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Post by Alex on Apr 16, 2007 15:09:29 GMT -8
Good morning, from the other side. Sent a summary of the day to my wife, so I thought I'd clean it up and post to let people know how it's going. I should note that when I reference Asian culture I'm actually talking about Chinese, particularly Southern China. It's kind of like discussing European culture based largely on living in Switzerland: Your mileage may vary considerably -
Jetlag found me up a little early this morning, so I thought I'd catch up on email and check in with the world.
Unfortunately although busy I haven't done much exciting so far. After arriving in Hong Kong Sunday night, I stayed the night at the Langham hotel; not a bad hotel for a simple room, the rates weren't too bad and the location good. I think they compare to the Hyatt before it was torn down, although since it was my first time there and I was just staying for the night my room wasn't too fancy and smelled a bit like stale smoke.
I took the Kowloon-Canton Railway (commuter train) north to Lo Wu, meeting up with Calvin (HK engineer) on the way and Matthew (HK program manager) on arriving. Border crossing was uneventful and the factory, Shin Dar, had a driver pick us up and took us the hour NW to Long Gang district of Shenzhen, which isn't very far as the crow flies - maybe from Portland to Hood River as far as distance is concerned.
Arriving there we got to work on first shots, which went pretty well for this stage of the program. Only a couple of real fixes to worry about until first build, when all the dirty laundry comes out. I'm pretty happy with the progress the factory has made really, with most of the parts close to the original design and few features left out. They forgot to add energizers for the ultrasonic welding, without which assembling the parts will be difficult, but they jumped on that one pretty quickly. I felt a little bad dropping that one on the factory project manager, Mr. Zhang, when later we left for the dinner he had the look of a man who wasn't going to get to sleep for the night; a dinner he otherwise would have attended.
Lunch was in the manager's cafeteria, again with the Taiwanese cook and the food was quite good. For lunch it works out nicely since it's simple, close by, and well made. All the managers are from Taiwan (it's a Taiwanese company) and love bringing in food and teas from back home. I asked if the managers or their highly valued and imported cook made more money, which brought a little chuckle but no real resolution. Nothing too exotic, some duck liver, cooked fish, vegetables, chicken & rice noodle soup, and a couple other items that escape me at the moment. After lunch was the normal TV and fruit for a little bit, then back to work. It's interesting to point out that TV plays a big part in an average Chinese meal. While in the US it would seem rude or inattentive, in most of the casual Asian meals I've had here a TV is usually on and present, and people will spend the majority of the meal watching it. Similar in concept to watching a movie together in the US after a meal, only they roll it together. I think it also doubles as a short siesta.
After we stopped for the day the General Manager and Vice General Manager, Huang Ting Chang and May Lee, respectively, along with a couple others took us out to dinner. It was seafood in theme and ranged fairly widely. It turns out Mr Huang either has a taste for red wine or enjoys having it with western guests, so that figured heavily in the meal with a lot of toasting and cheers. I knew I had work that night so I only had a few glasses - which is lucky since the amount you drink when there's toasting every three minutes can sneak up on you. Another point about Asian meals it is common not to have a fluid on the side to drink - such as water or tea. Even the teas - often present - are drunk only in very small amounts at a time, hence the tiny cups. In a more traditional style, soup is the main fluid for drinking, which helps to explain why they are commonly a thin broth with items floating in it - or perhaps noodles easily sipped. The reason I mention it is I drank a lot of soup to help occupy the wine, and it played a vital role to keep me from calling it a night early.
Dinner was rather good, and in traditional Chinese welcoming style there was more than could ever be eaten. It's a little tricky since nobody believes I would eat as little as they do, so they order even more food to accommodate me. It would be lightly rude of me not to have some of everything, so I have to work to keep up. The soup again plays an important role to keep everything moving. Highlights of the meal were stuffed lobster, spicy calamari, broiled mushrooms, vegetables, sweet and sour mussels (Calvin claims they were oysters, but I quietly disagree), a rather large chicken foot, a large fried fish, and some various nicknacks that escape me - I recall some pretty tasty coconut tofu and sweet buns. Most of this was served lazy susan style, as is common. They also ordered western style steak - with predictable results in a mainland Chinese seafood restaurant but a very kind gesture nonetheless. We wrapped it up with some tea and assorted fruit dessert.
Afterwards I wound up at the hotel and finished up some design changes for a bit. By that point I was pretty tired but managed to finish up what I needed. I had the happy fortune of getting an ironing board and iron on the first try of asking (my mandarin is pretty poor/nonexistent), and a cappuccino of sorts later on to help me stay awake. I'm not sure if my memory or the hotel's was a little off in our expectation what a cappuccino looks like, but it served its purpose.
Chatted online with Dominic for a time, he had quite a nice weekend in Macau with an ex-coworker from the Logitech office. He's started a blog and I like what he's done with it. I have a little blog envy and might try to emulate to communicate back home. His time on the tower he mentions was quintessentially nutty; probably safe but tempting fate. Apparently they let him out outside the tower if he ropes up, for a small charge. He's very good at capturing unique experiences.
All of that brings me back to here and now, in front of my email from 5:30a on - Jetlag has its advantages. Today is back to the factory for round two of first shot reviews and a 'special' lunch Mr. Huang wants to have his cook prepare for me. I'm intrigued and apprehensive at the same time - which usually spells something worth taking a picture of.
Best of luck!
-Alex
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Post by Josh on Apr 16, 2007 21:15:24 GMT -8
Wow, thanks, Alex: kinda like watching, "Lost in Translation", but actually interesting...
That's intriguing about the TV watching at dinner. I wonder if that's a cross-cultural Asian tradition, because I recall a song about Vietnam that mentions watching TV during dinner.
You know, when you get back I want to talk about Canton because it was a pretty pivotal spot during World War II and I'd like a firsthand account of the area.
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Post by Alex on Apr 17, 2007 16:04:18 GMT -8
Another fine morning, I thought a brief update in order...
The weather is beautiful at the moment. We had moderate thunderstorms yesterday and they did a good job cleaning the air. I'm always heartened to see blue sky in Guangdong.
Yesterday went pretty well. The factory is on track with modifications/improvements and no major showstoppers, so my joy is quite full. The real test will be next week trying to test a production line.
Lunch was tasty. I meant to get a pic of my post-lunch carnage, but alas, it turns out I left my batteries in the US. I'll just leave it that there was an miniature field of prawn husks, clam and oyster shells, and assorted bones. I like meat.
Dinner was at a Western Restaurant, at the top of a building during a thunderstorm. It was quite dramatic but I think the weather disturbed the coy fish outside the window. The most notable item on my plate was the 'pig dingus', which I couldn't resist eating on a lark. To my surprise and I have to say relief, it turned out to be a variation of a boiled tea egg. I think I can overtly leave it to imagination what I originally thought it was.
Since we've been good we get to go to Hong Kong for a couple days. Right now there's a big product expo coming to town so trying to find a hotel last minute was a bit of a challenge. I was about one call away from contacting coworkers and seeing if I can sleep on their couch. They dodged the bullet however when the Holiday Inn came through for me. I burned through a charged SIM card, Skype, and my goodwill trying to make the arrangements - more effort than I originally expected, but in the end: victory.
Another first was bartering for SIM cards in mainland China, which went quite well, based entirely on the support of our driver. I think he does more than drive for the factory. Kind of like the fixer in 'The Great Escape'. I'm quite fond of him.
I think I'll add my airplane movie review while I'm at it:
The Good Shepherd - An interesting movie, good story and acting. Not terribly positive however and I have to say in the end I wasn't sure of the point. It seemed like an expose' of slowly destroying self and family for the sake of belief and fate. Good movie if you want to feel bad about working overseas. Cat's in the Cradle, anyone? Very positive discussion about deaf people.
Eragon - I really wanted to enjoy it. I never expected much, just some dragons breathing fire and some exciting air battle scenes. Maybe a little swordplay or jousting. It was horrible. Utterly horrible. I'm sure somebody out there likes it and I'm sorry to be cruel, but it was the most banal drivel I've seen on an airplane. The cinematography was what I'd expect from a low-budget TV series, Xena Warrior princess perhaps (not to knock Xena). The dialog was obvious, cliche and uninspired. The story elements had no sense of connection, and I quickly grew tired of sudden new plot devices magically being introduced at the convenience of the story - this in contrast to the obvious plot devices I was eternally waiting for the blessedly dim characters to discover. All this set scene by scene to the Star Wars, Episode IV storyline, but more cut scenes. The crux of it was I never did make it to any dragons fighting or breathing fire or doing anything cool, minus a 5 second clip at the beginning. I think it might have been all they had in the budget, but I'm not sure since I turned it off after an hour. On the upside, for all those that liked "The Ewok Adventure", I think it had the same narrator.
Young Frankenstein - What more could I ask for after a heavy downer movie and the not-so-dragony dragon drivel than unwinding with the old familiar, but much loved Young Frankenstein. The constable alone brought me back to my happy place.
Off to the factory. best of luck
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Post by Josh on Apr 17, 2007 16:46:21 GMT -8
Alex, you've got "travel journalist" written deep into the fabric of your soul.
It takes a lot for printed material to actually cause me to laugh outloud. Bravo again.
Oh, and I went to see Eragon opening weekend after being coaxed by co-workers. My sentiments exactly.
The sad thing is that the book is just as bad. I'll have to tell you some stories of attempts to read a few chapters with my English class. Talk about barely surpressing contempt for the sake of impressionable youth.
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Post by Alex on Apr 19, 2007 8:31:11 GMT -8
I'm afraid I'm spent today as far as creative topics to discuss. A quick summary should suffice.
We came back to Hong Kong last night (Wed), and are heading back to the factory tomorrow (Fri) to review the tool modifications. This works out nicely since I needed to take care of some side projects and also I can't seem to connect reliably to my company's servers in China. Spotty internet connections I'm afraid. I think the power drops and spikes play havoc on the system.
On the way back I had dinner with my Hong Kong coworker, Calvin, and his wife and daughter - Rebecca and Cadence, respectively. On a side note the names are their western nicknames, which most people in HK pick up if they learn English. It's a kindness to me that I've given into, since I have a hard time remembering proper Chinese names.
Cadence turns out to be a sweet and rather precocious four year old girl. She brought a child's English learning book so that she could read it to Calvin and me and earn boxes on her success sheet. I have to say I was impressed and a little intimidated by the affair. Impressed that, a native cantonese speaker, she could not only read the story to me in clear English, but then discerningly discuss the characters and elements of the story, review the best box to sign with me, talk about her favorite sushi (Roe) - all the while chit chatting about her favorite color, my favorite color, and why we liked them. I'm told her Mandarin is also improving but not quite as good, which begs the question to which standard they hold. The intimidation is due to the clear knowledge that our children will be competing with these people in a global economy. It begs the question whether we can honestly say the expectations are too high for US education.
I later learned while shopping with her that animal crackers are a rather universal love for children, and she received them gladly. Also it turns out confiscating and metering out cookies over weeks is a universal habit of parents.
A day spent in our Hong Kong office was very comfortable and I was able to refresh a bit. It's very comfortable to work with peers I've known for some time and to be able to catch up with them. The office manager gave me an update on his quest to buy Aimee some more plum tea, which turns out to be very difficult to get since its sold in Taiwan but not Hong Kong. It's evolving into an international effort with a tricky interweaving of business travel dates, contacts at various locations, and shipping registers. All this because we gave them some homemade apple butter.
The college shooting in the US is a big news headline here, although I didn't know much about it until I got back today. I've already been pulled into three discussions about gun ownership and availability, social protection, classification and uses for various firearms. Also which ones I own, the best ways to hunt animals, and the best way to pack game meat on an international flight.
All in all they have a hard time wrapping their minds around why we want to give each other guns and then worry about whether we're going to shoot each other.
This evening some of my coworkers were going bowling and invited me along. Not a bad time although I bowl only slightly less than I golf, which means I had to work out a few kinks in my throw, developed sometime around Jr. High School. I rose slowly from laughingstock to middle of the pack, and then had a shot at winning a match until we ran out of time. The last match was sort of the battojutsu of bowling. Victory goes to the those that strike first.
We wrapped up with a nice dinner of duck, pork, steamed rice in lotus leaf, something chopped up, vegetables, chrysanthemum tea, and sweetened chestnut skin milk. The restaurant had a waitress dressed in a Carlsburg beer cheerleader outfit, so Carlsburg played a significant roll in our meal. The cheerleader had a fanny pack she kept producing our cans from; I assume she kept popping off somewhere to restock. It's European alcohol percentages here, so if you drink microbrews you're ready for it. If you drink PBR you're likely to feel the urge to sing sea shanty's after the third. One of the blessings of a highly effective public transit system is nobody has to worry about whether they should drive.
That's most of the highlights, again I wish I had some content that was more interesting. Here's something: If you want to know the best way to turn down Indian copy watch/tailor vendors and local Chinese massage/"massage" vendors, the best way is to look deep into yourself and find your own way that works for you - developed according to your own personal views of social etiquette, cultural norms, and respect for humanity. Once you've carefully developed and refined your method, don't expect it to make any difference because it won't. Even in vendor packs of four or more its an unspoken understanding that everybody gets a crack at you, and presumably they don't hold to the 'no means no' philosophy modern sensibility has attempted to instill.
Best of luck.
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Post by Josh on Apr 19, 2007 10:24:57 GMT -8
"I later learned while shopping with her that animal crackers are a rather universal love for children"
Hmmm, that was our snack of choice at the Men's Ministry group this week. What does that say?
Oh, and, Cadence--- how does one adopt such an unusual English name?
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aimee
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Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Apr 20, 2007 0:01:35 GMT -8
Yet another masterpiece ;D I can totaly see little Cadance! You are probably right about US education... most likely we will be the labor pool in a few more decades. Our Empire can't last forever, and anyway labor is good for children, it builds moral values, and childhood is highly overrated. Please tell the guys there to forget the Plum Tea! I only mentioned it because I thought it would be a simple, inexpensive something from China, who knew it would get this involved! I swear applebutter is not that cool . Perhaps if you could change my order to some more interesting snacks like you got last time?
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aimee
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Post by aimee on Apr 20, 2007 0:03:50 GMT -8
or even animal crackers!
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Post by Josh on Apr 20, 2007 17:08:09 GMT -8
When are we all going to go bowling?
It's be quite fun and easy to take the kids along, too.
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Post by Alex on Apr 21, 2007 2:37:07 GMT -8
Another day, another blogging. I know it starts to become redundant for the average audience, but it's cathartic and gives me structure.
Yesterday was my in and out trip to the mainland factory. We checked up on some outstanding items and tackled a couple new ones that popped up. It went pretty quickly and we were able to head for the border by 3pm – a priority for us since end of week travel spikes and becomes congested at the border.
Getting back to Hong Kong I got situated and cleaned up then went out to dinner with a coworker, also in town on a different project. There’s a nice area nearby made up to resemble a European walk, with lines of open front restaurants of different ethnicities. We had Italian and shot the bull for quite a while, then landed at Delanie’s Pub near the hotel. Delanie’s is a mainstay for us and a good place to round off the evening.
We ended up talking for quite a while. He’s been a friend for a long time and became Jehovah’s Witness not long after college. It’s always been an unspoken point of contention and we had a fairly friendly airing of it. From that point of view it was very constructive. Largely it was a good opportunity to figure out his beliefs relative to mainstream churches.
Since we get along pretty well I was really hoping we could end up finding enough common ground theologically to relate, but as we discussed more fully it came about that there were 1.5 issues that just weren’t going to resolve between us – I had one showstopper and he had two.
It’s a pretty subtle difference if you discuss with JW’s where they vary with traditional (they would challenge that word) Christian belief. In fact a lot of the style that I’ve experienced is a hesitancy on their part to discuss the differences, almost an evasiveness. I think it may be somewhat in part to a sense of persecution – not unfounded in some regions of the world – along with cultural habits that often place them at odds with their neighbors.
There’s a whole laundry list of things that he considers vital to their religion, from holidays to rejecting military service to a specific concept of end times and hell (or the lack of the common perception of hell). From this aspect it’s not so far off from some of the more specific Christian denominations. The larger problem that boiled out of that is there is no real tolerance for differences in interpretation or understanding.
For him the idea is that an absolute truth exists and those who do not act in accordance with it do not really have a relationship with God. Again this isn’t so far out a concept except for the firm belief that no group outside of the JW’s have a true understanding of God and therefore live their lives rebelling from God, a very specific ‘one true religion’ approach. An example is seen when I would talk about JW’s in relation to other Christian groups/denominations, at which time he would unfailingly restate that he believes there are no other Christians. One of the hallmarks of JW’s I think, besides very firm and unified doctrine, is they’re incredibly polite and matter of fact when they tell me I’m going to die eternally (an oversimplification of the statement, since they have a nuanced opinion on the end times and resurrection – but conceptually about right.).
The one true faith approach is not unique to JW’s, and frankly for me it doesn’t trouble me so much since it’s not the first denomination/group to decide everybody else is going to hell (eternal death, as he would probably restate). The core theological incompatibility we worked out was his belief that there is no trinity, as there is no divinity of Jesus. Jesus plays a pivotal and crucial role in their faith but as far as I can determine they firmly believe he is not himself part of God. Unfortunately, for me that’s a showstopper to considering a group part of the Christian religion – I suppose in all fairness he would say that of me.
It’s a tricky business since both of us understand the other member to be part of false teaching, but he was more than happy to leave it at that and for my part options are limited. I think we both probably left with a sense of planting the seeds what may. Again he tends to be more than willing to tell me I’m bound for Gehenna but it’s nothing personal and he understands if I choose to do that. It’s funny that outside of theology our moral positions are not so far apart.
Wrapping up around 3:30a in the morning it was a quiet walk back to the hotels, since even the street venders and most of the prostitutes are gone by that time.
This morning saw me surprisingly refreshed. My weekends in Hong Kong tend to be the parts that Aimee appreciates the least. Mostly because as she is managing the kids and cleaning up after the puppy, my primary sources of concern were: 1) the maid knocked a bit early for my morning preparations and I had to ask her to come back in a half-hour. 2) The coffee in the hotel restaurant was a bit dark and I had to add some creamer to take the edge off - also the muesli was a little bit lumpy. 3) I had to ask the concierge for my paper and request that one be sent up to my room in the future.
Needless to say when I tell Aimee my troubles for the day she offers some constructive and creative ideas about the best ways to resolve them.
I think it also bugs her a little when I say things like: “I don't know. Maybe I'll go explore The Peak or wander around Stanley Beach, take in some culture or a museum or something. Or maybe I'll just hang out in my room and surf the internet."
On a different note, here’s a thought I worked out with my coworker today which might be of some interest - if little consequence. If I had a one-ton killer robot (or CNC mill), I would have to teach it to say “Hasta la vista, Baby”, and “I can’t do that, Dave”. Also in general I formulated that if a computer voice ever asks you to do something dangerous, like go outside your space capsule; particularly if it does so in a polite, nonchalant and coldly metered sort of way - I think it's very wise to give the request pause for consideration before blindly doing what was asked.
One other topic I’ve been meaning to mention lately is the Statue of Liberty. Two points really, one an interesting factoid and the other item more serious. I was flipping through the encyclopedia the other day and ran across the topic.
It turns out that there have occasionally been suicide attempts from the statue, but it appears it’s not really a good idea since it’s not that tall, nor a straight drop, and there’s grass at the landing. A pair of men were referenced to have tried it in the 1930’s and were quite injured but otherwise unsuccessful. If you want to do something rash it’s a good idea to go elsewhere.
The truly meaningful topic is the poem, “The New Colossus”, by Emma Lazarus and affixed to the statue. I hadn’t really read it in its entirety before, and find it worth reviewing. As follows:
“The New Colossus”
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-Emma Lazarus, 1883
This work holds great impact for me. I wonder if it is really what our nation values, or if we merely pay lip service to the lofty concept without really meaning it.
However more effective and important to me, I think it speaks of a broader power beyond nations. I consider it a beautiful distillation of faith and relationship with God, a visionary perspective on his love and desire: A figure, not of malice, with awful power self-checked; this figure calling to the broken and lost, in authority and truth absolute.
That’s all I’ve got for the moment. To Aimee’s vexation my next hurdle to overcome tonight is deciding where to eat. Do I want some steak from the Union Grill in the IBC Tower? California Pizza overlooking the harbor? Perhaps the Spanish café we passed over last night? As I’ve mentioned in the past, often I’m ruled by which one is serving the best crème brûlée.
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Post by Josh on Apr 21, 2007 18:47:19 GMT -8
Alex, I just want to say that your description of dialogue with your Witness friend is such a great example, in my mind, of the perspective that followers of Jesus all need to cultivate.
What feels so right about your manner and attitude about him and the issues you discussed is the fine balance between basic human empathy for a friend (and an accompanying ability and willingness to look at the world through someone else's eyes), a willingness to establish shared ground, a clear dilineation of the important ideas without the extremes of either excessive, compulsive narrowmindedness or pretending that the ideas themselves aren't without serious consequence: in short, being Christlike.
Oh, and as to the Statue of Liberty and the higher things it might represent, I thought of it as also representing the Church (or what the Church might, or can, be). After all, she is the Bride of Christ, and therefor a lady offering his light and his comfort to the world.
Oh, and being a creme brulee fan, how do you scout out who's offering the best, anyway?
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Post by Alex on Apr 22, 2007 8:42:33 GMT -8
Relating the poem to a description of the Church is a nice perspective I hadn't really looked at. In some ways I think it goes hand in hand with a description of Jesus, as the intent and authority is his, and the actuation should be brought into and through the Church.
Generally I just ask at all the restaurants about their creme brulee and never pass it up. Really I should try to get the concierge on it. Concierges are great by the way, I use mine to the fullest. It's the best service the hotels have to offer. It's like having personal advisers and research gnomes combined into one ultra-polite and tolerant package. For instance today I got directions to three locations, store opening times, advice on gift giving, information on which Coach store sells what in the area, the best ways to navigate the railways, taxi rates, and tipping advice - I wish I could have one at our house.
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aimee
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Posts: 136
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Post by aimee on Apr 22, 2007 20:40:38 GMT -8
“The New Colossus”Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" -Emma Lazarus, 1883What a lovely sentiment! The stark reality (you touch on) of 'popular opinion' and at times even my own actions offers a bleak contrast... Bringing to mind that the moral ruination of 'Our Lady' is unthinkably more scathing than the ruin of Babylon in Shelly's Ozymandias. OZYMANDIAS I met a traveller from an antique land Who said:—Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. Rather than a country with open arms seeking to welcome the poor and destitute, She seems to have become a huge collosal world power. Her aim (both of government and of the people) seeming to be the gain of excessive wealth and pleasure. With little thought to the backs of those we depend upon (and in some cases exploit and conquer) to gain it. And with even less thought (and in some cases even repulsion) of those who need our help.
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Post by elizabeth on Apr 23, 2007 13:23:49 GMT -8
Hey Alex, You have some great ability to tell stories and in great detail. I have found it interesting to read about your travels. Thanks for sharing. Elizabeth
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Post by rose on Apr 23, 2007 23:05:15 GMT -8
Oh my goodness, Alex, your posts are wonderful! You have such a great ability to convey, artistically, where you've been, what you've done, and what you've had for dinner. I have enjoyed the reading.
If you ever lose your day job, you can always become the next Rick Steves! I would definitely be first in line to buy your book!
And as far as Creme Brulee goes, I'm still looking for the perfect recipe. I've got a torch (those things are sooo cool!) and I want to keep trying recipes until I find the right one. I now know who to call to be my taste tester. Josh and I love Creme Brulee.
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Post by Alex on Apr 26, 2007 6:57:43 GMT -8
It's been a while since last I commented, I'm afraid I've been busy the last few days and haven't found the time to put in a decent showing. As such I've shamelessly decided to post a discussion I had a year or so ago, but first dinner from last night:
Spicy Jellyfish, Snails (we didn't eat, we thought maybe they weren't clean enough), Pork stomach, baby pig feet, chicken feet (two kinds), vegetables, Peking duck (skin), duck meat, Extreme King Tea, and wrapped it up with some watermelon.
Shameless recycle of previous article below. Originally posted as an email to my family, marginally edited for content.
Thinking of traffic presently, I've decided it would be better if I start classifying the types of events that occur. It's inaccurate and not very descriptive to say how many times I thought we'd die driving around China. Truthfully, most of our immanent wrecks are conducted at speeds that likely wouldn't kill us - unless a lorrie or bus is involved.
Often it's motorcycles and the like, and they most certainly shouldn't do us much in the way of harm. Of course there are the occasions where I've had to sit in the front passenger seat, which is far more vulnerable in my opinion – as I think a driver's natural instinct would be to save himself. And this is countered by the times I’m in the middle seat lodged between two people; where I'm virtually surrounded by human pillows.
Based on these assessments I've decided to rate the type of traffic with something more sophisticated than the number of times I thought we'd die. I'm thinking of a more accurate and categorized list, as below:
'Jeeze' (occasionally pronounced as 'Jesus!' - Almost creamed somebody but would harm neither us or our van; merely cost some trip time (ex: when we almost squish the motor taxis with the family on board, or the pedestrians crossing the road akin to a lively game of 'frogger')
'oh oh' - When there is some confusion as to who is going to declare chicken first, but the relative speeds are too slow to harm any of the parties involved - just the vehicles.. (Examples are lane changes and low speed merging through intersections, generally against the light and traffic)
'whoa!' - When the margin for error is under 3" and the relative danger of failure is only moderate. Perhaps a trip to the doctor, or a day or two for observation in the hospital. (ex: using the lanes of the opposite traffic until a spot opens up in our direction, or the opposite direction does the same in our lane. Generally dodged by weaving and somehow not tagging mirrors. I'm of the opinion this is a skill that has to be culturally bred in and cannot be trained for. Overall, this is usually riskier when in the passenger seat or in van's without seat belts, which elevates the rating one level.)
'Oh Crap' - These are events which rely heavily on what passes for defensive driving by the other vehicles. Defensive driving is probably not the best phrase as 'finding an alternate route' is a better description of the surrounding drivers' technique. These events usually are conducted at a higher speed, with limited margin for error (3"), and have a failure penalty of anywhere between 3 days to 2 weeks in the hospital. Also minor crippling could fall under this heading. Examples would include high speed crossing of opposite traffic, merging from 5 lanes to 3 if the approaching median is in your lane and under 30 feet away, and most events involving lorries and buses.
‘Grandma, I’m coming home!’ - Any event which will likely leave me horribly crippled or dead. I also include disfigurements that would make it a challenge for me be reintroduced into society. These types of events often include a boisterous mixture of the previously described events, commonly at high speed and even more often at night. Most accident's we've seen occur with more pizzazz than subtlety - and if any of these final events occur, I wouldn't be surprised if we will have to have a corporate policy change on traveling in China.
These ultimate wrecks tend to include a colorful combination of pedestrians, bicycles, lorries and stationary objects, with me at the prospective center; whatever draws the crowds afterwards, we aim to please. I wish I had a general description but these tend to be more unique and personal, and often seem to start off simpler, then expand. For instance it's not the first time we've driven past scenes of buses, vans, and a motortaxi or two, all pushed through two lanes of opposing traffic and neatly compressed against a light pole, which ironically are incredibly sturdy.
Well we're off the free way now and it's harder to write while avoiding the pedestrians in the road. I'll sign off but I hope all is going well there. So far things have passed well. Even as I've written this, we've only had 1 'Oh Crap', 3 'oh oh's and a smattering of 'Jeeze's.
-Alex
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Post by Josh on Apr 26, 2007 18:00:39 GMT -8
Oh well, what's there to complain about a little "minor crippling"?
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