a la recherche d’odd little memories
Posted by wangbo in tilting at windmills on November 2, 2008
So I’m sitting here listening to the Manic Street Preachers, and suddenly I’m reminded of standing in the dole queue in Porirua when over the PA system comes the song I just heard:
And if you tolerate this,
Then your children will be next
It must’ve been mid-winter 1999, and it was about that time my first chance at a job in China came. I wasn’t in a mood to tolerate the dole queue, and hearing that song as I was waiting for the latest barely competent bureaucrat reinforced my mood, and so when a firm offer came through…. Well, it took some wrangling, but I got to China, and getting on that plane felt amazingly good.
On the one hand, it was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. I always had itchy feet, always longed to get out and explore the world, and not just as a dumbarse tourist, but long term, in depth. Blame my mother for that, she was the one who taught me to read, supplied me with books, then, as I remember it, borrowed the first picture dictionaries of other languages (French and German, naturally) I had ever seen from the Te Awamutu library.
It took some years from that first exposure to languages other than New Zealand English and the tiny little bit of Maori kids of my generation were taught in primary school to high school when I got my first chance to study French and German properly and formally, but I don’t think I need to say that my best high school teachers, by a very long shot, were my language teachers. My English teachers were amongst the worst. Bloody hell they were pathetic- and not just pathetic teachers, but…. well, I won’t go risking lawsuits. Let’s just say that of all my high school teachers, those who taught English and Physics (except for the teacher who retired at the end of my first term of fifth form- he was awesome- but definitely his successor) did the exact opposite of “inspiring respect”. And not just respect for them as teachers, but… yeah, calm down. No law suits. Whereas my high school French and German teachers were all just awesome people. Great teachers, and great people. I loved them, and, I suppose the results are obvious.
I would go so far as to say that the only bright spots of my high school years were: The few biology trips that took us out, way out, especially the trip to Mana Island; French and German classes; and leaving. No offence intended to my French, German or Biology teachers in that ‘leaving’ remark.
Yeah, my Biology teachers weren’t as awesome as my French and German teachers, but they were bloody good, and they’ve left a deep imprint on my personality and interests.
I suppose it needs to be pointed out that second hand National Geographics can not be sold. Nobody, apart from myself, wants them. But the nature of my parents’ job meant I had easy and free access to a huge stack of second hand National Geographics and collected and read them almost religiously. At the height of my National Geographic collection phase I had issues dating from the late 19th century all the way up to modern times, and I loved them. It didn’t matter how old, outdated, or even blatantly racist (standards change over time- I’m not making any real accusations) they may have been, those magazines were a portal to a whole wide world beyond the shores of my little island.
And so in 1999, having graduated but having precious little luck in getting a job, there I was standing in the queue in the WINZ office in Porirua, listening to the Manic Street Preachers telling me there’s no way I can tolerate this situation because if I do, my own kids will be the next victims, and I’m the first to agree. In fact, I find the whole situation utterly ridiculous: There I am, intelligent, educated and competent, and yet having to beg the State for a basic living allowance.
And then a chance to teach English in China comes along. I see this ad in the newspaper and immediately fire off an application. It took some time for a reply to come back- indeed, I’d forgotten I’d even applied for the job when they phoned up asking if I was available for an interview, they took that long about processing things. But there it was: An opportunity, and I was not going to give this up. I aced the interview, but had to do a couple of deals to get the plane ticket to China, but it all worked out, and…
And while this was going on, people were telling me, “Oh, you’re so lucky to get the chance to go to China!” Right, I saw the ad, I applied, they offered me the job, I seized the opportunity. If that’s what you call ‘lucky’, so be it.
And then I made the mistake of heading back to New Zealand after three years in China. I corrected that mistake as quickly as I could. New Zealand does not value linguistically minded people, does not value the kind of skills and experience people like myself have to offer. And New Zealand suffers for it, but having got rid of or sidelined people like myself, doesn’t realise the damage done. I mean, why the hell do you think Kiwis have such a poor reputation for their ability to do business? Because those who run New Zealand are too dumb to realise the value of linguistic and cultural skills, that’s why.
Anyways, back in the middle of 1999, I was in the dole queue listening to the Manic Street Preachers remind me of what I already knew all too well, and just about to leap at a chance to put my skills and training to good use. I’m glad I heeded the warning, and I’m glad I grabbed that opportunity.
oh for crying out loud
Posted by wangbo in ranting, tilting at windmills on November 2, 2008
Somebody needs to grow up. Really, (assuming the article is actually an accurate representation of Dawkins’ views) this is pathetic. Now, I kinda almost agree with his characterisation of certain aspects of “religious” education, upbringing and labelling as ‘abuse’, but, having grown up in the church myself, and knowing many people from several countries with similar backgrounds, I feel quite safe in stating that one has to have been raised in a very extremely fundamentalist church (used in a pan-religious sense: insert mosque, synagogue, temple, other religious term as appropriate) before such an upbringing can be reasonably called abuse. Plenty of people have seen through the church and gone on to lead perfectly healthy, well-adjusted lives. Plenty of others still believe, attend church, and lead perfectly healthy, well-adjusted lives.
But what pisses me off most about this is that if we were to take Professor Dawkins’ comments as reported to their logical extreme, we would be raising kids stripped of imagination and entirely incapable of seeing anything more than what is immediately in front of their faces. Really. Prof. Dawkins should step back, take a good, hard look at the development of human societies, and ask himself why all cultures have developed a system of myths and legends and a set of folk- and fairy-tales. These things really are about the education of the children, the teaching of all the necessary skills and abiltiies- emotional, intellectual and, ummm, imaginational- necessary for adult life. Imagination is necessary- how the hell else would we have science? And all these fantastical stories engage and develop that imagination.
Books simply encouraging children to deal purely with rational, scientific facts are simply inappropriate, because without that background of imagination and its attendant curiosity, the kids will not have the intellectual skills to move beyond what can be immediately perceived, and that is no basis on which to continue the development of human society.
And if Prof. Dawkins were to carry his sentiments, as reported, to the logical extreme, we would soon be banning toy cars and dolls, because it is simply unscientific to see a Matchbox car or Barbie doll as being in any way comparable to their real world equivalents. Trouble is, toys are essential to a young child’s education, because in engaging the child’s imagination one develops the intellectual, imaginational, and emotional skills necessary to proceed in society.
In other words, I hope the reporter did a piss-poor job of reporting Prof. Dawkins’ views and has taken a few comments way, way out of context, because articles like this leave me thinking there is no real difference between militant atheists and the Pat Robertsons or Osama bin Ladens of this world.
denied
新京报/The Beijing News’ Wang Dianxue reports on the case of a lawyer who, on having official recognition of his masters degree from Hamburg University denied, sued the Ministry of Education’s China Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (I would link to their website if the bloody thing worked- let’s just say it was a hell of a job figuring out their English name).
“洋硕士”归来认证学历遭拒
“Western Master” returns authentication of degree denied
认证机构留学服务中心称其隐瞒国内读书经历
Authentication body Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange says he concealed his domestic studies
律师江先生获得德国汉堡大学硕士学位，教育部留学服务中心拒绝认证。江先生认为服务中心行政不作为，诉至法院。日前，海淀法院开庭审理。
Lawyer Mr Jiang earned a masters degree from Germany’s University of Hamburg which the Ministry of Education’s China Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange. Mr Jiang believes the service centre is not carrying out its administrative duties, and so sued. A few days ago, Haidian Court convened to hear the case.
未获认证不能读博
Without authentication can’t read for a doctorate
2006年，江先生知有复旦大学-汉堡大学国际经贸（中国主题）双学位硕士项目，学习1年后可得硕士学位，他向汉堡大学报名参加。 2006年10月，江先生赴汉堡大学就读，2007年8月，江先生在复旦大学继续学习，两个月后毕业。根据项目要求，江先生很快得到了汉堡大学颁发的硕士 学位证书。
In 2006, Mr Jiang learned of the Fudan University-University of Hamburg Dual Masters Programme in International Trade (China), in which a masters degree can be earned in 1 year, and he sent his application to the University of Hamburg. In October 2006, Mr Jiang went to the University of Hamburg to study, then from August 2007 continuing his studies at Fudan University, graduating two months later. According to the programme’s requirements, Mr Jiang very quickly received his masters degree awarded by the University of Hamburg.
江先生向教育部留学服务中心申请学位认证，遭到拒绝。
Mr Jiang applied to the Ministry of Education’s Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange to have his degree authenticated, but was refused.
江先生说，学位不被认证，给他获得北京户口带来麻烦，而且他无法继续攻读博士。
Mr Jiang says, that not having his degree authenticated has caused him a lot of trouble getting a Beijing household registration, and he has no way to continue studying for a doctorate.
所获学位被指不合格
Degree said to be substandard
昨天，教育部留学服务中心代理人说，江先生申请时，只填写了在汉堡大学学习经历，隐瞒了在复旦大学读书的经历。
Yesterday, the attorney for the Ministry of Education’s Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange said that when Mr Jiang applied, he only filled in his study experience at the University of Hamburg and concealed his studies at Fudan University.
服务中心答辩称，中心就江先生的学位情况与复旦大学联系，得知江先生在国内学习部分未经教育部门批准，而且项目已经停办。中心代理人说，国外大学在国内办学需要经过审批，否则可能对中国的教育事业形成侵犯。
In its defence, the Service Centre said that when it contacted Fudan University about Mr Jiang’s study situation, it learnt that some of Mr Jiang’s studies in China had not met the educational authorities’ approval, and the programme had already been stopped. The Centre’s attorney said, when foreign universities run programmes in China they must be examined and approved, otherwise they could encroach on China’s educational institutions.
江先生认为自己的学习经历完全合法。他说在复旦大学读书是汉堡大学安排的实习时间，他要求认证的是纯正的汉堡大学的学位，与在复旦大学读书无关。
Mr Jiang believes his studies were completely legal. He said his study at Fudan University was a period of practice arranged by the University of Hamburg, and the the authentication he requires is purely of his University of Hamburg degree, and has no connection to his studies at Fudan University.
法院将审查诉讼能否进行
Court to investigate whether the suit can proceed
留学服务中心还认为自己不是行政部门，不应是行政诉讼的被告。
The Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange still believes it is not an administrative department and shouldn’t be accused in an administrative suit.
它的代理人说，服务中心是事业单位，就像律师事务所一样，是提供服务的。如果其他单位有能力认证国外学位，也可以向教育部申请到认证资格。
It’s attorney said, the Service Centre is a public institution, like a lawyer’s office, it provides a service. If other organisations have the ability to authenticate foreign degrees, they can also apply to the Ministry of Education for authentication qualifications.
对此，江先生说，目前国内只有留学服务中心能够认证国外学位，而且它有教育部的授权。江先生说，既然全国只有一家，就不能像律所一样，不想挣钱就不服务，而是接到申请后，必须做出处理。
To this, Mr Jiang said that at present the Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange is the only organisation in China with the ability to authenticate foreign degrees, and it has the authorisation of the Ministry of Education. Mr Jiang says, that since China only has one such organisation, it can’t be like a lawyer’s office, simply not serving if it doesn’t want to earn money, but when it recieves an application, it must process it.
因为法官当庭未查明留学服务中心是否是行政部门，法官宣布休庭。海淀法院将对此进行审查后，另行开庭。
Because the judge in court had not yet ascertained whether or not the Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange is an administrative department, the judge adjourned the court. Haidian Court will reconvene when this matter has been investigated.
Hey, there are jobs going in the New Zealand parliament, Mr Jiang and the attorney for the Service Centre would fit right in. I mean, there’s so much obfuscation and playing of silly buggers with words and language and the facts of the case here, and so little logic, that I don’t think I’d be hiring either of these two if I were in need of a lawyer.
drilling, digging
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to figure out what the workers in the lawn south of our building have been up to. Of course, I could go and ask, but that would be boring. Watching and wondering is much more fun.
They started by drilling a hole in the lawn. Then another hole, with a ditch leading back to the first hole, and the muddy water bubbling up from the second hole flowing through the ditch back to the first hole. And then another hole and ditch, then another, until the lawn was punctured with half a dozen wholes and scarred with a network of small canals. They didn’t find any oil.
This morning they changed. They dug a trench around the southern, eastern and western edges of the lawn, and an accompanying trench through a patch of concrete that has sat idle since before the Olympics.
I still have no idea what they’re up to, but it’s more fun watching and wondering than it would be just asking.
不舒服
Going away parties are always usually fun, but it’s never good to be saying goodbye to yet another friend. But it’s worse when you have to bail on a party because you suddenly get sick.
There I was in The Tree with some friends enjoying good pizza and a De Koninck when suddenly I feel hot and a little light-headed, my mouth goes dry and my stomach goes into reverse. The worst part was I had a mouthful of pizza at the time. I thought, rather hopefully, perhaps it’s just a reaction to this Western food I don’t eat that much of anymore. But after about half an hour trying to sit it out hoping the feeling would pass, nope, time to go home. And I must’ve gone really pale or something, because everybody’s looking at me funny asking if I’m alright. Well, I was hoping I would turn alright, but I didn’t. So, home, medicine, crash.
I’m still feeling a bit tired and headachy, but better than last night.
And while I’m ranting: Laptop screens are not supposed to flicker, and this one is supposed to have been fixed. Gah.
So, yeah, great start to the weekend.
scariness
Posted by wangbo in news, tilting at windmills on October 30, 2008
So somehow after what seems like an eternity of really boring news, 新京报/The Beijing News has turned the magic back on again. I’ve already referred to a few articles today, but the need to take care of the Mrs, who is starting to look more healthy but is still a ways from one hundred percent, has stopped me from going into any kind of depth or detail (not that I ever do, but…) Anyway, this article really grabbed my attention: Two foreigners stabbed in two separate incidents and no apparent motive:
男青年先后扎伤两老外
Young male successively stabs two Westerners
[Note: I’m running with the more “realistic” if less lexicographically precise translation of 老外 as ‘Westerner’. I mean, it may mean foreigner, but how often do you hear it used to refer to Koreans or Africans or Indians? Well, maybe sometimes…. Anyway, I don’t want to get into this debate. Back to the subject at hand:]
事发朝外丰联广场、北京站东街附近，一俄罗斯男子伤势较重
Incidents happend at Chaowai’s Fenglian Plaza and near Beijingzhan East Road. One Russian seriously injured
昨日中午12时、下午2时30分左右，朝外丰联广场、北京站东街附近，两名外国男子先后被扎伤。其中一名俄罗斯男子伤势较重。
At 12 noon yesterday and then at about 2:30 pm at Chaowai Fenglian Plaza and then near Beijingzhan East Street, two foreign men were stabbed successively. One was a Russian who was seriously injured.
北京市公安局昨晚证实，嫌疑人为一名男青年。目前，警方正全力侦查。
Last night the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau confirmed that the suspect was a young man. Currently, the police are sparing no effort in the investigation.
现场1 12:00
Scene 1 12:00
闹市遇袭
Attack in a busy commercial area
事发丰联广场北侧人行道，紧邻朝外大街。
The incident occurred on the footpath on the north side of Fenglian Plaza, bordering Chaowai Dajie.
昨日下午1时，5名民警在勘察现场，其中1人对路边的一摊血迹进行拍摄，另4人分别对目击者做笔录。
At one yesterday afternoon, 5 police were at the crime scene, one photographing a bloodstain, four others interviewing witnesses.
距血迹20米远的一报摊摊主说，中午12时，一名黄头发的外国人由西向东路过丰联广场北门停车场，突然遭到袭击，之后外国人发出求救声。保安闻讯赶到时，外国人已倒在台阶下，血迹布满一地。整个过程仅1分钟。
The owner of a newsstand 20 metres from the bloodstain said, at 12 noon a blond foreigner walking from west to east past the Fenglian Plaza North Gate carpart was suddenly attacked, then the foreigner called for help. When security heard the news and rushed out, the foreigner had already fallen to the curb in a puddle of blood. The whole incident lasted less than a minute.
据一名保安介绍，伤者被抬上出租车后，送往朝阳医院抢救。
According to a security guard, the victim was lifted into a taxi and sent to Chaoyang Hospital.
“没见到行凶的人。”事发地附近多位市民说。
“Didn’t see the assailant” many passersby said after the incident.
昨日下午1时30分，勘察现场的民警在血迹中找到类似头发的物品，放入信封。
At 1:30 yesterday afternoon, police at the crime scene found similar hairs in the blood stain and put them in an envelope.
一旁，头戴帽子的报警人向民警介绍，当时外国人没有背包，手上只拿了一份英文报纸。行凶者向东逃窜，很快不见踪影。
To one side, a witness told police that at that time the foreigner wasn’t carrying a bag, he carried only an English newspaper in his hand. The assailant fled to the east, leaving no trace.
现场2 14:30
Scene 2 14:30
餐厅遭抢
Restaurant robbery
昨日下午3时许，北京站东街恒基中心西侧一层的吉野家餐厅，七八辆警车已将现场包围，十余刑警手持各种器材，进进出出，展开勘察。
At about 3 yesterday afternoon, in the Yoshinoya restaurant on the west side of the first (ground) floor of the Henderson Centre on Beijingzhan East Road, seven or eight police cars had already surrounded the scene and a dozen criminal police carrying every kind of equipment were coming and going, carrying out the investigation.
透过玻璃窗，可见血迹从最内侧餐桌旁通道一直延伸至门口台阶上。
Looking through the window, a bloodstain stretching from the innermost table right to the doorstep could be seen.
“抱歉，暂不营业了。”面对不时而来的顾客，几名服务人员站在门口，逐一解释，并贴出通知。
“Sorry, we’re temporarily closed,” several staff said to untimely customers, explaining as they hung a notice.
餐厅女负责人表示，因事发突然，事后其查看店内探头录像才知道事情经过。
The woman in charge of the restaurant said that because the incident happened so quickly, it was only by watching the video that they could see how it happened.
据该负责人介绍，下午2时30分左右，一名中国籍男子尾随一名外国男子进入店内，当外国男子捧着食物走到内侧拐角处座位就餐时，尾随男子突然从正面冲上去，抢夺对方的布袋，“两人拉扯了几下，他（抢劫者）拿刀连扎了外国人几下，拽着包就跑。”
She said that at about 2:30 pm a Chinese man followed a foreign man into the restaurant. As the foreign man took his food into the restaurant to eat and was turning around a table, the man who followed him suddenly attacked him from the front, stealing his bag. “The two struggled for a bit, then he (the assailant) took a knife and stabbed the foreigner a few times, grabbed the bag and ran.”
该负责人称，行凶男子动作非常迅速，前后用时才数秒钟。随后，前台服务员见有人受伤，立即追了出去，发现行凶者向北京站广场方向跑去。后店方为伤者包扎了伤口，并联系120送到协和医院抢救，“警察还在追查凶手，他的样貌不便透露。”
She said the assailant moved very fast, taking only a few seconds. Immediately after, the front desk staff saw an injured person and immediately ran after him, seeing that the assailant had run towards Beijing Railway Station. Then the staff helped the victim dress his wounds and called 120 [note: the emergency number for an ambulance] to send him to Peking Union Hospital [why does google go apeshit with a malware warning on that website?]. “The police are still looking for the assailant. He is not easy to describe.”
有目击者称，行凶男子着深色外衣，1米7的个头，短发。
Witnesses said the assailant was a man, wearing a dark jacket, short hair, about 1.7 metres tall.
■ 事后
■ Afterwards
民警给伤者送鲜花
Police sent the victims flowers
昨日下午4时许，两名受伤的外国男子正在协和医院国际医疗部接受治疗。
At about 4 yesterday afternoon, the two foreign victims were receiving treatment in the international clinic of Peking Union Hospital.
医护人员称，40岁左右的美国男子手部、背部及腿部有外伤，情况不严重。俄罗斯男子身中4刀，分别位于手臂、腹部等处，伤势较重。
Medical staff said the American man of roughly 40 years of age had been injured in the hand, back and leg, but not seriously. The Russian man had been injured more seriously four times in areas such as the arm and stomach.
俄罗斯男子的妻子称，丈夫刚到北京一两天。事发时，丈夫从银行取完钱后去吃午餐。其被抢的布袋内有一部两万多元的笔记本电脑及钱包等物。
The Russian man’s wife said that her husband had just arrived in Beijing one or two days previously. When the incident occurred, her husband had just drawn money from the bank and was going to eat lunch. In the bag that was stolen was a laptop worth over 20 thousand yuan and a wallet.
昨日下午5时10分，北京市出入境管理处的十余民警与院方代表为两名伤者及家属送上鲜花。
At 5:10 yesterday afternoon a dozen officers and representatives of the Beijing Municipal Entry and Exit Bureau brought fresh flowers to the two victims and their families.
据协和医院院长助理介绍，美国伤者已无生命危险，正在休息，俄罗斯伤者尚在抢救中。
According to an assistant to the head of the Peking Union Hospital, the American victim is already out of danger and is resting, the Russian victim is still being treated.
Alright: It’s a bloody awful translation. Sorry. After a day of looking out for a sick colleague and taking care of my ill wife, I’m a bit tired. Actually, the fact that I even translated this shows that my wife is getting better- she was needing less attention, therefore I had more time to spend first reading then translating. Anyways, as always, corrections are welcome. This time because of the conditions under which I read the article- I’ve almost certainly got something wrong.
Secondly: Be careful out there. I’m not seeing this as an “anti-foreign” thing, although the crim in question quite likely targetted “foreigners” because everybody born with white skin is born with a collossal huge trust account [I’m still waiting for the keys to mine…]… but back in the real world, even if the skin colour of the victims was an attraction to the crim this time, doesn’t mean, well, much.
Actually, I am a little freaked at the possibility foreigners, specifically those allegedly rich white kind of foreigners, were targeted this time. That’s just absurd, for starters. There’s a hell of a lot more Chinese driving BMWs than there are foreigners of any kind driving any kind of car. Still, that ridiculous prejudice exists.
But these two incidents do not make a trend. Especially considering the locations: Places those mythical foreigners would be expected to be.
Also, a lot of foreigners I’ve met over the last nine years, especially the white-skinned variety, have blethered on endlessly about how much safer China is than their home countries. I strongly suspect that if these bletherers ever learnt enough Chinese to open their local newspaper on a regular basis and browse the headlines, they’d discover China’s just as safe as their home country.
So I’m not making much sense, but: Don’t panic, but for crying out loud keep your wits about you, especially when you’re in the kind of place that will attract obvious foreigners. All of you, regardless of skin colour, nationality, or ethnicity.
Be safe.
motorbike ambulances
This post- and indeed my daily perusing of the news- has been greatly delayed by the need to take care of an ill wife. This is an article I would like to translate, but I’m not sure I’ll get the time. She seems to be coming right, and so long as she’s on the phone to her family- oh, she just hung up- I’ll have time to write something. Anyway, Beijing will soon get “motorbike ambulances”. Or, in other words, the relevant people in charge have decided that to beat traffic jams and get easier access into hutongs (traditional lanes which can vary in width from ‘street’ to extremely narrow slit between buildings) they will kit out motorbikes and electric bicycles with first aid kits and what sounds like some pretty advanced paramedic gear (ECGs, handheld computer doohickeys, etc), slap a 999 badge on them, and set them off to work in the 8 city districts.
Oh, I’m being summoned. I guess any translation will have to wait.
woohoo!
Posted by wangbo in beijing public transport, news on October 30, 2008
So I was reading through this thinking, these reports on the planning for Beijing’s new subway lines are getting really repititive and don’t seem to be saying anything new. Then I noticed the map at the bottom: Line 7 and Phase 1 of Line 14 will both run right past my small corner of Beijing. Woohoo! And it looks like they’d both make getting into the old Outer City (Chongwen and Xuanwu Districts) much more convenient. And it seems Line 14 would make it easier for lzh to get to her favourite cheap clothing market….. uh oh….
Anyway, both lines should commence construction by the end of the year. But they’ve been saying that repeatedly for months now, and there’s only two months left till the end of the year. We shall see.
last man standing
That’s how it feels like. Seems like everybody around me is coming down with something. Bloody hell, my wife doesn’t just have a cast-iron stomach; her stomach is top-grade stainless steel, and yet she’s been knocked flat by a crook gut. And yet I’m fine, even though my stomach is usually more sensitive than hers. And then there’s my colleagues, some of whom are in a walking-wounded kinda state, others not moving anywhere in a hurry…..
I guess my turn will come.
scary
A few days ago I read an article about Jonestown. Today I read this. Now, I’ve been in China for pretty much the whole time Destiny Church and “bishop” Tamaki have been a noisy sideshow, so my impression comes purely from what I’ve seen of them in the media online, but they seem to be just getting creepier and creepier.