This is from an event called “Annual Radio & Television Correspondents’ Dinner.” Chinese netizens were pleasantly surprised to see Chinese comedian, Joe Wong, make an American audience burst into laughter, despite his strong Chinese accent.

Based on the 1000+ comments the video has already received, you can tell many Chinese viewers don’t understand his jokes. Fortunately, some english-speaking netizens have helped out by translating, or explaining a joke’s cultural context. After viewers finally come to understand his roast, many are compelled to laugh and feel a sense of pride that a Chinese comedian has been up at the podium at such a prestigious event to crack jokes on American politicians.

In my opionion, his sense of humor doesn’t come from his Chinese background, but rather his experiences in America. I’m not sure how well it went over with American audiences, but here’s what I say: Joe Wong for president!

Just a couple days ago, I purchased a new mobile phone — a white Sharp 9110C flip phone. It’s not as advanced as a smartphone, but it looks good and it’s practical. Why Sharp 9110C? First, I prefer Japanese style flip phones, and Sharp generally makes consistently stylish phones. So I hopped online to browse the various Sharp mobiles, and read up on user reviews. Personally, I don’t put much stock into overly multi-function phones; so long as a phone can make calls, send text messages, and have a touch of style, I’m happy. My new Sharp 9110C fits those three criteria.

Enough with the product endorsement, and back to the point: with so many cell phone options in China (real, fake, flip, smartphone, iPhone, etc.) how do youth go about picking their cell phone? I have posed three questions to seven young undergraduate students about their cell phone purchasing habits:

(1) What type of mobile phone do you prefer?

(2) What factors do you consider when purchasing a mobile phone?

(3) What are the steps when purchasing a mobile phone?

First and foremost, Chinese youth require A LOT of entertainment apps. It’s, therefore, little surprise that Smart phones like the iPhone, HTC Hero, and Nokia N97 were favorites among the students. As Leon’s post suggests, we need our apps and features to kill time, and to record and share our daily lives. It’s generally as easy as snapping a photo and uploading to social networking sites like RenRen, or micro-blogging platforms such as Sina’s twitter platform, Weibo.

Looks and style is also a crucial factor. Everyone I spoke to particularly likes iPhones and Japanese-style flip phones. For many Chinese youth, a mobile becomes an extension of their personality — a way to show the world who they are. Some youth relate to a sleek iPhone, some prefer a more ordinary phone enhanced with a multitude of dangling toys, the options are endless. Even individual toys people choose to add to their phones can tell you a lot about them.

For them, brand, function and durability are the most important considerations in choosing a mobile phone.

Online research is the first step in choosing a phone. The Chiense internet has a wealth of resources for consumers. Many people turn to website like PConline or the most popular forum for mobile devices, Symbian. Symbian’s Chinese forum is host to a very lively conversation about mobiles. If you’re brand / phone doesn’t get mentioned, or receives negative press on such forums, you’re reputation is at risk.

Despite advanced online shopping options, the respondents tended to buy their phones in retail stores. Yenan, one of the respondents, stated: “I check the popularity and user experience of the mobile that I prefer on PConline first, and then try the real phone in a retail store.” The internet is perceived as a source of information, but when buying a phone, youth seem to want to buy it form a physical location. It’s reassuring. They know what they’ll be receiving, and if they ever have an issue with their device, they know they can go back to the store.

Other demographics may have very different methodologies when choosing a phone, but for many Chinese youth, the general break down is:

1. Personal Preferences (features, apps, brand)

2. Online Research

3. In-shop testing & purchasing

With Chinese New Year’s approaching, unemployed Chinese youth are buzzing with excitement. Not only do they get treated to a delicious New Year’s meal and fireworks, they also get a generous “hong bao” (红包). Simply put, a hong bao is a red envelope filled with cash that relatives give to kids. The tradition dates back to days of old, when hong baos were believed to exorcise evil spirits in children. Today, it’s given as a present from elders wishing the best for young relatives. It’s generally given to kids when visiting family elders. Being paid to spend time with the gramps? Not bad! Parents will also leave hong baos on their children’s pillows. No matter if you’re giving or receiving, it’s a joyful occasion.

Hong baos generally contain much more money than kids are accustomed to having throughout the year. So how do kids spend their New Year’s money? Education Online held a poll asking this very question.  32% of the respondents received RMB500-1000 and 28% of them get up to 1000-2000. This is a lot of money for youngsters. How do they handle it? Data shows that 37.06% of the respondents make a compromise, allowing mom and dad to take care of part of the cash. Only 18% manage their own money, while 26% don’t have any say as to how their hong bao, money gets spent. Among those who manage their own money, they admit to spending about half on books and school supplies. Other options include toys, entertainment, clothing, courses, and even donations.

By allowing Children to manage large sums of hong bao cash, parents tend to believe that they are cultivating their child’s ability to manage their finances. However, problems arise. There even comes the news that a 17-year-old buying ketamine with his gift money. Some children still cannot totally control themselves and they will easily develop a sense of greed with lot of money. Therefore, parents have to guide their children how to deal with their pocket money. In response, The Shenyang Daily made some suggestions to parents as New Years approaches: 1. Send useful cards like library cards or gym membership card instead of real money. 2. Buy insurance for children. 3. Establish an education fund. I like toys and candy better.

The busy and fast paced lives of today’s Chinese youth means they’re looking for an easier, more convenient way to shop. If you’ve ever been to a local Carrefour after 5pm you would understand. It’s utter pandemonium. That’s what Cai Guan Jia is banking on. Chinese youth have already become accustomed to buying just about anything online. Furthermore, many are dissatisfied with take-out food and restaurant food. Others are concerned with food safety. So what do they do if they want to get convenient, fresh and high-quality organic food? The answer may soon be online shopping.

Cai Guan Jia has encountered several obstacles. First off, fresh food is different from other products whose quality can be easily standardized and identified. Consumer’s have their own preference. Therefore, the customers’satisfaction is difficult to manage. Secondly, the market is still young, the demand still small. Generally, people who buy food seldom surf online, while people who surf online seldom buy food. Yet this can change very quickly. If it’s convenient and the price is right, Chinese youth may very well turn to the ‘net to stock up their fridges. Cai Guan Jian has accepted this. Yu Tian, COO of Cai Guan Jian states, “In order to build our brand, we have prepared operate at a loss for 2 – 3 years.”