H...
Military Brats Registry
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
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H
I take it that you saw the Chinatown trucker accident. It looks like
that was just the usual "driver loses control of car & hits pedestrians
on sidewalk" type accident, only on steroids.
But I was nowhere near Chinatown at the time. Used to live about a mile
away, and have driven on that street many times - the accident was about
two blocks from my favorite secret Chinese place.
Military Brats Registry <webm...@SPAM-Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> Harmon, check in please...I'm watching the news from Chicago.
--
Harmon is "awol at military-brats.com"
Military Brats Registry
and then you weren't here that day..so I was about to call you today just to
be sure you weren't in it!
My favorite secret Chinese place is in Shanghai on Yunnan Road...also called
"Yummy Food Road" by some of the locals. Being the non-local that I am, the
owner is always happy to see me come in. Maybe it's because I spend more
there than the average local..but still less than anything here. Dinner for
two: 5 dishes, beer (large), about $10. Tipping not allowed.
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
"H" <Har...@see-my-sig.com> wrote in message
news:1ig0jln.swu5hu1titds1N%Har...@see-my-sig.com...
H
> My favorite secret Chinese place is in Shanghai on Yunnan Road...also called
> "Yummy Food Road" by some of the locals. Being the non-local that I am, the
> owner is always happy to see me come in. Maybe it's because I spend more
> there than the average local..but still less than anything here. Dinner for
> two: 5 dishes, beer (large), about $10. Tipping not allowed.
If you are trying to make me envious, you have succeeded.
grumble grumble.
Gene
If China does like Japan used to do, the tip is part of the bill.
BTW, I was gone over the weekend and missed the news from Chicago -
glad you were not involved in the accident.
Gene
Military Brats Registry
almost considered demeaning. There are exceptions of course. You can tip
the bellman about 10rmb per bag (aka: $1.43). One time I bought apples from
a street vendor and he was getting angry with me because I couldn't
understand when he told me the price in Chinese. They even use a different
system of hand signs for numbers, so I was a bit lost and kept giving him
another rmb, another, another...until finally he pulled a 10 out of his
pocket and showed me, so I pulled a 10 out of mine and gave it to him. Then
he started giving me back some rmb. I held up my hand and said no. That
extra 43-cents made his day, and we became friends. Since then, I have
learned Chinse numbers.
Harmon...don't grumble, just come along on one of my China Wine Tours..or
better yet, join us for the Military Brats Flying Tigers Tour next year!
M
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
"Gene" <stea...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:5e731d2e-9382-4115...@m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
Gene
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> They don't add a tip or "service charge." It is highly frowned upon, and
> almost considered demeaning. There are exceptions of course. You can tip
> the bellman about 10rmb per bag (aka: $1.43). One time I bought apples from
> a street vendor and he was getting angry with me because I couldn't
> understand when he told me the price in Chinese. They even use a different
> system of hand signs for numbers, so I was a bit lost and kept giving him
> another rmb, another, another...until finally he pulled a 10 out of his
> pocket and showed me, so I pulled a 10 out of mine and gave it to him. Then
> he started giving me back some rmb. I held up my hand and said no. That
> extra 43-cents made his day, and we became friends. Since then, I have
> learned Chinse numbers.
>
> Harmon...don't grumble, just come along on one of my China Wine Tours..or
> better yet, join us for the Military Brats Flying Tigers Tour next year!
> M
>
> --
> Marc Curtis
> Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
> Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
> Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
> Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
>
>
> news:5e731d2e-9382-4115...@m3g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> On Apr 27, 11:05 pm, Har...@see-my-sig.com (H) wrote:
>
>
>
> > Military Brats Registry <webmas...@SPAM-Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
>
> > > My favorite secret Chinese place is in Shanghai on Yunnan Road...also
> > > called
> > > "Yummy Food Road" by some of the locals. Being the non-local that I am,
> > > the
> > > owner is always happy to see me come in. Maybe it's because I spend more
> > > there than the average local..but still less than anything here. Dinner
> > > for
> > > two: 5 dishes, beer (large), about $10. Tipping not allowed.
>
> > If you are trying to make me envious, you have succeeded.
>
> > grumble grumble.
> > --
> > Harmon is "awol at military-brats.com"
>
> If China does like Japan used to do, the tip is part of the bill.
> BTW, I was gone over the weekend and missed the news from Chicago -
> glad you were not involved in the accident.
> Gene
Live and learn. I would ike to see more of China - I was in Hong Kong
at 11 - but I want to see Europe first.
Danbob
>
> If China does like Japan used to do, the tip is part of the bill.
> BTW, I was gone over the weekend and missed the news from Chicago -
> glad you were not involved in the accident.
> Gene
Hey Gene,
What I was worried about was that Harmon might of been eaten by that
giant cougar that was roaming around the streets. Fortunately, 600 of
Chicago's finest were able to assasinate the poor critter. Now I see
they've got swat teams out all over the town. Glad I reside in the
country where it's safe. And there's no opera.
db
Military Brats Registry
it's very expensive to go there now. That's one of the nice things about
China...Americans can still afford to go!
Military Brats Flying Tigers Tour
http://www.MilitaryBrat.com/FlyingTigersTour.cfm
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
"Gene" <stea...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:9aa97ef4-42c9-4757...@b64g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
Danbob
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> Problem with Europe at this point is that our dollar is not worth much..so
> it's very expensive to go there now. That's one of the nice things about
> China...Americans can still afford to go!
>
>
> --
> Marc Curtis
> Military Brats Registryhttp://www.militarybrat.com
> Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
> Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
> Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
> Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
>
>
> news:9aa97ef4-42c9-4757...@b64g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> Live and learn. I would ike to see more of China - I was in Hong Kong
> at 11 - but I want to see Europe first.
Hey Marc,
Have you by any chance taken a job with the Chinese tourist bureau?
Every time I see a post from you you're talking about how we all ought
to get drunk in China.
Or maybe you're expanding your operation to the Chinese Military Brats
Registry? "If you are one of the more than 600 billion people whose
fathers and mothers served in the Chinese military, you may have
millions of former friends out there looking for you right now. If you
aren't afraid of them turning you into the government, we can help you
get in touch."
I can just see the bulletin board. "My name is Mi Kwak Long and I'm
looking for anyone who remembers the hay rides/forced farm labor at
Fort Poon Tang during the 1940s. Also, remember please the big fun at
the Officer Beheading Club on Little Red Book Night? Oh, very jolly
times we having then!"
Yep, quite a market, if you just know the Oriental Mind.
db
Military Brats Registry
to spend a lot of time in China the past 2 years and have been discoving a
people, culture and history that goes back 5,000 years. Certainly their
government has been less than ideal, far less. But I hear that about ours
too. As a military brat, one of the great thrills was the chance to live in
different cultures..something our civvie counterparts could only dream
about. My fascination has nothing to do with how the country is governed,
but how the people live, work, play and enjoy a simple life. I've been
mentioning it a lot lately because it's something in my life (what little
there may be left of it!) that has caught my attention. I've seen the good
things there, have made friends with some very wonderful people, tasted food
that I have never seen on the menu here (and I'm not talking about dog), and
have witnessed the ingenuity of a people who are proud of their country and
are probably more patriotic than most Americans. And regardless of the
heavy handedness of those in charge, we have a very strong connection
between our countries, once you get past the politics. What OUR dedicated
military did for them is not forgotten..and most are still very appreciative
of that. This Thursday I will be attending the launch of a new
satellite/cable television channel designed to promote the culture of both
of our countries to each other. It focuses on the good things, the common
interests and desires...not the politics and rhetoric. I'll probably say
something about that after the event.
To be continued....
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
"Danbob" <calte...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5226c026-6519-4387...@x19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
H
> What I was worried about was that Harmon might of been eaten by that
> giant cougar that was roaming around the streets. Fortunately, 600 of
> Chicago's finest were able to assasinate the poor critter. Now I see
> they've got swat teams out all over the town. Glad I reside in the
> country where it's safe. And there's no opera.
Oh, yeah, I forgot about the cougar. But in some places around here, we
got rats that could handle a cougar. Not meaning the politicians, of
course.
I am saddened by your lack of access to opera in the wilds of
California.
To the south of you is a large port city well known for its sexual
exess, and they have opera to match. Try Salome & Lulu.
But a poor ol' country boy like you probably wouldn't be able to handle
those.
Still, there's opera available for everyone. You can start easy by
watching musicals, like Carousel, which verge on opera - had a European
written them, they would be recognized as such, or at least as operetta.
In fact, I think that Porgy & Bess has actually entered the accepted
operatic repertoire.
Then you can watch Apocalypse Now, & pay attention to the use of The
Ride of the Valkerie (from the opera of the same name) when the
helicopters come in along the beach. There's more opera in your life
than you think. I mean, where ARE your Rice Krispies? The music is from
Pagliacci. Reflect on your Looney Tunes. What's Opera, Doc?
Once you are ready to graduate from popular culture, you can go for laff
riots (opera buffo) or head for the heavy Germanic stuff. (But don't try
to watch a whole Wagner opera without a safety belt.) Or try out the
passionate French operas like Carmen, or the wonderful music (along with
some subversive democratic material) in Mozart's operas. For those who
like order, there's Handel. Want some social commentary on mob action?
Peter Grimes. Need some contemporary politics? Nixon in China, or maybe
Dr. Atomic. And then there are the soap operas, such as la Boheme &
Madama Butterfly, reworked for the rock generation as Rent and Miss
Saigon.
And, in a nod to the current China thread, consider that Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is structurally an opera using color and movement
rather than music. And that the actual music, which is not operatic, in
CTHD was composed by Tan Dun, who afterwards wrote a regular opera that
premiered at the Met - The First Emperor - starring Placido Domingo. All
going to prove Marc's point that there is a lot of interesting stuff
originating with China.
In short, opera is the most complex form of Western art, combining music
and literature with theatre. You don't know opera? Poor fellow...
H
> Certainly their
> government has been less than ideal, far less. But I hear that about ours
> too.
Difference is, it's true about theirs.
I'm more than willing to buy in to the idea that there is much in China
worth knowing about. After all, they are the oldest civilization still
standing. And were it not for the inexplicable decision back in the 15th
century to abandon world exploration and turn inwards, the whole world
would have a Chinese flavor to it, much as it has an American flavor
these days.
But as for their government, well, I know a murderous tyranny when I see
one. Still, they seem to have gotten over Marxism. So there's some
hope...
H
> Harmon...don't grumble, just come along on one of my China Wine Tours..or
> better yet, join us for the Military Brats Flying Tigers Tour next year!
Tell me more, tell me more!
Military Brats Registry
will all be available at
<shameless plug> http://www.MilitaryBrat.com/FlyingTigersTour.cfm
</shameless plug>
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
"H" <Har...@see-my-sig.com> wrote in message
news:1ig4o3m.1ki8bv8stwl4cN%Har...@see-my-sig.com...
Danbob
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> Almost funny Dan...but a bit insulting actually. I
>
>
>
Gosh, Marc, sounds like I accidentally stepped on some tender toes.
So sorry.
I certainly have great admiration for many things Chinese. One of the
greatest cultures on the face of the earth.
Also the same people who are currently brutalizing the Tibetans and
who publicly refer to the Dalai Lama as a, "criminal mastermind."
Also the same people my father fought for 18 months in Korea. Also
the same people who captured my namesake - Danny Kalilheo - in the
retreat down the peninsula. When they found him, his arms were bound
with barbed wire, his trooper's bible was stuffed in his mouth, and he
had a bullet in his head.
Also the same people who are supplying shoulder fired missiles to
terrorists in the Middle East. Also the same people who are some of
the worst polluters on the face of the earth.
Also the same people who have bull dozed dozens of neighborhoods and
displaced thousands of people so that they can erect the buildings for
the Olympics.
Also the same people who killed about a third of their own population
under Mao, as I recall.
So . . . it's politically incorrect to mention that on this site
now?
I don't think so, Marcus.
Danbob
Well, Harmon, I think I'll just wait until Alan Jackson comes out with
an opera. No offense - just different tastes. My brother was nuts
for that long hair stuff, so I understand your enthusiasm, but it's
just not my style.
Military Brats Registry
aren't. I was in China during the Tibet protests, and seeing the actual
footage and uncropped photos paints a totally different picture. As a
matter of fact, some news organizations actually apologized to China after
they saw the unedited photos and video. If all you watch is CNN, you'll
never get the facts about China, or the US for that matter.
Dan, The context was not about government actions, but about the people and
culture that you so simply and elegantly stated in your second line. My
dealings with China are with the people, millions of whom still appreciate
America for what we did to stop the Japanese atrocities. It's about
visiting (as you said) one of the greatest cultures on the face of the
Earth. What happened after the war is a government issue, not that of the
population. You really have to separate the two. Many of us lived in Japan
during the occupation and have a fondness for the country and its
people...but that doesn't mean we approve of what the government did to
China or the US. My focus is on the people and culture, not the politics
and terrible things a government might have done. It wasn't my tender toes
you stepped on Dan. That aside, I always enjoy reading your humorous
posts...this one just didn't make me laugh.
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
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"Danbob" <calte...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:41dc0269-9e67-449b...@q1g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
H
> Well, Harmon, I think I'll just wait until Alan Jackson comes out with
> an opera. No offense - just different tastes. My brother was nuts
> for that long hair stuff, so I understand your enthusiasm, but it's
> just not my style.
Yeah, but your "style" is a question of exposure & education. And the
main factor impacting those two things is attention span.
I think that the electronic recording & transmission of music and
entertainment has, for commercial reasons, reduced these things to short
bursts which are easily manipulated in order to permit the injection of
commercial material. This, in turn, has conditioned us away from the
ability to absorb longer material, in much the same way that we have
lost the ability to memorize poetry of more than one or two stanzas.
Basically, appreciation of opera depends on building up your musical
attention span. With me, that happened as a result of exposure to
classical symphonic music. It was only after I learned how to listen to
a lengthy piece of music that I found myself being able to sustain an
interest in opera.
But once you get there, you find that this is truly enjoyable and even
thought-provoking stuff.
But calling it "long-hair" is demonstrably wrong. At least, from where I
sit in the balcony, I see a lot of hair that ain't there.
Don
One thing that struck me when I was visiting China was that the people were
very proud of their antiquities but had to restrain their enthusiasm. Young,
college-educated tour guides would be so happy to show us the Ming Tombs, or
the Great Wall, or the Summer Palace. Then, at some point in their
commentary you could almost hear a little switch go click and they would
repeat words to the effect of, "Ofcourse this was done on the backs of the
people by the totalitarian, imperial rulers."
Danbob
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> No Dan, not incorrect as long as all the facts are correct, which they
> aren't. I was in China during the Tibet protests, and seeing the actual
> footage and uncropped photos paints a totally different picture. As a
> matter of fact, some news organizations actually apologized to China after
> they saw the unedited photos and video. If all you watch is CNN, you'll
> never get the facts about China, or the US for that matter.
>
> Dan, The context was not about government actions, but about the people and
> culture that you so simply and elegantly stated in your second line. My
> dealings with China are with the people, millions of whom still appreciate
> America for what we did to stop the Japanese atrocities. It's about
> visiting (as you said) one of the greatest cultures on the face of the
> Earth. What happened after the war is a government issue, not that of the
> population. You really have to separate the two. Many of us lived in Japan
> during the occupation and have a fondness for the country and its
> people...but that doesn't mean we approve of what the government did to
> China or the US. My focus is on the people and culture, not the politics
> and terrible things a government might have done. It wasn't my tender toes
> you stepped on Dan. That aside, I always enjoy reading your humorous
> posts...this one just didn't make me laugh.
>
> --
> Marc Curtis
> Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
> Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
> Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
> Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
>
Hmmmm . . . well, the first thing that strikes me, Marc, was that you
were in a country with a dictatorship in place and you're saying that
their coverage of the riots in Tibet painted a very different
picture. I gotta say, I don't find that very surprising.
I'm glad for you, that you've discovered this passion for the Chinese
and their culture and I know there are many, many things to admire
about them.
As a side note, however, when Carol and I first moved to Trinity
County we went out exploring. And one of the things we found was -
oddly - a Tibetan Buddhist meditation center in Junction City. And,
as our years here have gone on, I've developed a passion for Tibetan
culture, art, and religion. We've got Tibetan prayer flags flying all
over our property and I spend every Sunday painting Tibetan religious
symbols. I've found them to be a gentle, sweet, caring, creative
people. The books I've read by the Dalai Lama show an incredibly
compassionate, loving, and funny soul.
And so I hope that you'll understand that I find what the Chinese have
done to their country totally outrageous, brutal, and unforgiveable.
I understand that the Chinese have got this kink in their mentality
about having to control their, "buffer states," that goes all the way
back to the Mongol invasion. But . . . the Tibetans aren't Mongols.
As long as they continue their present policy about Tibet, I won't
intentionally buy or consume anything Chinese. And that's goddamned
hard to do nowadays. For instance, I'm typing this on a Dell
Computer. Three guesses where the hard drive came from.
db
Danbob
Hey Harmon,
Well, I was talking to Carol about this thread last night and she was
kind - or unkind - enough to remind me that, nestled among my C&W CDs
I do have a copy Carmen that I dearly love. It's the version with
Placido Domingo and Julia Johnson. She's very . . . yummy. And
passionate.
As for my attention span, all I can say is . . . o look, there's a
chicken . . .
Speaking of music and passion, if you haven't encountered the Gypsy
Kings, I highly recommend them. The lead singer is just pure wolf.
Absolutely howls out the verses. And the guitar playing is
incredible.
db
Military Brats Registry
haven't done. Again, my focus is on the people..the "you's and me's" who
live there. As for the tv coverage, I'm not blind to the bias..but as a
television news cameraman, I can clearly see the difference between a shot
that is cropped and the same shot that isn't!
BTW..check the label on your underwear ;)
M
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
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"Danbob" <calte...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:815c38a9-d6a5-4909...@l17g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
Danbob
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> Dan, I'm not here to defend their government and what they've done or
> haven't done. Again, my focus is on the people..the "you's and me's" who
> live there. As for the tv coverage, I'm not blind to the bias..but as a
> television news cameraman, I can clearly see the difference between a shot
> that is cropped and the same shot that isn't!
>
> BTW..check the label on your underwear ;)
> M
>
> --
> Marc Curtis
> Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
> Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
> Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
> Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
>
>
>
Hey Marc,
Ah HA! My underwear is made in Costa Rica. Which reminds me of some
very vague poem that Lawrence Ferlinghetti (sp) wrote about how
underwear was politically subversive, being designed to hold men down
and elevate women. But that's another story.
Yes, I understand what you're saying about talking about the people,
not the government. I do, however, think that we have some moral
responsibility to the Tibetan people which involves standing up to the
Chinese government. Particularly since it was the CIA that got them
into this pickle and then withdrew it's support when ping pong
diplomacy started.
I know that you, as a Brat, like people as people, so perhaps you'd
like to read the Tibetans view of the situation at the Dalai Lama's
myspace site (yes, I admit it, we're on myspace.)
Here's the link:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=136971865
If that doesn't work, you can go to myspace and just type his name in.
db
Military Brats Registry
There's two sides to every story, and I don't question that there is biased
reporting on both sides. I would love to take a group to Tibet also since
there is some incredible culture and history to be experienced there. But
again..and again..and again..I'm not here to argue about government or what
we should or shouldn't do about it. I'm interested in what we can
experience of the culture of a foreign land. I read the Dali Lama's post
about one disturbing event on the border, and hopefully the actions of those
who shot first and didn't ask questions later will be handled properly since
the rest of the world has brought it to light. But I won't hold those
actions against the 1.3 billion peace-loving Chinese people. The UN should
handle the improprieties with the pressure of the global community.
BTW..are you aware of the sweatshops in Costa Rica? You might want to burn
those britches!
Danbob
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> Dan,
> There's two sides to every story, and I don't question that there is biased
> reporting on both sides. I would love to take a group to Tibet also since
> there is some incredible culture and history to be experienced there. But
> again..and again..and again..I'm not here to argue about government or what
> we should or shouldn't do about it. I'm interested in what we can
> experience of the culture of a foreign land. I read the Dali Lama's post
> about one disturbing event on the border, and hopefully the actions of those
> who shot first and didn't ask questions later will be handled properly since
> the rest of the world has brought it to light. But I won't hold those
> actions against the 1.3 billion peace-loving Chinese people. The UN should
> handle the improprieties with the pressure of the global community.
>
> BTW..are you aware of the sweatshops in Costa Rica? You might want to burn
> those britches!
>
> --
> Marc Curtis
> Remember...Every Brat Has a Story...what's yours?
> Podcasts at: http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas.cfm
> Brat Blog: http://militarybrats.blogspot.com
> Brat Stories (RSS Feed): http://www.militarybrat.com/ebhas-feed.xml
>
>
>
> > Hey Marc,
>
> > Ah HA! My underwear is made in Costa Rica. Which reminds me of some
> > very vague poem that Lawrence Ferlinghetti (sp) wrote about how
> > underwear was politically subversive, being designed to hold men down
> > and elevate women. But that's another story.
>
> > Yes, I understand what you're saying about talking about the people,
> > not the government. I do, however, think that we have some moral
> > responsibility to the Tibetan people which involves standing up to the
> > Chinese government. Particularly since it was the CIA that got them
> > into this pickle and then withdrew it's support when ping pong
> > diplomacy started.
>
> > I know that you, as a Brat, like people as people, so perhaps you'd
> > like to read the Tibetans view of the situation at the Dalai Lama's
> > myspace site (yes, I admit it, we're on myspace.)
>
> > Here's the link:
>
>
> > If that doesn't work, you can go to myspace and just type his name in.
>
> > db
My britches were made of 100 percent organic free range cotton which
was sustainably harvested by happy workers with democratic values and
complete health benefits, even for the poorest of them, including
dental and eye exams.
I'm not the one running around in communist jockey shorts
drinking . . . ahem . . . Red wine.
db
Military Brats Registry
> drinking . . . ahem . . . Red wine.
>
> db
Red is the color of good luck. Red wine is very good for your health...or
at least it makes you feel better about it.
M
Danbob
Red is also the color of wealth. Blue is the color of heaven. And
don't paint your bedroom peach, or your lover will stray.
All good, Chinese, feng shui principles.
BTW - since you are fascinated by Chinese culture, here's a link for
you:
http://www.trinitycounty.com/joss.htm
The joss house in Weaverville is the longest continually operating
joss house in the United States. They literally hauled the artifacts
over the mountains and across the rivers by hand, because the Chinese
weren't allowed to use public transportation or ferries. The blue
tiles on the front of the temple are actually painted on, because they
couldn't get any here, and joss houses are always recognizable by the
blue tiles symbolizing heaven.
They also have a very nice little statue of Kuan Yin, the Chinese
goddess of compassion. A very impressive place. Oh . . . I forgot to
mention . . . when they celebrate Chinese New Year with the lion
dance, the Tibetans come over from the meditation center to help by
playing their musical instruments.
db
Military Brats Registry
So the Tibetan people are friendly with the Chinese people? Interesting, it
seems that once government is taken out of the picture, peace between people
exists.. To quote a great philosopher of our time "Can't we all just get
along?" (Rodney King)
Next time I'm in Weaverville I'll stop by!
M
H
> Again, my focus is on the people..the "you's and me's" who
> live there.
I don't know about the "you's and me's" among the Chinese. I don't think
they are there, really. The word "alien" doesn't exist for no reason, &
I have little doubt that the Chinese are as alien to us as we must be to
them. I expect that no one can begin to comprehend another culture
without knowing the language. Which gives the Chinese an advantage over
us.
I ran across a book today called The Corpse Walker by a Chinese poet
named Liao Yiwu which shows just how different they are from us. I'm
afraid I'm going to have to buy it...
H
> the Gypsy Kings,
Do they sing songs of love? I have a distinct memory of an album or song
entitled "The Gipsy Kings Sing Songs of Love." Thought it might be Dire
Straits, but cannot find it on Amazon nor Google. Did find Cantos de
Amor... wait, it's "The MAMBO KINGS Play Songs of Love."
There are a bunch of GK videos on Youtube. Where I also found a video of
Dire Straits singing Romeo & Juliet, one of my favorite songs of all
time, that turned up on the Coverville podcast last night when I was
walking the dog...always thought that Springsteen or Dylan should cover
this:
A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, you and me babe, how about it ?
Juliet says hey it's Romeo you nearly gimme a heart attack
He's underneath the window, she's singing hey la my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that
Anyway, what you gonna do about it ?
Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, and you exploded in my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong
Juliet ?
Come up on different streets they both were streets of shame
Both dirty both mean yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals ?
Well you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything you promised me think and thin
Now you just say oh Romeo, yeah you know, I used to have a scene with
him
Juliet when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong
Juliet ?
I can't do the talk like the talk on tv
And I can't do a love song like the way its meant to be
I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company
All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Julie I'd do the stars with you any time
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above I'll love you till I die
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong
Juliet ?
A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, you and me babe, how about it ?
There's a lot of Dylan in that song. Check out the overlay of the song
on the DiCaprio Romeo+Juliet (marvelous movie! Should be shown in every
10th grade English class) on Youtube at
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgbhDEzrxY&feature=related>
Danbob
Xmilitarybrat.com> wrote:
> The Chinese weren't allowed to use public transportation....by whom?
>
> So the Tibetan people are friendly with the Chinese people? Interesting, it
> seems that once government is taken out of the picture, peace between people
> exists.. To quote a great philosopher of our time "Can't we all just get
> along?" (Rodney King)
>
> Next time I'm in Weaverville I'll stop by!
> M
>
>
>
The Tibetans are pretty much friendly with anyone. The Dalai Lama has
actually said that he has no problem with Tibet being a subject state
of China. His one condition is that their religious practices be
totally autonomous from the state, and China rejects that..
Danbob
And the Chinese have about 10,000 characters in their alphabet. The
guy who gives the tour at the Joss House says that he's been studying
Chinese for about 10 years now and his tutor tells him he's almost
worked his way up to incomprehensible.
Military Brats Registry
China..not in America.
Danbob
I think any repression of Chinese people in America is pretty well
over. They seem to be coming out top of their classes and getting the
best jobs all over the country. Not bad for people who weren't
allowed to stay in public facilities a century and a half ago.
H
>
> And the Chinese have about 10,000 characters in their alphabet. The
> guy who gives the tour at the Joss House says that he's been studying
> Chinese for about 10 years now and his tutor tells him he's almost
> worked his way up to incomprehensible.
Check out <http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1927> where there's an
interesting article on Chinese, English, dyslexia, & the funtioning of
the brain in connection therewith.
Basically, the Chinese read with different parts of their brain than
Anglo/Europeans do.
Not surprisingly, the same seems to hold for speech:
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3025796.stm>
Military Brats Registry
probably has a lot to do with it too ;)
M
H
> Now I understand why it's taking me so long! Though, failing memory
> probably has a lot to do with it too ;)
Well, as a friend of mine says, I have a good memory, but it's short.
Danbob
So isn't that what the Big Bamma's preacher was saying about
Africans? So weird watching that because, if you believed it, you'd
have to come to the conclusion that we needed schools that were . . .
separate but equal. I think I've heard that phrase before somewhere.
H
> So isn't that what the Big Bamma's preacher was saying about
> Africans?
Umm...no.
It's not that the Chinese brain processes things differently than, say,
the English brain. It is not that the Chinese, because of cultural
differences, learn in a different fashion than the English.
It is that any brain processes Chinese differently than it processes
English.
Danbob
So you're saying that the language itself causes the brain to be wired
in a different way? And that the brain set up acts as a conceptual
filter for experiences of the world around us? Thus, the Chinese
experience the world in a vastly different way than the English
because their conceptual filters are far different.
Reminds me a Margaret Meade book I read a zillion years ago where she
was talking about Samoa. Said that until the Europeans got there they
didn't even have a word for rape, because it never occurred. In their
culture, if a boy was interested in a girl he'd sneak into her house
at night and lie down next to her. If she was interested in him,
they'd make love. If she wasn't, she'd jump up and start laughing at
him, awakening the rest of the household who would join in the
laughter. He'd skulk off into the woods for a few days to get over
the shame, and then he'd come right back and start courting other
girls.
So, I wonder if the language shapes the reality or the reality shapes
the language. Or maybe it's a reciprocal process.
H
> So you're saying that the language itself causes the brain to be wired
> in a different way?
Not exactly - what I'm saying is that the research shows that what the
Chinese use as written language and what we use are two different
things. It's as if they use pictures, and we use music. Processed in two
different parts of the brain.
It might well be that it results in a somewhat different wiring, but
what I've read has not actually said that.
> And that the brain set up acts as a conceptual
> filter for experiences of the world around us? Thus, the Chinese
> experience the world in a vastly different way than the English
> because their conceptual filters are far different.
That's an interesting extrapolation. I'm not sure that they would
experience the world differently, but they might well understand the
experience differently. A kiss is still a kiss, but whether you get it
from your sister or your girlfriend makes a difference.
> Reminds me a Margaret Meade book I read a zillion years ago where she
> was talking about Samoa. Said that until the Europeans got there they
> didn't even have a word for rape, because it never occurred. In their
> culture, if a boy was interested in a girl he'd sneak into her house
> at night and lie down next to her. If she was interested in him,
> they'd make love. If she wasn't, she'd jump up and start laughing at
> him, awakening the rest of the household who would join in the
> laughter. He'd skulk off into the woods for a few days to get over
> the shame, and then he'd come right back and start courting other
> girls.
Didn't you get the memo? Those Samoan teenagers were putting Margaret
on.
> So, I wonder if the language shapes the reality or the reality shapes
> the language. Or maybe it's a reciprocal process.
I expect that you are right that there's a feedback loop involved, but I
would not use the term "reality" - I would use "perception of reality."
Danbob
Oh, okay - I gotcha now. I'd forgotten that the Chinese alphabet is
basically pictures. Different part of the brain. I remember reading
that their symbol for unhappiness is a roof with two women under it.
So they're definitely not inclined to Mormonism, I would think.
Yes - perception of reality. Looking back over my life, I can see a
lot of perceptions I was dead sure about that were totally false. An
odd sort of a feeling. Deuced odd, really.