Joseph O’Neill does not like pickles on his burgers. Or onions. He is indifferent to the choice of beverages, but his ears prick when lemonade is spotted. He notes the happy accompaniment of fries with the burger, popping the slender brown ribbons into his mouth between sentences. All in all, it is a pleasure to have lunch with Joseph O’Neill.
Author Archives: Caroline M Cooper
George Packer’s Betrayed
“Everything was shocking, everything was new,” says Adnan, an Iraqi translator working for the Americans in George Packer’s first-time play Betrayed. “But that was before.” Via Janera, read more
Belly of the Beast
In December 2007, the UN convened an international conference on climate change in Bali, Indonesia. Buffets were pillaged, publications were distributed, speeches were made and then everyone went home. Talking about what the UN talks about when it talks about talking about talk that is ultimately talk about talk that could be talk about climate change. Via Tank Magazine, read more
Heartbreak Tempura
Quick trip to Tokyo to get your heart broken into a hundred zillion teeny tiny pieces? Oh goodie, me too. Wandering aimlessly among shrines and shops, quietly sobbing? Check. But you have to keep your strength up so let’s “report” tempura. Oh yes, let’s. Via the Wall St Journal Asia, read more
Greetings, Mongolian Hot Pot
Once upon a live-long heave-ho things were in better shape out Beijing way. Air you could (mostly) breathe, food you could (mostly) eat. It was nice. They sure know how to fire up the coal in winter, *cough cough*, so tell yourself you’re still young and go eat Mongolian hot pot. Via the Wall St Journal Asia, read more
Singing in the (Chinese) Rain
Why not stroll down the street in China and pay more attention to the music all around you? Why not interview some of those folk? Why not then produce it as best you can from your beat up yet still overpriced Beijing apartment while you quietly panic about the price of noodles? Why not overcome your panic and celebrate early efforts, all earnest interests, in this cruel, hardboiled world? Another Radio Magnetic audio postcard.
Nom, Nom, Nom, Nom: Singapore
It was crisp, crunchy and came with a small dish of chili dipping sauce. Via That’s Beijing, read more
The Party Spirit
The Tan General Store, situated 50 meters from Mao’s second home along the Jinggangshan Trail, sells dried fruit, beer, sewing supplies, cooking oil, fuel and revolutionary paperweights. Via The South China Morning Post, read more
China’s Red Tourism
China: a capitalist country flying the communist flag. Red monuments and memorabilia: could be a good dime in that. So come along to Jinggangshan and other hotspots of revolutionary fervor where reform-era tourists are paying serious yuan to wear and stare at Red Army gear. Via Asia and Away, read more
“This is Our Way In”
Masters thesis turned academic journal article, read on for how China’s grassroots environmental organizations of the early ’00s explored new parameters and directions for broader social action. Could be useful reading for those comparing the current context, now ten years on. Via Government and Opposition, read more
Caroline M Cooper 