A Chinese Comedian
我叫郭德纲，
纲举目张的纲
My name is
Guo Degang
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Xiangsheng
(相声) is a
comedy style that is usually
performed by two men in the form
of humorous dialogue. It first
appeared during the Ming dynasty
(1368-1644), and flourished
around the Tianqiao area in
Beijing earlier last century.
During the late 70s and earlier
80s, it was THE most popular form
of entertainment in China. In the
recent decade or so, however,
xiangsheng has been overwhelmed
by other more visually
stimulating arts, and most
xiangsheng comedians have long
given up their profession.
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Yet amid the bleak
landscape of xiangsheng comedy, one man's
ardent devotion to this humble art never
changes. With the help of his small band,
Guo Degang kept performing xiangsheng at
Tainqiao for over ten years, sometimes
with one audience only. He was often
laughed at by other career-wise comedians
who have reinvented themselves as TV talk
show hosts or pop singers.
But Guo’s
loyalty has eventually paid off. Since
entering this year, he has gained wide
recognition and high praise. Now not only
he becomes as popular as big pop stars,
but is credited for rescuing the dying
art single-handedly. This weekend, about
40 people - among them, an 11-year old
girl and a 4-year old boy - participated
in an exam with the hope to be accepted
as his disciple.
Laughing
Buddha
A Mother and Her
Son
“世上只有妈妈好，有妈的孩子像个宝……”
"Nobody is dearer
than you own mother, she treats you
like you are a true treasure…"
This is
a son sung on Sunday by a nine-year old
boy in memory of his mother who past away
a week ago.
When his
mother learned she had bone cancer with
only 15 month to live, she began her race
with Death. Enduring severe pains, she
spent all her waking time on knitting
trousers for her son, each trouser for a
different age, from nine to 25.
The boy with
part of his trousers left by his mother
Forgot
to Learn the Basics
Public Servant
In
recent years, civil servant becomes the
most popular career choice among the
Chinese university graduates, and the
competition for a career position within
public sector is even more fiercer than
that for a seat in university. The civil
servant qualification exam held on
Saturday in Guangdong, for instance, drew
31,000 candidates competing for 788
positions, with one particular job
attracting 316 applicants, according to
the report of Jinghua Shibao.
It is
said that the competition for a position
in the central government in Beijing is
more intense still. And many students in
year one have already begun their
preparation for CSQ exams.
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