Last Chinees soldier who fought WWII in Europe passed away

The last remaining Chinese soldier who fought World War II in Europe for the libeartion of France passed away this month. He was 91 year of age.

Huang Tingxin, who in 1944 shortly after D-Day, was in a battalion of Allied troops that took part in the invasion of the occupied southern part of France.

Huang was in 1942 one of the 24 Chinese officers that was sent to Great-Britain to continue his military education and later served with the Allies. In 2006 he received the highest French decoration, the Legion of Honour, for his service during the war. He dedicated his decoration to his former brothers in arms.

During the Second World War, nationalistic China had close ties with Nazi-Germany, but China fought against Japanese aggression together with the Allies. While the Japanese sided with Germany and Italy. Only a very small number of Chinese fought on the European front.

bron: www.volkskrant.nl [18-11-2009]

BMW China sales in October up 81% to 9,558 cars

Shanghai, November 10 (Gasgoo.com) BMW AG, the world’s largest maker of luxury cars, said yesterday that it sold 9,558 BMW and Mini-branded cars in China last month, up 81% from a year earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported.

BMW saw its China sales in the first ten months rise 36.7% to 71,952 units, the German automaker said in a statement. By the end of September, China had overtaken Italy as the fourth-largest market for BMW after Germany, the U.S. and the UK.

Also yesterday BMW said that its global sales were up 2% year on year in October to 115,252 cars, driven by robust demand in China, India and Brazil, three booming markets where this year to date BMW has exceeded the sales it achieved in the full year of 2008.

 

[The new BMW 5-series]

BMW operates a Chinese venture with Brilliance China — BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd, which produces BMW 3 series and 5 series models at a plant in northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, Liaoning province.

China’s passenger car sales surged 79.6% year on year to 923,154 units last month, boosted by the government’s tax cuts and strong sales during the National Day holiday week (Oct. 1-8), an industry association said.

bron:
Gasgoo: auto parts source

Cat banned from visiting Buddhist inmate

A Buddhist bank robber has been refused permission for his cat to visit him in jail – even though he says it’s the reincarnation of his mum.

Peter Keonig, 46, is serving five-years for armed robberies in Whirl, Germany, reports the Daily Telegraph. He went to court to demand the right for his cat Gisela to be allowed to visit him in jail “because she is my dead mum”. Buddhists believe that people come back as other animals after death.

He said: “I know it is mummy. She looks after me just the way she did. I need to see her like other prisoners see their wives and children.”

The court ruling said: “While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected.”

The court did say he would be allowed to write to the cat.

bron: www.ananova.com

Doctor weds dowdy girl then builds himself his ideal wife

A PLASTIC surgeon has told how he chose a dowdy girl as his bride – so he could sculpt her into his ideal wife.

Reza Vossough hated 33-year-old Cany’s body, but they tied the knot anyway after he spotted her “potential”.

He performed EIGHT operations to change her chest, thighs, eyes and face. Vossough spent five years pumping 1,600g of silicone into her body, boosting her size A chest to a giant F cup.

He also enhanced her lips, lifted her eyelids and de-creased her forehead.

The former waitress also had nip-and-tuck ops to her bum, tummy and thighs and countless Botox injections.

[Cany ... in 2005]

Only AFTER £18,000 of cosmetic surgery did Reza, 48, fall in love with her.

[Cany after eight ops with her man-made curves. Cany's cup size boosted from A to F]

But busty Cany, now a model, is thrilled with her new image. She said: “When your husband is a plastic surgeon, then the scalpel is your friend.” Reza, who operates on 1,200 patients a year at his Berlin clinic, said of his skills: “It’s almost like being God – you have the ability to change nature.

“When I first met Cany, she had physical deficiencies, but I could see there was something there. She had big hips and big thighs, so we made corrections, then did a little bit more. “On the operating table her face is covered, so she’s anonymous like any patient. I was interested in working on her. It’s better than nature could do.”

Since her hubby’s last op, Cany has had a secret fourth boob job. But Reza has not ruled out MORE work – saying: “There may be some more in the future, like a facelift, but not yet.”

But Reza is wise enough to admit that he’s not perfect himself.

He said: “I inherited a big nose from my dad, so my business partner made me a new one. And I have Botox too.”

bron: www.thesun.co.uk

Robbing Chinese has been a common thing for over 100 years

We of Wocview, do like to expand our knowledge about history, and especially about history of Asians/Chinese in the west. And it seems like robbing/humiliating/downplaying Chinese (and other Asians) has been a common thing for over 100 years. Regular viewers of Wocview know that we have this category called “Specific Intent” at which all these related articles/stories are bundled and publicized. In this case we found an article from The New York Times dating back to 1886:

Just for the global impression; we as globally orientated young men get the impression that racially motivated crimes targetted towards Asians/Chinese have been, and are still very present in present day America. In Canada there is more a notion of equality and a relaxed attitude towards Asians/Chinese, but they are still burdened with heavy stereotypes. Both young countries, both English speaking, yet both seem to have different attitudes towards Asians/Chinese.

In England (another English speaking country), we get the notion that a lot has been improved, and the overall score of England concerning attitudes towards Asians/Chinese is pretty good. (Asians in England are the Pakistani and Indians, East-Asians are Chinese, Japanese, Koreans or Vietnamese). In France (a French speaking country), we get the impression that Asians/Chinese are pretty well accepted. They even appear occaisionally on billboards as fashion models. And France already had a long history with Indo-China (current Vietnam). Italy and Spain, share about the same attitude towards Asians/Chinese, they are overall pretty relaxed do have some mild stereotyping, but Asians/Chinese are being envied/disliked for their diligence and work mentality, especially when Asians/Chinese tend to take over certain parts like the clothing business. In Holland (a Dutch speaking country) Asians appear to be normally accepted, but there is a lot of cleverly disguised racism, and in that sense they share the same kind of heavy stereotying as in America. Like the downplaying of Asians/Chinese happens a lot, but it is hidden in jokes/attitudes/behaviour-towards/media/conversational approaches. In Germany, a country with a lot of traditions, Asians/Chinese seem to blend in normally.

Now, the list here above does include opinions from women, BUT Asian/Chinese women have a much easier time being accepted than Asian/Chinese men. One of our Wocview writers has been cited in a scientific research for the next questions:

Ask any caucasian women: Name 3 hot White males. Name 3 hot Black males. Name 3 hot Chinese males. (The first question is easy, and to almost the same degree the second question is as well. The last question is almost impossible to answer for any caucasian women, while Chinese do form about 1/5 of the entire world population)

bron: www.nytimes.com, Wocview

Chow dances with strangers

International superstar Chow Yun-fat’s next film will be a Spanish-American-German-Chinese collaboration, reports entertainment news website Screendaily.com.

[(simp周润发trad周潤發) Chow Yun-fat’s latest film will be a collaboration between four countries.]

The US$15 million (RM51 million) ‘Dancing with Strangers’ is about a Broadway dancer who returns to Germany and China to find his roots. To be produced by Barcelona-based Zip Films, shooting is scheduled to start in autumn next year.

bron: www.nst.com.my [12-10-2009]

Nazi gnomes court controversy

An artist has caused controversy in Germany (德国) by staging an exhibition of garden gnomes giving Nazi salutes.

Ottmar Horl has crafted 1,250 of the plastic dwarfs and will parade them in military formation in Straubing, Bavaria, the heartland of Hitler’s war-time support.

Horl, 49, says the display shows the “symptoms of a political disease”. He managed to get around strict anti-Nazi legislation in Germany by saying the gnomes are a satire on Hitler. However, locals have dubbed the models the devil’s dwarves.

Garden gnomes remain a firm favourites in Germany despite falling out of fashion in Holland and Britain. Experts estimate the gnome population is at 25 million. But there is a growing trend towards gnomes who make obscene gestures, commit suicide or engage in sexual activity, and courts have ordered figures to be removed if they offend neighbours.

bron: www.ananova.com

Vice President Xi Jinping to visit Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania and attend Europalia Chinese Art Festival and China’s Guest-of-Honor Activities in Frankfurt Book Fair

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu announces:

At the invitation of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, leader of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin, Hungarian President László Sólyom and Romanian President Traian Băsescu, Vice President Xi Jinping will pay official visits to the above five countries from October 7 to 21. Vice President Xi will attend the Europalia Chinese Art Festival at the invitation of King of the Belgians Albert II during his visit to Belgium and attend China’s Guest-of-Honor activities in Frankfurt Book Fair during his visit to Germany.

bron: www.fmprc.gov.cn

Unsatisfied customer robbes prostitute

Unsatisfied customer robbes prostitute.

A German customer had much higher expectations of his visit to a prostitute in Aken (Germany). He was extremely unsatisfied. He did pay thirty euro but also complained about the delivered service, but eventually got mad and struck the prostitute. Then he grabbed his money and started running. The police have started a manhunt but the unsatisfied man is yet to be found.

bron: www.hln.be (hlnsydney)

How can a woman love the man who killed her daughter?

A mother has married the man who was convicted of torturing her daughter to death

Andreas B. (41), a policeman, was found guilty of beating little Leonie († 4) to death two years ago.

But the youngster’s mum Miriam B. (32) married the killer on Monday while he was on remand in prison in the German state of Lower Saxony.

It was a relatively normal scene – the couple were reportedly caressing and holding each other during the ceremony.

After the horror of her daughter’s death, it is unimaginable how the mother could decide to marry the man convicted of killing her – but now the couple can saunter off to the trial hand in hand.

How can a woman love a man who killed her daughter?

Andreas B. was charged with inflicting serious injury resulting in death. On November 26 2007, Leonie suffered haemorrhaging in the brain and bruises were found covering her body.

Police reports stated: “The force of the blow to the child’s head ripped her jaw muscle. Five days later the child was badly shaken, which caused the fatal injuries.”

The first trial sent the would-be stepfather to prison for seven-and-a-half-years, with the judge describing the crime as “absolutely callous”.

But Miriam B. stayed by his side.

Together, the couple are seeking to a lighter sentence with a new trial.

The accused denied the charges during the appeal.

And his new wife did not speak, sitting in the back of the courtroom just like a mere onlooker.

In the meantime, the public prosecutor’s office has charged her with unsworn false testimony and a failure to render assistance.

bron: www.bild.de [23-9-2009]