Saying No (the Chinese Way)

Last week, i acceded to my little girl cousins demand that I host a sleepover at my house. And so after my aunt's 50th birthday party, my cousins, all four of them aged 6-11, and I went to our house.

I thought it would be easy dealing with them or taking care of them since they were all girls. But as that night proved, I had to set some rules.

I was the ate of the night. They didn't have their yayas nor their parents to cater to their needs or demands. So, I had to be firm in saying NO when i was asked by Zam if she could play the piano even if it was already midnight. I gave the same NO to Bianca who asked if she could still use the Internet even if we were about to sleep. I said the same answer to Melonee when she asked me if we could order from Pizza Hut instead of Jollibee and McDonalds. Finally, Vina received the same NO for an answer when she asked me if she could take my yellow pig painting with her when she goes home.

But it would be sad to say if they still qualify their stay for one night at our house with all the NO answers I gave them. I believe and I assume that they enjoyed the night as much as I did. We had contests in singing; we ordered a lot of food; we took turns reading and telling creepy stories while camping indoors. And when it was time for them to go home, I gave them surprise gifts to remind them of their stay. Each got to choose from my earrings and yellow pillow collection.

It is a far-fetched idea. But this experience gave me the impetus to blog about the censorship of Internet in China.

China opened its gates to make way for the Beijing Olympics. Ultimately, its efforts prove that
if others can, China can. And so, it creates the monumental Olympic Village and caters to the
various delegates of the countries for free among others. But such grandiose party is not without limit. True enough, China opened its gates but it seeks to limit the inevitable intrusion into its internal matters.

Being the host country, China has by all means only exacting the necessary limits to its hospitality. I think it has the right to exercise its sovereignty over its territory. It has the right to impose rules to be made applicable within its jurisdiction. Given the discrepant laws governing Internet use and the various ways they are circumvented, China can legitimately and reasonably say what it did say. No to Internet Use.

Long after the Beijing Olympics should be over and even while it is being celebrated, China will continue to reap criticisms for its staunch and stern way of not acceding to the global demand. I can only admire China in not doing as told or demanded for as long as it legitimately can. But still others should remember the Beijing Olympics that it superbly hosts/ed.