone. It didn't look like the Chinese Pullman riots were about to break out.

I am impressed. Chinese people all seem overly differential to their bosses. I'm glad that they are willing to throw a three day shit-fit if certain lines are crossed. Even if I'm not all that sure what those lines are.