Two Cold.

I like Han Han. I really do like this man. If he were my peer, I would have LOVED to be his friend. I'm sure most people would too. I firmly believe that you can get to know a person through his or her writing. And that's how I become acquainted with him, THE most popular blogger in China and the author of quite a number of UBER-popular novels and essay collections. I've always thought what attracted me to him was his thoughtfulness. But the more I read his writing, the more I feel that he's just like any of us. He's not an impressive thinker, since the things he write about do not necessarily entail novel ideas that "inspire" me or give me the "wow I've never thought of that" feeling, but rather, more often than not, it feels as if he is simply articulating my thoughts. Moreover, I thought he is one of the few writers that dare to speak about things that the governments don't like, but no, the reality is that a lot of people, especially the "netizens" talk about the things that he talks about ALL the time, with more or less no fear of being punished by government. Sure, the fact that he is not one of the anonymous posters make him seem more courageous, but again, government can easily identify us--none of us is entirely anonymous. So, what attracted me to Han Han? I think ultimately it comes down to his mastery of writing and his cleverness. Note cleverness, not thoughtfulness. I think although many do not think about the big ideas, many many more do. We see something bad happen and we think. The problem is not everyone of us could think as rationally as Han Han does and see the pros and cons of both sides and then articulate his point so well in an essay written colloquially. He can totally write in the research paper style but he chose to write plainly, once in a while glamorize his essay with a few clever remarks, often involving wordplay. I love this man. And I can't ask for more. He is not an unique or indispensable man to the larger flow of history, but in this time and day that he lives, he represent the voice of the people. He represents logic and reason. And I truly appreciate his presence.