Call me crazy – I’ve had my money on Sanger’s #3 option almost from the day I started working on North Korean issues – but Beijing is hemorrhaging credibility, and we have the current Cheonan-related tension on the Korean peninsula to thank for that.

China, which is North Korea’s biggest trade partner and which fought alongside the North in 1950-53 Korea War, has declined to publicly join international condemnation of Pyongyang, saying it is still assessing the evidence.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao kept to that stance at the two-day summit in Seogwipo, a honeymoon resort on South Korea’s Jeju island, which was originally meant to focus on regional economic integration.

“The pressing task now is to respond appropriately to the serious effects of the Cheonan incident, to steadily reduce tensions, and especially to avoid a clash,” Wen said, standing next to Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the end of the summit.

Wen did not mention North Korea by name, nor did he give any firm indication that China would accept any U.N. Security Council effort to condemn or sanction the North.

The Lee administration is trying to spin PRC Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s remarks, “…that while China took a half-step forward last time at the South Korea-China summit on Friday, it has now moved a full step closer.” Don’t grovel, President Lee!

WaPo has taken a tough line on Beijing.

In the short term China’s behavior has benefited the United States. Watching Beijing defend the indefensible probably helped the Japanese government settle a dispute with the Obama administration over a U.S. base on Okinawa. It has shown South Koreans as well as people throughout Asia why the United States remains an indispensable guarantor of security in the region.

Still, an end to the crisis between the Koreas will require a more responsible approach by China. Abstaining from a Security Council resolution is not enough; Beijing must act decisively to restrain Mr. Kim from further provocations. The events of the past week are a sign that China cannot prop up a criminal client state and also be regarded as benign in its growing power. Sooner rather than later, it will have a choice to make.

So, I’m liking my chances. As long as there’s no coup in Pyongyang, let Beijing bleed.

From my last two blogs here and here it very much looked like I was blowing my own trumpet about India. But that was not my intention when I set out to create this blog. My intention being to help, I feel every visitor should get some valuable information from my blog. So here are a few pointers to help you improve your command over English language.

1. Read. As much as you can. Newspaper, Magazines, Books, Novels, Manuals, Guides, Blogs, Screenplays, Comics, Website Articles. Anything and everything which is printed or published online. Reading will help you in many ways unimaginable. Always carry some book with you so that you can read while travelling in a subway or bus and waiting for someone in a bank or cafe.

2. Movies. Watch it with English subtitles. If you find it difficult to follow the accent and language of native speakers. DVDs with English subtitles are easily available. Over a period of time you will be able to switch off the subtitles and follow the movie on your own. For downloaded movies the subtitles can be downloaded separately. There are sites available online from where you get can download subtitles in English for all the movies. You need to search for it in Google.

3. Music. Listen to songs. Search and download the lyrics of your favorite songs (same as subtitles above). And have a karaoke  sessions of your own.

4. Write. About what you feel. Maintain a diary if you can. Or write a blog. Writing is a very good exercise. If you set out to write regularly then words will come automatically to you. And if you are not sure of a particular phrase or word, then you can check it on Google for its meaning or synonym.  Use tools like Microsoft Word as it has utilities like spell check and grammar check to rectify your mistakes before you publish. And if you find it hard to think of a word while writing then use your electronic dictionary. This way you will not forget what you write and you will be less likely to make mistakes while writing.

5.  Hobby. Develop new hobby and read books or articles online to help you with the hobby as well as the language. Or join a community that interests your hobby so that you can discuss things or write articles to share you knowledge.

6. Make Pen Pals.  That will reinforce you to write. You can make pen pals with guys who share similar hobbies or like similar books and movies as you. So you will have a lot to discuss in English.

7. Sitcoms. Are more verbose as compared to movies. Sometimes movies often follow silent treatment and the dialog are less as compared to a sitcom. Also because of the plot the Sitcom can keep you glued and very much into the flow of learning English.

8.  Career Oriented Books. Many a times good books on a particular subject (Software Engineering, Instructional Design, Photography, Yoga, Cooking, Architecture, etc.) are published in English but not necessarily translated to Korean thus limiting your knowledge. So by reading your subjects in English you will be opening yourself to a vast ocean of resources.

9. Language Exchange. Something which is very common and widely accepted in Korea.

10. TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS exams. Enrolling yourself for any of this exams will make it mandatory for you to study. Make sure you study in a group and read books like Word Power Made Easy, 30 Days to Powerful Vocabulary to improve your vocabulary and grammar.

Well I am myself not a pro in English and have a serious handicap with grammar (I still do not know where to put commas) but I feel I can write or express myself better. So if you feel you are happy with my level of English Language then you can use these pointers for yourself or for your students / friends whosoever is looking at improving his skills at English. If you have problems with communicating in English but have followed this article , then my friend you are very much on your way to become fluent in English.

The dog days of summer are approaching, and I’ve got samgyetang on my mind. A whole chicken, ginseng, and sticky rice make the dish irresistible when the heat rises past the point where even fans can relieve me. Not only does sticky rice stick to the ribs, but it’s one organic half of the world’s first super cement.

The mortar was stronger and more resistant to water than pure lime mortar, and what Zhang termed one of the greatest technological innovations of the time. Builders used the material to construct important buildings like tombs, pagodas, and city walls, some of which still exist today. Some of the structures were strong enough to shrug off the effects of modern bulldozers and powerful earthquakes.

Their research identified amylopectin, a type of polysaccharide, or complex carbohydrate, found in rice and other starchy foods, as the “secret ingredient” that appears to be responsible for the mortar’s legendary strength.

“Analytical study shows that the ancient masonry mortar is a kind of special organic-inorganic composite material,” the scientists explained. “The inorganic component is calcium carbonate, and the organic component is amylopectin, which comes from the sticky rice soup added to the mortar. Moreover, we found that amylopectin in the mortar acted as an inhibitor: The growth of the calcium carbonate crystal was controlled, and a compact microstructure was produced, which should be the cause of the good performance of this kind of organic-organic mortar.”