You can’t fauc-et

It’s been fascinating to vicariously watch the US primaries from a country where, how shall I put it, the media isn’t as exuberant about discussing candidates’ political platforms and poll results.  Or their hair styles.

I have no interest in being a commentator on China’s political system, especially not on a blog.  But there was a great real life situation I came across a while ago that serves as an illuminating metaphor for how China’s one party state works:

So I’m at my friend’s apartment in Beijing, where another guest is washing the dishes for the first time in the sink.

“How do you turn on the hot water?” the guest asks the host.

“There’s just one knob,” the host replies. “Sometimes the water is hot.”

“So how do you wash the dishes when the water is cold?” the guest responds, perplexed.

The host pauses thoughtfully and then replies, “Yeah, I never thought about that.  My aiyi (housemaid) washes them somehow.”

Counting down to Super Tuesday,
Liz