Three steps and one full body postration - Just show me the money!
I'm never known to be good with recognising people. Just not a trait of mine. I've taught for a couple of years and now that I've just school for less than a year, I've problems remembering faces and associating them with names.
It's just not my strength.
But there is someone that I'm very familiar with because I've seen him on TV for many days while travelling in Tibet and I've also seen him many times at the Potala Palace and the surrounding temples in Lhasa.
It's the guy who does the three steps and one full body postration devotee.
He's such a familiar sight that each time I see him, I begin to wonder why I even had a single ounce of respect for him in the first place.
He was one of the lead in some of the scenes in a long running documentary about Tibet. His act was described as a kind of ascetic practice of Tibetan Buddhism. People would leave their villages and walk to the lamastery of their choice by doing the three steps and one body full postration. They will do it for the entire route, often relying on passers-by for food and water.
I've seen some along the highway. The buses and vehicles take pains to avoid them. Some even stop by to take photos of such pious devotees. People praise them for their singlemindedness, perseverance, and tenacity. The narrator for the documentary even said that to these people, dying while performing such an act is honour in itself.
So I've seen Mr X many times in the video. I could recognise him because of his face, that dishevelled hair and that impish grin. In my first visit to Lhasa, I saw him at the Potala at noon. When I came face to face with him, I thought my initial respect for him was a little too much.
The next time I went to Lhasa, I met him at Drepung, then at Sera lamasteries. He was doing the same thing there.
My third time at Lhasa, I think I saw him near Jokhang.
Each time I see him, my respect for him dwindles and my disgust for him increases.
Each time I see him, I see him hold bills and bills of renminbi between the wood he uses to protect his hands from the rough floor as well as hetween his fingers and wherever he manages to slip money in.
He is now no different from a circus act. And it reeks of commercialism when he displays so ostensibly his money so that all the passers-by can see his collection. Is he asking for more? I can't tell, but I know I won't give him a single cent.
I have in good mind to just walk up to him and tell him that he'll never reach heaven but I don't speak a single word of Tibetan. Heck, I think he knows as well. But perhaps to him, if this is what he NEEDS to do rather than wants to do because there could be many hungry mouths waiting for him at home. I don't know but I must say that he has entirely sullied the holiness of Tibet.
Moral of the story: Choose your actors carefully. They could easily undermine the best production.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Winter Cherry Blossoms
Winter Cherry Blossoms
Curiousity got the better of me. I mean, any flower tea by the name of "la mei hua" or winter cherry blossoms (rough translation) is too bitchy to give a miss. I've done my routine of chrysanthemum, rose, and other types of flower teas. What I have not tried, however, is this winter cherry blossom tea.
Fully formed yellow flowers are packed in a clear package. I could even feel the flowers shiver on the branches in the snowy winters, when they are brutally taken off their willowy stems and dried to become flavouring agents for hot water. Such awfully brutal beauty! Such an abrupt end to existence - at the peak of life.
So, I bought a whole packet of flowers for about RMB 6 (S$ 1.20, USD 0.70).
When I reached the hotel room, I opening the package and inhaled what I had expected to be a nice, sweet, tingling, fragrance that my mind has come to associate beautiful flowers with. Alas, as usual, the biologists are dead right again!
The flowers stink of wax. Wax! Yes, that very thing that you make candles with.
So I took out some flowers and steeped them in a glass of hot water.
The flowers floated and most eventually sank to the bottom of the cup. The rest are suspended in the water, floating as though they have just fallen their branches in the harsh winter.
Looks not too bad. Tastes...?
Like wax. The tea tastes like WAX! Yucks!
And so, my misery with that large pack of flowers (well, now I know why they say even absolute size is relative!) began.
While I must say that the flowers were great for the eyes and kept my eyes clear and moist in Tibet (those who didn't drink the tea ended up with a layer of thick, sticky discharge over their eye somehow), I hated the taste of it. Once I got used to the climate in Tibet, I stopped drinking the tea.
Many of my group members were surprised how my mother and I could keep our eyes clear. So when I introduced them to the tea, they started drinking too and their eyes got better.
So I guess it works. But I still don't like drinking wax-smelling stuff.
And my bitchy adventure with flower teas ended with this packet of Winter Cherry Blossoms. Thank you. No more... I'll just stick to what the tea joints have to offer. And perhaps jasmine tea...
Curiousity got the better of me. I mean, any flower tea by the name of "la mei hua" or winter cherry blossoms (rough translation) is too bitchy to give a miss. I've done my routine of chrysanthemum, rose, and other types of flower teas. What I have not tried, however, is this winter cherry blossom tea.
Fully formed yellow flowers are packed in a clear package. I could even feel the flowers shiver on the branches in the snowy winters, when they are brutally taken off their willowy stems and dried to become flavouring agents for hot water. Such awfully brutal beauty! Such an abrupt end to existence - at the peak of life.
So, I bought a whole packet of flowers for about RMB 6 (S$ 1.20, USD 0.70).
When I reached the hotel room, I opening the package and inhaled what I had expected to be a nice, sweet, tingling, fragrance that my mind has come to associate beautiful flowers with. Alas, as usual, the biologists are dead right again!
The flowers stink of wax. Wax! Yes, that very thing that you make candles with.
So I took out some flowers and steeped them in a glass of hot water.
The flowers floated and most eventually sank to the bottom of the cup. The rest are suspended in the water, floating as though they have just fallen their branches in the harsh winter.
Looks not too bad. Tastes...?
Like wax. The tea tastes like WAX! Yucks!
And so, my misery with that large pack of flowers (well, now I know why they say even absolute size is relative!) began.
While I must say that the flowers were great for the eyes and kept my eyes clear and moist in Tibet (those who didn't drink the tea ended up with a layer of thick, sticky discharge over their eye somehow), I hated the taste of it. Once I got used to the climate in Tibet, I stopped drinking the tea.
Many of my group members were surprised how my mother and I could keep our eyes clear. So when I introduced them to the tea, they started drinking too and their eyes got better.
So I guess it works. But I still don't like drinking wax-smelling stuff.
And my bitchy adventure with flower teas ended with this packet of Winter Cherry Blossoms. Thank you. No more... I'll just stick to what the tea joints have to offer. And perhaps jasmine tea...
Do & Me Singapore-style Fried Chicken
Do & Me Singapore-style Fried Chicken
It was great to see a Lhasa-based Singapore food outlet at the Octagonal Street. After meals and meals of fried, tomatoes, and eggs combination, it is a huge relief to find something that is local. Never mind it does not taste authentically Singaporean or it is way too oily and unhealthy. Anything that is deep fried and hot is better than the horrible standard fare.
So we had meals and meals supplemented by the fried chicken.
And as time went by, we also managed to find Korean fried chicken in Shigatse and another fried chicken outlet deeper inside the Octagonal Street.
They were really blessings.
I never knew that while in Singapore, most of the tour group members would pour scorn on the humble fried chicken, when in Tibet, their faces simply light up at the suggestion of an unscheduled stop-over at any, and I mean ANY, fried chicked store for some additional food. I think we are all too pampered.
It was great to see a Lhasa-based Singapore food outlet at the Octagonal Street. After meals and meals of fried, tomatoes, and eggs combination, it is a huge relief to find something that is local. Never mind it does not taste authentically Singaporean or it is way too oily and unhealthy. Anything that is deep fried and hot is better than the horrible standard fare.
So we had meals and meals supplemented by the fried chicken.
And as time went by, we also managed to find Korean fried chicken in Shigatse and another fried chicken outlet deeper inside the Octagonal Street.
They were really blessings.
I never knew that while in Singapore, most of the tour group members would pour scorn on the humble fried chicken, when in Tibet, their faces simply light up at the suggestion of an unscheduled stop-over at any, and I mean ANY, fried chicked store for some additional food. I think we are all too pampered.
How to be wayang kings and queens
How to be wayang kings and queens
This is a classic study of how to act as though you are going to but actually you can't do or won't do something; the case study of No Action, Talk Only (NATO). This study pertains to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Lhasa Gongga Airport.
Before I start, I must begin by explaining the word "wayang". The traditional definitions of wayang do not exactly apply here. Instead, the use of wayang here is degoratory. It suggests a series of overt, exaggerated movements which mean nothing. Think of the typical Chinese wayang show. Instead of walking from point A to point B on the stage, the actors walk round and round and round with exaggerated steps to show "how far" the distance between A and B is. Or during a fight sequence, when the choreographer runs out of actions, the actors hold their weapons against each other and spin round and round and round in circles to portray a long-drawn out, engaging, hard, fierce battle. The exaggeration is exasperating!
So, to cut the long story short, let me just say that luggage forwarding services when passengers do flight transfers from domestic to international flights is a common service provided by international airports. Especially if your domestic flight and your international flights are both on the same carrier, the act of doing the luggage transfer should be transparent to the traveller - it is a behind-the-scenes job. Just take my luggage and forward it to the next flight.
I can understand if the airport cannot do it because I'm actually breaking my journey and spending a night or more during my transit. But if I'm doing the transfer in the same day, it should be a trivial job.
But NO! Over in Tibet Gongga Airport, my group and I were told that forwarding services are NOT available. We need to take our luggage out at Chengdu Shuangliu, never mind our pleas that our combined luggage weighs 270 kg, never mind our transit is only 6 hours, never mind our bus in Chengdu is likely to be packed with luggage, never mind if we are going to have to spend lots of time trying to get the luggage off the belt.
I don't care about your concerns, you stupid pricks. I bet this probably passed through the head of the check-in counter staff in Tibet. "We're only agents! We can't do it," she insisted loudly in Tibet.
Fine, I thought. But then, why the heck do you print luggage tabs that read, "SIN" via 1 "CTU"? This means that luggage with such tabs should be forwarded to SIN via CTU. There should not be a need to retrieve the luggage at Chengdu (CTU). If this is not the case, then why do you make your paperwork look as though it is?
Don't they know how confusing these can be? If I had not asked, the mere sight of a forwarding label like this would have lulled me into believing that the luggage would be forwarded by default. After all, this is what I expect, having travelled at least twice a year and on many occasions, on transit.
So, they don't do it actually. But in terms of processes, they make it seem that they do.
What a show! What buffonery! What show-offs.
Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless!
This is a classic study of how to act as though you are going to but actually you can't do or won't do something; the case study of No Action, Talk Only (NATO). This study pertains to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Lhasa Gongga Airport.
Before I start, I must begin by explaining the word "wayang". The traditional definitions of wayang do not exactly apply here. Instead, the use of wayang here is degoratory. It suggests a series of overt, exaggerated movements which mean nothing. Think of the typical Chinese wayang show. Instead of walking from point A to point B on the stage, the actors walk round and round and round with exaggerated steps to show "how far" the distance between A and B is. Or during a fight sequence, when the choreographer runs out of actions, the actors hold their weapons against each other and spin round and round and round in circles to portray a long-drawn out, engaging, hard, fierce battle. The exaggeration is exasperating!
So, to cut the long story short, let me just say that luggage forwarding services when passengers do flight transfers from domestic to international flights is a common service provided by international airports. Especially if your domestic flight and your international flights are both on the same carrier, the act of doing the luggage transfer should be transparent to the traveller - it is a behind-the-scenes job. Just take my luggage and forward it to the next flight.
I can understand if the airport cannot do it because I'm actually breaking my journey and spending a night or more during my transit. But if I'm doing the transfer in the same day, it should be a trivial job.
But NO! Over in Tibet Gongga Airport, my group and I were told that forwarding services are NOT available. We need to take our luggage out at Chengdu Shuangliu, never mind our pleas that our combined luggage weighs 270 kg, never mind our transit is only 6 hours, never mind our bus in Chengdu is likely to be packed with luggage, never mind if we are going to have to spend lots of time trying to get the luggage off the belt.
I don't care about your concerns, you stupid pricks. I bet this probably passed through the head of the check-in counter staff in Tibet. "We're only agents! We can't do it," she insisted loudly in Tibet.
Fine, I thought. But then, why the heck do you print luggage tabs that read, "SIN" via 1 "CTU"? This means that luggage with such tabs should be forwarded to SIN via CTU. There should not be a need to retrieve the luggage at Chengdu (CTU). If this is not the case, then why do you make your paperwork look as though it is?
Don't they know how confusing these can be? If I had not asked, the mere sight of a forwarding label like this would have lulled me into believing that the luggage would be forwarded by default. After all, this is what I expect, having travelled at least twice a year and on many occasions, on transit.
So, they don't do it actually. But in terms of processes, they make it seem that they do.
What a show! What buffonery! What show-offs.
Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless!
The Tibetan Legends
The Tibetan Legends
Songtsen Gampo
The first Religious King of Tibet from the Yarlung dynasty who ruled between 629 and 650 CE. He remains the most famous of the Tibetan monarchs for having made Tibet one of the most important imperial powers in Asia in the seventh century. He is considered as the first law-giver and responsible for the first dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet. He was also the first Tibetan monarch to rule from Lhasa. Details
Another version:
First Buddhist temples
In the seventh century an event occurred that was decisive for Bhutan’s history: the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo (619-649) erected the first Buddhist temples, the Kyichu-Lhakhang in Paro and the Jampe-Lhakhang in Bumthang.
The erection of the monuments marked the victory of Buddhism over pre-Buddhist deities. Songtsen Gampo wanted to tame a huge demon whose body covered all of Tibet and its neighbouring areas, which posed a particularly big problem to the spreading of buddhism. The king thus decided to erect a temple on each of the demon’s joints so that she would no longer be able to move.
Songtsen Gampo was said to have magically multiplied himself and to have sent all of his emanations into the various areas of Tibet so as to erect 108 temples in one day. Towering over the heart of the demon there is the famous Jokhang-Temple in Lhasa. The demon’s left knee is held by the Jampe-Lhakhang of Bumthang and her left sole is fixed by the Kyichu-Lhakhang in Paro.
The Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo’s act of physically taming pre-Buddhist deities through religious buildings developed into a long tradition.
And so, Songtsen Gampo became the legend that all guides talk about to no end when you visit any Tibetan Buddhist place of worship.
The Confusion Between The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama - CLEARED
Dalai and Panchen, the two highest Living Buddhas, are the political and religious leaders of inner and outer Tibet. Due to different territories and the number of dependent people, the Dalai and Panchen have varying political rights, but one religion, they are absolutely equal.
The Dalai Lama has always been considered as the incarnation of Avalokitesvara or Buddha of Mercy. He usually lives in Potala Palace, and moves to Norbulingka in summer.
The Panchen Lama has always been regarded as the incarnation of Amitabha or Buddha of Infinite Light. The Panchen Lama lives in Tashilhunbu Monastery, one of the six biggest monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism.
How did the titles Dalai and Panchen come into being?
A: Dalai and Panchen were two disciples of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. They formulated two hereditary systems. These two titles were granted by China's emperors.
The word "Dalai" first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. In 1578, Altan Khan of the Tumet tribe of the Mongols residing in Qinghai invited Sonam Gyatso, leader of the Yellow Sect, to preach in Qinghai. The two leaders enjoyed mutual respect, and exchanged honorific titles. Altan Khan named Sonam Gyatso "Dalai Lama," meaning "omniscience and great authority." After the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the fifth Dalai Lama was invited to Beijing by the Qing emperor in 1652. In 1653, Emperor Shunzhi formally conferred on him the title "Dalai Lama," and granted him a gold seal and gold album. In 1751, the Dalai Lama was put in charge of the region's administration.
The title "Panchen" first appeared in 1645 when the Mongolian chieftain Gushri Khan bestowed it upon the fourth Panchen. In 1713, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty bestowed upon the fifth Panchen the title "Erdini", and granted him a gold seal and gold ablum. The central government also bestowed on him the right to rule parts of Rear Tibet.
Since the conferring of these titles by the Qing emperors, the reincarnation of the Dalai and Panchen has been under the supervision of the central government. After "drawing lots from a golden urn," the soul boys reincarnate must be approved by the central government before their official investiture. Their tonsure, religious names, and choice of teachers must be reported to the central government for ratification, and the central government sends envoys to supervise the enthronement ceremonies of the Dalai and Panchen.
Before 1959, Tibet preacticed a theocratic system whereby political power was integrated with religion. The Dalai and Panchen were therefore both the religious and political leaders of Tibet. The central government's ratification of "soul boys" reincarnate was significant in two aspects: it granted them political power as the highest leaders in Tibet and recognized their leading religious roles. Ratification and conferment procedures were an important exercise of the administrative authority of China's central government.
Hope this clarifies any confusion.
Songtsen Gampo
The first Religious King of Tibet from the Yarlung dynasty who ruled between 629 and 650 CE. He remains the most famous of the Tibetan monarchs for having made Tibet one of the most important imperial powers in Asia in the seventh century. He is considered as the first law-giver and responsible for the first dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet. He was also the first Tibetan monarch to rule from Lhasa. Details
Another version:
First Buddhist temples
In the seventh century an event occurred that was decisive for Bhutan’s history: the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo (619-649) erected the first Buddhist temples, the Kyichu-Lhakhang in Paro and the Jampe-Lhakhang in Bumthang.
The erection of the monuments marked the victory of Buddhism over pre-Buddhist deities. Songtsen Gampo wanted to tame a huge demon whose body covered all of Tibet and its neighbouring areas, which posed a particularly big problem to the spreading of buddhism. The king thus decided to erect a temple on each of the demon’s joints so that she would no longer be able to move.
Songtsen Gampo was said to have magically multiplied himself and to have sent all of his emanations into the various areas of Tibet so as to erect 108 temples in one day. Towering over the heart of the demon there is the famous Jokhang-Temple in Lhasa. The demon’s left knee is held by the Jampe-Lhakhang of Bumthang and her left sole is fixed by the Kyichu-Lhakhang in Paro.
The Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo’s act of physically taming pre-Buddhist deities through religious buildings developed into a long tradition.
And so, Songtsen Gampo became the legend that all guides talk about to no end when you visit any Tibetan Buddhist place of worship.
The Confusion Between The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama - CLEARED
Dalai and Panchen, the two highest Living Buddhas, are the political and religious leaders of inner and outer Tibet. Due to different territories and the number of dependent people, the Dalai and Panchen have varying political rights, but one religion, they are absolutely equal.
The Dalai Lama has always been considered as the incarnation of Avalokitesvara or Buddha of Mercy. He usually lives in Potala Palace, and moves to Norbulingka in summer.
The Panchen Lama has always been regarded as the incarnation of Amitabha or Buddha of Infinite Light. The Panchen Lama lives in Tashilhunbu Monastery, one of the six biggest monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism.
How did the titles Dalai and Panchen come into being?
A: Dalai and Panchen were two disciples of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. They formulated two hereditary systems. These two titles were granted by China's emperors.
The word "Dalai" first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. In 1578, Altan Khan of the Tumet tribe of the Mongols residing in Qinghai invited Sonam Gyatso, leader of the Yellow Sect, to preach in Qinghai. The two leaders enjoyed mutual respect, and exchanged honorific titles. Altan Khan named Sonam Gyatso "Dalai Lama," meaning "omniscience and great authority." After the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the fifth Dalai Lama was invited to Beijing by the Qing emperor in 1652. In 1653, Emperor Shunzhi formally conferred on him the title "Dalai Lama," and granted him a gold seal and gold album. In 1751, the Dalai Lama was put in charge of the region's administration.
The title "Panchen" first appeared in 1645 when the Mongolian chieftain Gushri Khan bestowed it upon the fourth Panchen. In 1713, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty bestowed upon the fifth Panchen the title "Erdini", and granted him a gold seal and gold ablum. The central government also bestowed on him the right to rule parts of Rear Tibet.
Since the conferring of these titles by the Qing emperors, the reincarnation of the Dalai and Panchen has been under the supervision of the central government. After "drawing lots from a golden urn," the soul boys reincarnate must be approved by the central government before their official investiture. Their tonsure, religious names, and choice of teachers must be reported to the central government for ratification, and the central government sends envoys to supervise the enthronement ceremonies of the Dalai and Panchen.
Before 1959, Tibet preacticed a theocratic system whereby political power was integrated with religion. The Dalai and Panchen were therefore both the religious and political leaders of Tibet. The central government's ratification of "soul boys" reincarnate was significant in two aspects: it granted them political power as the highest leaders in Tibet and recognized their leading religious roles. Ratification and conferment procedures were an important exercise of the administrative authority of China's central government.
Hope this clarifies any confusion.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Tibetan Slo-Mo
The Tibetan Slo-Mo
The native Tibetans are slow. They are at least three beats slower than their Chinese counterparts. No doubt they are honest, frank and forthcoming, they are SLOW. So slow that I had no choice but to whack the living daylights out of them on two different occasions.
Occasion 1
I ordered a bowl of meat sauce noodles at Tibet Red Hill Hotel because I can't stand the "standard" fare.
The waitress said, "Sir, we can't process your order unless you pay first."
So I paid the money. It was cheap (by my standards) but very exorbitant (by Tibetan standards). Well, this always happens. The dollar here and the same dollar there gets you different things.
After everyone finished dinner, my food was still not served.
So, I called the waitress and asked for it.
"Oh, let me ask." She said.
"Sure! But if it's not ready, forget it. Just return me my money." I countered.
Some time later, a guy came running.
"Oh, so sorry sir. Can I know what kind of noodles did you order?" He asked.
"You mean, you don't even know? Then what did you do after you had taken my order?" I asked?
"Ah, we misplaced it."
"Oh, so you misplaced it? Ok, forget it. Return me my money."
"..."
I raised my voice and told the receptionists to return me my payment for the meat sauce noodles. Anyway, I'm not having them anymore and it's of no consequence in terms of cost since the kitchen has not started preparing the food anyway.
The receptionists spoke in muted tones. I bet they were trying to pin blame. I'm no idiot. I know what they are doing.
"Stop muttering under your breaths and RETURN ME MY MONEY!" I ordered.
"Take it out, take it out. We need to pay this gentleman x dollars." One of them muttered while the other scrambled for the money.
I took the money and walked out.
On another occasion, the tour group was supposed to have have breakfast at 8.30 am. The standard operating hours of the restaurant (same one at Red Hill) for breakfast is from 8 to 10 am. So you'd expect the full works at 8.30 am.
What greeted us at 8.10 am (for some of us early birds) were empty or close to empty trays.
The milk was gone. The soya bean drinks were gone. There were no plates and bowls. The whole food area was in a mess.
"Er, do you have porridge and buns?" we asked.
"Oh, porridge, is it? The kitchen is still cooking. The buns? Wait a while. I'll immediately heat some for you."
The bowls and plates?
"Oh, we haven't wash the used ones yet."
What about milk?
"Oh, we'll warm some for you."
Soya bean drink?
"Immediately, immediately. We'll immediately warm some for you." Two minutes later, "Ah, we're out of it."
Great. Run out of food at the start of breakfast.
So we waited till 8.40 am and nothing seems to be working still.
I had enough.
I went to the main hall and asked to see the Duty Manager. He went home. It's weird that a duty manager gets to go home when he's on duty. Never mind. I asked for the restaurant manager.
The receptionists called the restaurant manager on his handphone at my insistence and I gave it to him.
I made him pack breakfast for the entire group and then when we left the hotel, we all bought dough fritters and munched them along the way.
The Tibetan Slo-Mo is incredibly frustrating. I'm ok that things are slow, but not to the point of dysfunctionality. Sri Lankans can be slow too. But they don't forget what you order. Neither do they forget to replenish their food nor fail to have enough crockery for use. The breakfast table, even in a place like Sri Lanka, is stacked such that it's fit for a king. China, for its want for progress and civility, has a long way to go.
By the way, I'm still trying to figure out how does a hotel guest can eat the same food everyday. Apparently, even the China Chinese visitors to Tibet who stay in Red Hill ended up buying fermented beancurd to eat with rice and they left the catered standard fare alone. So I'm not the only one who's picky. Basically, the entire system is faulty.
Until the snail tendencies are removed, Tibet will have a long way to go in terms of F&B and hospitality. And that would spell the end of its tourism because honestly, no one would want to spend exorbitant amounts to stay in a hotel when a guest house at half the price or less is not any worse. They better start thinking how they are going to stay viable in the hotel business.
The native Tibetans are slow. They are at least three beats slower than their Chinese counterparts. No doubt they are honest, frank and forthcoming, they are SLOW. So slow that I had no choice but to whack the living daylights out of them on two different occasions.
Occasion 1
I ordered a bowl of meat sauce noodles at Tibet Red Hill Hotel because I can't stand the "standard" fare.
The waitress said, "Sir, we can't process your order unless you pay first."
So I paid the money. It was cheap (by my standards) but very exorbitant (by Tibetan standards). Well, this always happens. The dollar here and the same dollar there gets you different things.
After everyone finished dinner, my food was still not served.
So, I called the waitress and asked for it.
"Oh, let me ask." She said.
"Sure! But if it's not ready, forget it. Just return me my money." I countered.
Some time later, a guy came running.
"Oh, so sorry sir. Can I know what kind of noodles did you order?" He asked.
"You mean, you don't even know? Then what did you do after you had taken my order?" I asked?
"Ah, we misplaced it."
"Oh, so you misplaced it? Ok, forget it. Return me my money."
"..."
I raised my voice and told the receptionists to return me my payment for the meat sauce noodles. Anyway, I'm not having them anymore and it's of no consequence in terms of cost since the kitchen has not started preparing the food anyway.
The receptionists spoke in muted tones. I bet they were trying to pin blame. I'm no idiot. I know what they are doing.
"Stop muttering under your breaths and RETURN ME MY MONEY!" I ordered.
"Take it out, take it out. We need to pay this gentleman x dollars." One of them muttered while the other scrambled for the money.
I took the money and walked out.
On another occasion, the tour group was supposed to have have breakfast at 8.30 am. The standard operating hours of the restaurant (same one at Red Hill) for breakfast is from 8 to 10 am. So you'd expect the full works at 8.30 am.
What greeted us at 8.10 am (for some of us early birds) were empty or close to empty trays.
The milk was gone. The soya bean drinks were gone. There were no plates and bowls. The whole food area was in a mess.
"Er, do you have porridge and buns?" we asked.
"Oh, porridge, is it? The kitchen is still cooking. The buns? Wait a while. I'll immediately heat some for you."
The bowls and plates?
"Oh, we haven't wash the used ones yet."
What about milk?
"Oh, we'll warm some for you."
Soya bean drink?
"Immediately, immediately. We'll immediately warm some for you." Two minutes later, "Ah, we're out of it."
Great. Run out of food at the start of breakfast.
So we waited till 8.40 am and nothing seems to be working still.
I had enough.
I went to the main hall and asked to see the Duty Manager. He went home. It's weird that a duty manager gets to go home when he's on duty. Never mind. I asked for the restaurant manager.
The receptionists called the restaurant manager on his handphone at my insistence and I gave it to him.
I made him pack breakfast for the entire group and then when we left the hotel, we all bought dough fritters and munched them along the way.
The Tibetan Slo-Mo is incredibly frustrating. I'm ok that things are slow, but not to the point of dysfunctionality. Sri Lankans can be slow too. But they don't forget what you order. Neither do they forget to replenish their food nor fail to have enough crockery for use. The breakfast table, even in a place like Sri Lanka, is stacked such that it's fit for a king. China, for its want for progress and civility, has a long way to go.
By the way, I'm still trying to figure out how does a hotel guest can eat the same food everyday. Apparently, even the China Chinese visitors to Tibet who stay in Red Hill ended up buying fermented beancurd to eat with rice and they left the catered standard fare alone. So I'm not the only one who's picky. Basically, the entire system is faulty.
Until the snail tendencies are removed, Tibet will have a long way to go in terms of F&B and hospitality. And that would spell the end of its tourism because honestly, no one would want to spend exorbitant amounts to stay in a hotel when a guest house at half the price or less is not any worse. They better start thinking how they are going to stay viable in the hotel business.
Karaoke Disasters
Karaoke Disasters
Karaoke is HOT in China. Even in Tibet, the people are crooning at the top of their voices, from dusk to the depths of the night.
Granted the Tibetans, having nomad blood and therefore, according to Teflon Man's own perverted theory, needs to know how to sing so that the lonely shepherdess on one hill can enthrall and ensnarl an unsuspecting shepherd on the other ridge, not everyone is endowed with a good voice. Nor the ability to hold a tune. Neither the ability to keep to the rhythm of the music nor execute the subtle nuances associated with singing.
But these semi-tone deaf, ill-rhythmed, loudspeakers (yes! I bet half the block can *already* hear them without the microphone. Now what they have a microphone, the full-blast amplifiers) ensured that the entire TOWN can hear them butcher the songs).
It would have been great if such irri-tainment only happen in the day. Unfortunately, they only happen at night.
Endless nights of placing the flat hotel pillows over my ears hoping to drown the noise out. Never ending desire to let sleep overcome the fully alert consciousness, jolted to full attention by the cacophony of horrible sounds emanating from the loudspeakers from the karaoke bars three blocks away. It sounds like they are shouting a lullaby in your ears. But one does not shout "wen bie" (Goodbye Kiss, a Jacky Cheung favourite).
And so the story goes... from town to town, from city to city, from province to province... The Japanese would have been proud that their one invention was so loved by the Chinese. Fully accepted, and embraced, without any objections!
Karaoke is HOT in China. Even in Tibet, the people are crooning at the top of their voices, from dusk to the depths of the night.
Granted the Tibetans, having nomad blood and therefore, according to Teflon Man's own perverted theory, needs to know how to sing so that the lonely shepherdess on one hill can enthrall and ensnarl an unsuspecting shepherd on the other ridge, not everyone is endowed with a good voice. Nor the ability to hold a tune. Neither the ability to keep to the rhythm of the music nor execute the subtle nuances associated with singing.
But these semi-tone deaf, ill-rhythmed, loudspeakers (yes! I bet half the block can *already* hear them without the microphone. Now what they have a microphone, the full-blast amplifiers) ensured that the entire TOWN can hear them butcher the songs).
It would have been great if such irri-tainment only happen in the day. Unfortunately, they only happen at night.
Endless nights of placing the flat hotel pillows over my ears hoping to drown the noise out. Never ending desire to let sleep overcome the fully alert consciousness, jolted to full attention by the cacophony of horrible sounds emanating from the loudspeakers from the karaoke bars three blocks away. It sounds like they are shouting a lullaby in your ears. But one does not shout "wen bie" (Goodbye Kiss, a Jacky Cheung favourite).
And so the story goes... from town to town, from city to city, from province to province... The Japanese would have been proud that their one invention was so loved by the Chinese. Fully accepted, and embraced, without any objections!
My Neighbour Lives in The Potala Palace
My Neighbour Lives in The Potala Palace
In Lhasa, I stayed in the Tibet Red Hill Hotel, which was on the western side of the Potala Palace.
It felt very holy staying near the Potala. Once out of the hotel's compound, you'll see many devotees making their way to the Potala. You will also get to see the prayer wheels that adorn the perimeter of the Potala. It's a grand sight and it's very common to see people turning those wheels even late at night.
There are about 500 of the prayer wheels in all and once you start, you shouldn't stop. So one quick round of prayer wheel spinning takes about an hour.
Facing the wheels on one side of the palace is a row of meat stalls - beef sellers line their lot with chockful of bloody meat. I really wonder if those blessings from the wheels will elevate the souls of the dead cows and let them have a better reincarnation.
Anyway, it felt nice staying beside the Potala Palace for 6 nights. I even see the esteemed palace out of a window when I have my meals in the restaurant. For once, it's a wonder that seems very mundane after the trip.
In Lhasa, I stayed in the Tibet Red Hill Hotel, which was on the western side of the Potala Palace.
It felt very holy staying near the Potala. Once out of the hotel's compound, you'll see many devotees making their way to the Potala. You will also get to see the prayer wheels that adorn the perimeter of the Potala. It's a grand sight and it's very common to see people turning those wheels even late at night.
There are about 500 of the prayer wheels in all and once you start, you shouldn't stop. So one quick round of prayer wheel spinning takes about an hour.
Facing the wheels on one side of the palace is a row of meat stalls - beef sellers line their lot with chockful of bloody meat. I really wonder if those blessings from the wheels will elevate the souls of the dead cows and let them have a better reincarnation.
Anyway, it felt nice staying beside the Potala Palace for 6 nights. I even see the esteemed palace out of a window when I have my meals in the restaurant. For once, it's a wonder that seems very mundane after the trip.
Shotun Festivities
Shotun Festivities
AKA How to climb two hills in a day and not die
Well, what I did was simple - I didn't climb the first hill. I got to where I could see and I stopped climbing. I'm not a "climber" by nature - I don't mind proper roads and steps or even paved slopes but experience has taught me that people with disproportionate body shapes should avoid tackling natural slopes. Can you imagine how funny it'll be to slip off and roll downhill, leaving a cloud of dust behind you?
Ok, jokes aside. To survive Tibet, it is quite easy. Just keep climbing. It's that simple. Just keep climbing and take gradual steps. Don't ever stop or do the stop-and-go.
Once you try to tackle the slope by bits, your get up and go will get up and go.
Believe me. That's how I survived.
AKA How to climb two hills in a day and not die
Well, what I did was simple - I didn't climb the first hill. I got to where I could see and I stopped climbing. I'm not a "climber" by nature - I don't mind proper roads and steps or even paved slopes but experience has taught me that people with disproportionate body shapes should avoid tackling natural slopes. Can you imagine how funny it'll be to slip off and roll downhill, leaving a cloud of dust behind you?
Ok, jokes aside. To survive Tibet, it is quite easy. Just keep climbing. It's that simple. Just keep climbing and take gradual steps. Don't ever stop or do the stop-and-go.
Once you try to tackle the slope by bits, your get up and go will get up and go.
Believe me. That's how I survived.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Village kids, town beggars, scenic spot robbers
Village kids, town beggars, scenic spot robbers
"xian sheng, xian sheng, gei wo yi dian qian. xian sheng, qiu qiu ni. gei wo yi dian qian." (Mister, Mister, give me a little money. Mister, I beg you. Give me a little money.)
While whining as though it's her last breath, the little bitch of a brat (or brat of a bitch) tried to block my way as I walked out of the lamastery towards my bus. She tried to block me no matter I wanted to move left or right. But my heart was unmoved.
She's a professional beggar, a cheat, a charlatan. She weaves great tales and has a voracious appetite for money. The more, the merrier.
I made a bold step forward, steeling myself that I'll knock into her dirty body and fling her aside if I did so. I did it nonetheless.
She bounced off my body as she tried to block me in mid-stride and staggered a step. Regaining her balance, she tried the same trick again - to block my way.
Big as I am, I'm rather quick too. I positioned myself for a direct impact with that "thief". At worst, this time, she'll be bounced off and she'll land on her buttocks or if she's slow, I'd have shrugged her off.
Fortunately, the latter happened. I cut across her path and in two strides, I'm out of her firing range. She changed a target.
She is the archetypical scenic spot robber.
"Gei wo! Wo mei you!" (Give me! I don't have it (yet)!
The bunch of kids dashed out to the kerbside as our bus whizzed past fields and fields of highland barley. From nowhere, the bunch of kids appeared and started waving to us.
Finally, we took a stop. That was the day when, after I buttered the supervisor of the hotel's restaurant, I had asked for 14 sets of takeaway breakfasts for my entire group.
So the kids swarmed to the entrance of the bus and raised their hand, waiting in anticipation for food. Our local guide passed them the breakfast packs and immediately, some hid the packs to the bushes and came back for more.
They claimed they had not got their share and wanted a packet. I was, honestly, rather appalled and taken aback by such treacherous and dishonest behaviour at such a young age.
After a while, I resorted to giving out my packet of sugared ginger slices. As the icing sugar was sure markers on whoever has handled the ginger slices, I passed out piece after piece. Again and again, I see hands stained with icing sugar reaching out to my next offered slice while the younger kids never got their share. I tried my best to share out the stuff evenly, often pushing off hands so that the young ones get a slice.
When I was in Shigatse, I bought 17 sets of biscuits and bottled milk. I got the supermarket cashier to pack these into individual bags. They immediately knew I had bought them for the kids that we met by the roadside. I would have bought more if I could find more biscuits. I am dead against giving luxury items - even biscuits with cream in the middle are luxury items! - because I do not want to "spoil" the children. Why raise their expectations? They may never get another Oreo until years down the road, for instance. And for the money spent on getting the Oreos, I could have fed many others, many more.
When it came to distributing, you cannot imagine the mayhem.
These are the village kids.
They sit quietly in some obvious corner with their hands or caps or whatever receptacles they have showing a myriad of notes in different denominations, such as ten-jiao (ten china cents), twenty-jiao, fifty-jiao, RMB 1, RMB 2, etc. They look at you with those puppy eyes and hold out their hands. Some look at you defiantly as they try to get you to give them money.
I often ignore them and walk away. There are too many of them and I'm not able to help.
Some cases are genuine; most of them are fake. I cannot tell and so I numb myself and do not see. Obvious cases, I give RMB 10 (about USD 1.20). Otherwise, I'll wait for the obvious cases.
There is a guy who does the 3-steps-1-full-postration thingy. It's like one of the most holy things a devotee can do but on at least 3 different occasions, I catch him at the same place doing the same thing again and again and again. But instead of being pious and pure, between his fingers and the postration boards (they wear these wooden boards as a kind of protection on their hands, legs (especially at the knees) and across the chest down to the groin so that the rough grounds do not hurt them ) are money notes. That is a disgusting sight.
He's no different from a basker trying to get money!
These are the town beggars.
"xian sheng, xian sheng, gei wo yi dian qian. xian sheng, qiu qiu ni. gei wo yi dian qian." (Mister, Mister, give me a little money. Mister, I beg you. Give me a little money.)
While whining as though it's her last breath, the little bitch of a brat (or brat of a bitch) tried to block my way as I walked out of the lamastery towards my bus. She tried to block me no matter I wanted to move left or right. But my heart was unmoved.
She's a professional beggar, a cheat, a charlatan. She weaves great tales and has a voracious appetite for money. The more, the merrier.
I made a bold step forward, steeling myself that I'll knock into her dirty body and fling her aside if I did so. I did it nonetheless.
She bounced off my body as she tried to block me in mid-stride and staggered a step. Regaining her balance, she tried the same trick again - to block my way.
Big as I am, I'm rather quick too. I positioned myself for a direct impact with that "thief". At worst, this time, she'll be bounced off and she'll land on her buttocks or if she's slow, I'd have shrugged her off.
Fortunately, the latter happened. I cut across her path and in two strides, I'm out of her firing range. She changed a target.
She is the archetypical scenic spot robber.
"Gei wo! Wo mei you!" (Give me! I don't have it (yet)!
The bunch of kids dashed out to the kerbside as our bus whizzed past fields and fields of highland barley. From nowhere, the bunch of kids appeared and started waving to us.
Finally, we took a stop. That was the day when, after I buttered the supervisor of the hotel's restaurant, I had asked for 14 sets of takeaway breakfasts for my entire group.
So the kids swarmed to the entrance of the bus and raised their hand, waiting in anticipation for food. Our local guide passed them the breakfast packs and immediately, some hid the packs to the bushes and came back for more.
They claimed they had not got their share and wanted a packet. I was, honestly, rather appalled and taken aback by such treacherous and dishonest behaviour at such a young age.
After a while, I resorted to giving out my packet of sugared ginger slices. As the icing sugar was sure markers on whoever has handled the ginger slices, I passed out piece after piece. Again and again, I see hands stained with icing sugar reaching out to my next offered slice while the younger kids never got their share. I tried my best to share out the stuff evenly, often pushing off hands so that the young ones get a slice.
When I was in Shigatse, I bought 17 sets of biscuits and bottled milk. I got the supermarket cashier to pack these into individual bags. They immediately knew I had bought them for the kids that we met by the roadside. I would have bought more if I could find more biscuits. I am dead against giving luxury items - even biscuits with cream in the middle are luxury items! - because I do not want to "spoil" the children. Why raise their expectations? They may never get another Oreo until years down the road, for instance. And for the money spent on getting the Oreos, I could have fed many others, many more.
When it came to distributing, you cannot imagine the mayhem.
These are the village kids.
They sit quietly in some obvious corner with their hands or caps or whatever receptacles they have showing a myriad of notes in different denominations, such as ten-jiao (ten china cents), twenty-jiao, fifty-jiao, RMB 1, RMB 2, etc. They look at you with those puppy eyes and hold out their hands. Some look at you defiantly as they try to get you to give them money.
I often ignore them and walk away. There are too many of them and I'm not able to help.
Some cases are genuine; most of them are fake. I cannot tell and so I numb myself and do not see. Obvious cases, I give RMB 10 (about USD 1.20). Otherwise, I'll wait for the obvious cases.
There is a guy who does the 3-steps-1-full-postration thingy. It's like one of the most holy things a devotee can do but on at least 3 different occasions, I catch him at the same place doing the same thing again and again and again. But instead of being pious and pure, between his fingers and the postration boards (they wear these wooden boards as a kind of protection on their hands, legs (especially at the knees) and across the chest down to the groin so that the rough grounds do not hurt them ) are money notes. That is a disgusting sight.
He's no different from a basker trying to get money!
These are the town beggars.
Clarified yak butter - the food of the Buddhas
Clarified yak butter - the food of the Buddhas
Clarified yak butter - aka ghee (or suyou, to the Chinese) - is a very common offering that the Tibetans bring to the lamasteries. Most of the rural folks bring in packets of their own produce while the better off Tibetans buy Nepalese suyou for the Gods.
They carry a packet of the suyou and walk to lamps of various sizes and spoon lumps of suyou into the reservoir. The reservoir is packed with the solid, yellow fuel but the suyou near the burning wicks are melted to form a small reservoir of liquid gold.
The suyou fuels the light and dispel the darkness. However, the smoke emanating from the lamps are rather dense and they actually form a layer of black (or very dark coloured) residue on the walls of the lamasteries. It's akin to slapping on a very thin layer of extremely viscous oil on the walls.
But this is fine by me. What I find rather hard to acquire is the smell of the suyou "tar". If you'll permit me to make a brief description, the "tar" is like a mixture of body odour, sour sweat, bloodied beef (those at beef stalls) and other herbs plus lots of hitherto unidentifiable smells (at least to me). And how they linger on your clothes, your hair, your pouch and worst of all, inside your nose. Clearing my nose every night is akin to reliving the lamasteries I've visited in the day.
So when we arrived in Lhasa, in Red Hill Hotel, we were offered a choice of Han-styled rooms and Tibetan-styled rooms. After making a survey of both rooms, we decided to go for the Han-styled rooms. All of us ended up with Han rooms for all 3 times we stayed there. We told the receptionists that we were not used to the "opium beds" they used in the Tibetan rooms.
The truth was, there is a Tibetan carpet in each room which smelled strongly of suyou tar. We would never have been able to take the smell for 6 nights!
Clarified yak butter - aka ghee (or suyou, to the Chinese) - is a very common offering that the Tibetans bring to the lamasteries. Most of the rural folks bring in packets of their own produce while the better off Tibetans buy Nepalese suyou for the Gods.
They carry a packet of the suyou and walk to lamps of various sizes and spoon lumps of suyou into the reservoir. The reservoir is packed with the solid, yellow fuel but the suyou near the burning wicks are melted to form a small reservoir of liquid gold.
The suyou fuels the light and dispel the darkness. However, the smoke emanating from the lamps are rather dense and they actually form a layer of black (or very dark coloured) residue on the walls of the lamasteries. It's akin to slapping on a very thin layer of extremely viscous oil on the walls.
But this is fine by me. What I find rather hard to acquire is the smell of the suyou "tar". If you'll permit me to make a brief description, the "tar" is like a mixture of body odour, sour sweat, bloodied beef (those at beef stalls) and other herbs plus lots of hitherto unidentifiable smells (at least to me). And how they linger on your clothes, your hair, your pouch and worst of all, inside your nose. Clearing my nose every night is akin to reliving the lamasteries I've visited in the day.
So when we arrived in Lhasa, in Red Hill Hotel, we were offered a choice of Han-styled rooms and Tibetan-styled rooms. After making a survey of both rooms, we decided to go for the Han-styled rooms. All of us ended up with Han rooms for all 3 times we stayed there. We told the receptionists that we were not used to the "opium beds" they used in the Tibetan rooms.
The truth was, there is a Tibetan carpet in each room which smelled strongly of suyou tar. We would never have been able to take the smell for 6 nights!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Shopping in Tibet
Shopping in Tibet
Case Study: Octagonal Street Shopping
It is with GREAT PRIDE, JOY, SATISFACTION, ENJOYMENT and EMBARRASSMENT that I'm writing this.
Pride
I pride myself as an astute shopper who knows my stuff and knows my prices. I'm hardly conned (if ever, it's because I allowed myself to be). I drive hard bargains but I know when to give in and let the seller earn his bread for the day.
Joy
I bought 13 difference agate bracelets, necklaces and ornaments. I've spent 3 afternoons trawling the Octagonal Street for agate stuff. It was a hard thing to buy. Most of the items on display were fake - they could be plastic beads, or made of composite stuff. Nothing much real. I actually scrutinised stall after stall to make sure that I got the right stuff.
In fact, most of those I bought, I could feel the agate pearls "calling out" for my attention. Don't ask me how. It's akin to your child telling you that they want to eat burgers as you go past McDonalds. Ok, I am being flippant and frivolous here, but honestly, the agate pearls carry their own "fields" and if yours and theirs "match", you are more likely to buy them.
For instance, they had lovely amber on sale but I bought none because they simply don't "speak" with me.
Satisfaction
The bargaining was greatly satisfying. The items bought were in hot demand. I must have bought much much more than just those 13 items but I resold some to my fellow tour members at my cost. I didn't even mark up a single cent. But the fact that my items were appreciated was also greatly satisfying.
Enjoyment
I like buying things in flea markets like the Octagonal Street because I get to bargain at the prices like crazy. When they tell me something costs RMB 60, I'll counter offer RMB 10, show great disdain and disinterest for the item and walk away, if the stall holder does not sell it at RMB 10.
Almost always, they relent. In fact, they always relent. And that brought me to the next point.
Embarrassment
I had plied the Octagonal Street on 3 different occasions, each on a different day when I stayed in Lhasa. I know by the back of my hand which stall at which nook and cranny sold what items. I even got bolder on each proceeding occasion.
If I had bought something at RMB 30 the last time around, I'll offer RMB 15 or even RMB 10 this time. If I had it at one for RMB 10, I'll try to bargain at three for RMB 20. I was always successful.
There was also a large chain of fake jade beads that I liked quite a lot. It is like those oversized prayer beads you see in some temples. The price the stallowner offered was RMB 200. A fried with me said, "If you want, offer RMB 50."
I hate to be told what to do, so I offered RMB 40. I got it.
On the last day, I saw an agate necklace with the "snow flower" pattern (each pattern on the agate has different meanings and acts differently but most of them will protect the bearer or the wearer). The chain was long and big. There was a huge agate bead at the bottom of the chain and 2 rounder, medium sized beads by the side. The necklace was tied using many layers of string and all along the side of the string were silver pellets tied to it. So it's a commanding looking chain and honestly, it looks quite good.
I stared at it for some time and the stallowner went, "Give a price, give a price!" I said, "I'm not really interested..." So the stallowner walked out and insisted that I look at the various items and one by one, I turned him down.
So he offered me the necklace at RMB 600 (about USD 75). I was really not so interested yet I thought that if I bought that necklace, I could give it to my friend to hang in his car. Ok, let me get it for him.
So I said, "RMB 50 (USD 6.25)." I told him, if it is fated that the necklace is mine, you'll sell.
The stallowner was shocked to high heavens. Or so he pretended to be. So as i walked away, he called me and said he'll sell to me. As I walked back, he grabbed my hand and counter-offered, "Can you buy it at RMB 300? I need to earn a living."
"I'm really not interested in the necklace," I said, adding, "That necklace is only that price. If you want, it's a deal. Otherwise, let's call it off." And I walked off.
He repeated his call, and when I reluctantly walked back, he begged me to buy it at RMB 150.
"Bro," I told him, "I've told you I'm not at all interested in this necklace. Actually, I wanted to tell you RMB 30 and waste time with you, but I thought I might as well tell you RMB 50 because that is what I'm willing to pay. If there's a deal, it's a deal. Otherwise, forget it. Let the necklace find a more suitable owner." So he pulled my hand in a handshake manner and said, "Last price, RMB 100."
I pulled my hand out, "RMB 50 or forget it. I'm really not interested. Don't waste my time."
As I walked off, he chased after me, going, "Ok! Ok! RMB 50."
So I paid for the necklace and as he packed it in an overly small plastic bag, he was muttering under his breath in his native Tibetan and the surrounding stall holders were half laughing, half grumbling.
Before I go to my embarrassment, let me go on for a bit more.
I went back to the hotel and asked the receptionists at the concierge how much they thought the stallholder quoted me for the necklace. They confidently said, "At most RMB 150." When I told them RMB 600, they told me to tell the fellow to go rob a bank! When I further told them that I got the thing for RMB 50, they said it's about that price. Well, I leave you, the informed readers, to decide if I'd been too harsh in bargaining.
The real embarrassment is this: There was this stallholder from whom I bought two 3-eyed agate bracelets. When I saw the first one, I liked it very much. He wanted RMB 60 but I offered RMB 25 and he agreed. I asked for another and he ran to another shop to find. So when I saw the rest, I was not very satisfied - the quality of goods in Tibet varies greatly. So I said, the second one is not nice. I'll only offer RMB 40 for both. The guy reluctantly agreed. That was during my second trip to Octagonal Street.
The third trip there, I walked a round and spent lots of time to locate his stall. Finally, I found his stall. I asked him for the rest of the bracelets because I had decided to buy them all. I remembered that he had 4 bracelets left after my second trip.
He said he had only one. I said, show me the rest and I'll make an offer. So when he brought in the rest, there were 3 bracelets in all. I offered RMB 40 for all 3 bracelets. He flatly refused. He told me, "Bro! Count the number of beads on the bracelets! You're not getting a bracelet! You've got enough beads to make 3 to 6 bracelets from this!" What he said, in fact, was true. If I cut the nylon wire holding the beads together, I could get them made into about 6 different bracelets.
I countered on the track that I didn't like the quality of the goods. He insisted he wanted RMB 70 for them, so I relented a little and offered RMB 45. (I had bought similar bracelets on the first day at RMB 30 each at another stall!). He was still very adamant that he's making a loss. I, on the other end of the transaction, wanted the beads quite badly.
So he offered RMB 60. I raised my offer to RMB 50 and I stayed my ground. Eventually, he wanted RMB 55, but I kept to my stated price.
After a while, he gave in and as he packed, he told me, "The last time you came to buy the bracelets, you gave me RMB 40 for 2. This time, you wanted and made me give you 3 at RMB 50. The next time you come, I don't know how much (meaning little) you're going to give me. I'm definitely going to go bankrupt when you come again.'
"Don't worry, bro. I'm flying off tomorrow morning." I told him. "I won't be coming again."
Case Study: Octagonal Street Shopping
It is with GREAT PRIDE, JOY, SATISFACTION, ENJOYMENT and EMBARRASSMENT that I'm writing this.
Pride
I pride myself as an astute shopper who knows my stuff and knows my prices. I'm hardly conned (if ever, it's because I allowed myself to be). I drive hard bargains but I know when to give in and let the seller earn his bread for the day.
Joy
I bought 13 difference agate bracelets, necklaces and ornaments. I've spent 3 afternoons trawling the Octagonal Street for agate stuff. It was a hard thing to buy. Most of the items on display were fake - they could be plastic beads, or made of composite stuff. Nothing much real. I actually scrutinised stall after stall to make sure that I got the right stuff.
In fact, most of those I bought, I could feel the agate pearls "calling out" for my attention. Don't ask me how. It's akin to your child telling you that they want to eat burgers as you go past McDonalds. Ok, I am being flippant and frivolous here, but honestly, the agate pearls carry their own "fields" and if yours and theirs "match", you are more likely to buy them.
For instance, they had lovely amber on sale but I bought none because they simply don't "speak" with me.
Satisfaction
The bargaining was greatly satisfying. The items bought were in hot demand. I must have bought much much more than just those 13 items but I resold some to my fellow tour members at my cost. I didn't even mark up a single cent. But the fact that my items were appreciated was also greatly satisfying.
Enjoyment
I like buying things in flea markets like the Octagonal Street because I get to bargain at the prices like crazy. When they tell me something costs RMB 60, I'll counter offer RMB 10, show great disdain and disinterest for the item and walk away, if the stall holder does not sell it at RMB 10.
Almost always, they relent. In fact, they always relent. And that brought me to the next point.
Embarrassment
I had plied the Octagonal Street on 3 different occasions, each on a different day when I stayed in Lhasa. I know by the back of my hand which stall at which nook and cranny sold what items. I even got bolder on each proceeding occasion.
If I had bought something at RMB 30 the last time around, I'll offer RMB 15 or even RMB 10 this time. If I had it at one for RMB 10, I'll try to bargain at three for RMB 20. I was always successful.
There was also a large chain of fake jade beads that I liked quite a lot. It is like those oversized prayer beads you see in some temples. The price the stallowner offered was RMB 200. A fried with me said, "If you want, offer RMB 50."
I hate to be told what to do, so I offered RMB 40. I got it.
On the last day, I saw an agate necklace with the "snow flower" pattern (each pattern on the agate has different meanings and acts differently but most of them will protect the bearer or the wearer). The chain was long and big. There was a huge agate bead at the bottom of the chain and 2 rounder, medium sized beads by the side. The necklace was tied using many layers of string and all along the side of the string were silver pellets tied to it. So it's a commanding looking chain and honestly, it looks quite good.
I stared at it for some time and the stallowner went, "Give a price, give a price!" I said, "I'm not really interested..." So the stallowner walked out and insisted that I look at the various items and one by one, I turned him down.
So he offered me the necklace at RMB 600 (about USD 75). I was really not so interested yet I thought that if I bought that necklace, I could give it to my friend to hang in his car. Ok, let me get it for him.
So I said, "RMB 50 (USD 6.25)." I told him, if it is fated that the necklace is mine, you'll sell.
The stallowner was shocked to high heavens. Or so he pretended to be. So as i walked away, he called me and said he'll sell to me. As I walked back, he grabbed my hand and counter-offered, "Can you buy it at RMB 300? I need to earn a living."
"I'm really not interested in the necklace," I said, adding, "That necklace is only that price. If you want, it's a deal. Otherwise, let's call it off." And I walked off.
He repeated his call, and when I reluctantly walked back, he begged me to buy it at RMB 150.
"Bro," I told him, "I've told you I'm not at all interested in this necklace. Actually, I wanted to tell you RMB 30 and waste time with you, but I thought I might as well tell you RMB 50 because that is what I'm willing to pay. If there's a deal, it's a deal. Otherwise, forget it. Let the necklace find a more suitable owner." So he pulled my hand in a handshake manner and said, "Last price, RMB 100."
I pulled my hand out, "RMB 50 or forget it. I'm really not interested. Don't waste my time."
As I walked off, he chased after me, going, "Ok! Ok! RMB 50."
So I paid for the necklace and as he packed it in an overly small plastic bag, he was muttering under his breath in his native Tibetan and the surrounding stall holders were half laughing, half grumbling.
Before I go to my embarrassment, let me go on for a bit more.
I went back to the hotel and asked the receptionists at the concierge how much they thought the stallholder quoted me for the necklace. They confidently said, "At most RMB 150." When I told them RMB 600, they told me to tell the fellow to go rob a bank! When I further told them that I got the thing for RMB 50, they said it's about that price. Well, I leave you, the informed readers, to decide if I'd been too harsh in bargaining.
The real embarrassment is this: There was this stallholder from whom I bought two 3-eyed agate bracelets. When I saw the first one, I liked it very much. He wanted RMB 60 but I offered RMB 25 and he agreed. I asked for another and he ran to another shop to find. So when I saw the rest, I was not very satisfied - the quality of goods in Tibet varies greatly. So I said, the second one is not nice. I'll only offer RMB 40 for both. The guy reluctantly agreed. That was during my second trip to Octagonal Street.
The third trip there, I walked a round and spent lots of time to locate his stall. Finally, I found his stall. I asked him for the rest of the bracelets because I had decided to buy them all. I remembered that he had 4 bracelets left after my second trip.
He said he had only one. I said, show me the rest and I'll make an offer. So when he brought in the rest, there were 3 bracelets in all. I offered RMB 40 for all 3 bracelets. He flatly refused. He told me, "Bro! Count the number of beads on the bracelets! You're not getting a bracelet! You've got enough beads to make 3 to 6 bracelets from this!" What he said, in fact, was true. If I cut the nylon wire holding the beads together, I could get them made into about 6 different bracelets.
I countered on the track that I didn't like the quality of the goods. He insisted he wanted RMB 70 for them, so I relented a little and offered RMB 45. (I had bought similar bracelets on the first day at RMB 30 each at another stall!). He was still very adamant that he's making a loss. I, on the other end of the transaction, wanted the beads quite badly.
So he offered RMB 60. I raised my offer to RMB 50 and I stayed my ground. Eventually, he wanted RMB 55, but I kept to my stated price.
After a while, he gave in and as he packed, he told me, "The last time you came to buy the bracelets, you gave me RMB 40 for 2. This time, you wanted and made me give you 3 at RMB 50. The next time you come, I don't know how much (meaning little) you're going to give me. I'm definitely going to go bankrupt when you come again.'
"Don't worry, bro. I'm flying off tomorrow morning." I told him. "I won't be coming again."
The Potala Palace and The Norbulinka
The Potala Palace and The Norbulinka
I'll take on both institutions at one go for this entry.
Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, both are huge palaces. The Potala Palace boasts of a thousand rooms while the Norbulinka is 40 hectares in size.
In Potala, the walkways are a series of mazes and you'll take an eternity to get out of there. Mission Impossible 3 cannot be filmed there because there is no way anyone is going to be able to make it out of there with anything stolen from there. I think the Potala has done a great job to secure whatever there is and if you attempt to do anything funny, you'll see a part of the wall move - there're actually lamas all over and some of them are so versed in camouflage that they are able to blend into the red walls of the Potala. Most of us walk by or attempt to sit on the ledges, only to be shocked by a lama in some obscure corner.
The Potala is indeed something that prisons can learn from - you could literally imprison someone in the Potala because the person would never know where to find the way out.
The Norbulinka is quite the same, but it uses sheer size to tire you out. You know where the places are but the lack of thoroughfares impeded your finding shortcuts. It's a very nice place and everything is muted but luxurious. I've seen for the first time toilet fixings dated 1950s, TV and radio dated 1940s (which are still in working conditions!). The Dalai Lama was really technically advanced for his times. And his summer palace, the Norbulinka, shows it.
I'll take on both institutions at one go for this entry.
Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, both are huge palaces. The Potala Palace boasts of a thousand rooms while the Norbulinka is 40 hectares in size.
In Potala, the walkways are a series of mazes and you'll take an eternity to get out of there. Mission Impossible 3 cannot be filmed there because there is no way anyone is going to be able to make it out of there with anything stolen from there. I think the Potala has done a great job to secure whatever there is and if you attempt to do anything funny, you'll see a part of the wall move - there're actually lamas all over and some of them are so versed in camouflage that they are able to blend into the red walls of the Potala. Most of us walk by or attempt to sit on the ledges, only to be shocked by a lama in some obscure corner.
The Potala is indeed something that prisons can learn from - you could literally imprison someone in the Potala because the person would never know where to find the way out.
The Norbulinka is quite the same, but it uses sheer size to tire you out. You know where the places are but the lack of thoroughfares impeded your finding shortcuts. It's a very nice place and everything is muted but luxurious. I've seen for the first time toilet fixings dated 1950s, TV and radio dated 1940s (which are still in working conditions!). The Dalai Lama was really technically advanced for his times. And his summer palace, the Norbulinka, shows it.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Tibetan culinary experience
Tibetan culinary experience
[Someone must volunteer to write a script to change my blog template. I'm getting confused - do I need to type a title in my post, yah dah yah dah yah dah...]
The Tibetan culinary experience is on of a kind. As it is, given its harsh and uninhabitable conditions, Tibet hardly manages to produce enough food for humans. Grass, there are sufficient. At least if there weren't enough grass at a single location, the nomads would have known to move to greener pastures to fatten their livestock for winter.
Anyhow, I digress. Recent developments in Tibet have been amazing, to say the least. The Han people visited the Tibetans and taught them how to construct greenhouses and how to irrigate fields and so on. These days, it's possible to have morning glory, peaches, water melons and other lowland vegetables in Tibet. Amazing!
But there is something that the advent in technology did not address. Cooking techniques for the new types of vegetables. In the end, we had endless meals of badly cooked food. In fact, let me give you a glimpse into how to cook fresh food badly.
Take fresh zucchini (or winter melon), remove the skin and seeds. Cut into thick strips and fry it (possibly on its own) with oil. Add a couple of slices of dried chili for colour. Add some brown colour sze chuan seasoning (whatever that is!) for a caramelised appearance, add corn starch and [since everyone already knows how bad this tastes,] serve hot. Use [as many tour groups eat consecutive lunches and dinners at the same restaurant, add variety by serving on] round plates today. [Remember the rotation, Round before Rectangular, then Oval before Square. Then repeat.] 3 meals later, you'll swear off this dish.
Another case in point on how lovely food can be turned into something that makes you think you are being served poison. Try this: Non-tibetan tour groups to Tibet normally face food issues. So serving eggs is usually the most foolproof way of ensuring that the tour group members get something to eat. So, this is how we cook the eggs. With tomatoes. Let's count the ingenious ways of naming this dish.
Yesterday's lunch - Tomatoes fried with eggs
Yesterday's dinner - Eggs fried with tomatoes
Today's lunch - Fried tomatoes with eggs
Today's dinner - Fried eggs with tomatoes
Tomorrow's lunch - Tomatoes and eggs fried Chinese style
Tomorrow's dinner - Eggs and tomatoes fried Chinese style...
Honestly, I give up after a while. We simply told them we couldn't eat no more of that and asked for sunny side ups. And then we had sunny side ups meal after meal after meal...
Someone SAVE me!
[Someone must volunteer to write a script to change my blog template. I'm getting confused - do I need to type a title in my post, yah dah yah dah yah dah...]
The Tibetan culinary experience is on of a kind. As it is, given its harsh and uninhabitable conditions, Tibet hardly manages to produce enough food for humans. Grass, there are sufficient. At least if there weren't enough grass at a single location, the nomads would have known to move to greener pastures to fatten their livestock for winter.
Anyhow, I digress. Recent developments in Tibet have been amazing, to say the least. The Han people visited the Tibetans and taught them how to construct greenhouses and how to irrigate fields and so on. These days, it's possible to have morning glory, peaches, water melons and other lowland vegetables in Tibet. Amazing!
But there is something that the advent in technology did not address. Cooking techniques for the new types of vegetables. In the end, we had endless meals of badly cooked food. In fact, let me give you a glimpse into how to cook fresh food badly.
Take fresh zucchini (or winter melon), remove the skin and seeds. Cut into thick strips and fry it (possibly on its own) with oil. Add a couple of slices of dried chili for colour. Add some brown colour sze chuan seasoning (whatever that is!) for a caramelised appearance, add corn starch and [since everyone already knows how bad this tastes,] serve hot. Use [as many tour groups eat consecutive lunches and dinners at the same restaurant, add variety by serving on] round plates today. [Remember the rotation, Round before Rectangular, then Oval before Square. Then repeat.] 3 meals later, you'll swear off this dish.
Another case in point on how lovely food can be turned into something that makes you think you are being served poison. Try this: Non-tibetan tour groups to Tibet normally face food issues. So serving eggs is usually the most foolproof way of ensuring that the tour group members get something to eat. So, this is how we cook the eggs. With tomatoes. Let's count the ingenious ways of naming this dish.
Yesterday's lunch - Tomatoes fried with eggs
Yesterday's dinner - Eggs fried with tomatoes
Today's lunch - Fried tomatoes with eggs
Today's dinner - Fried eggs with tomatoes
Tomorrow's lunch - Tomatoes and eggs fried Chinese style
Tomorrow's dinner - Eggs and tomatoes fried Chinese style...
Honestly, I give up after a while. We simply told them we couldn't eat no more of that and asked for sunny side ups. And then we had sunny side ups meal after meal after meal...
Someone SAVE me!
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Money and Religion
Money and Religion
Somehow, clicking on "Hello" and getting it to upload my pics to my travel blog is much easier than coming over to my blog and doing some serious writing. But after a while, the brain turns jelly and the monotonous action of choosing a pic, writing a simple caption (or easier, surf the web for ready write-ups), and then waiting for the programme to do the uploading gets the better of my patience. I yearn to write a little, even if it is going to resemble some nonsensical ramblings (to some readers) or some divine truths (to other gifted or mentally brilliant ones). Anyway, I'm slipping into my Emperor's new clothes mentality again.
Well, Tibetan Buddhism is widely practised in Tibet. There are many lamas (not monks!) and many many temples, lamasteries, monasteries, palaces (I've got to figure the differences in the terminologies one of these days. But before that day, we'll use them interchangeably.).
Tourists flock to these places of worship to be awed by their intricate architecture, grand old age, splendour, majesty, holiness, and most of all, the sheer beauty of the places.
Unfortunately, each and every management of these places of worship charge "photo-taking fees". This practice is self-defeating, in my opinion. First, to enter such a place, tourists pay for a ticket. Part of the cost of the ticket SHOULD include photo-taking fees. Otherwise, it would beg the question, "to which coffer does the photo-taking fees go?". This is contentious, because lamas are supposed to lead simple lives - that means, lamas and too much money should not go hand in hand. If an entrance ticket costs RMB 50, does it make sense for each tourist to pay another RMB 50 for photo taking?
Second, if preservation of artifacts from light erosion (due to camera flashes) is a consideration, then any allowance for photo taking should not be considered.
Third, if such fees were to be used for upkeeping the temple grounds, then it returns to the argument of either the entrance fees had been grossly insufficient or there had been gross fund mismanagement of all the MONETARY offerings made by the devotees.
Coming to the latter point, I hate to say this. I find it sacrilegious to have devotees shove money at figures of worship. I find it extremely unacceptable to see Sakyamuni Buddha's raised hand be shoved with money between his fingers. I find it hard to agree with people sticking bills into every crevass they find on the figure. I find it totally disgusting to see people tossing money up high altars or at big figures so that the money can land near the Buddha or in His open palms.
Actually, I tossed RMB 10 once into an offering bowl placed high up on an altar. Then as the money landed, it dawned upon me the childishness of my action. If only the Gods were so gullible, only to accede to the requests of those who toss their money and offerings near them. Then what becomes of those who never got any access to these supreme beings? I wonder. From then on, I stopped tossing money and I won't pay a single cent to take any pictures.
There is actually another reason. I've walked past many many display cupboards showing all sorts of Buddha figures and figurines. On the glass panelled doors of such cupboards, I see lamas painstakingly stick bills of all sorts of denominations and nations on them. This is SO BLOODY MERCENARY! Are you trying to tell me that what I give is peanuts compared to the devotee who tossed 50 Great British Pounds at the figure? Preposterous! My peanuts (in Singapore terms) are worth S$600 000! Just ask T T Durai.
What about the pieces and pieces of 50 000 whatever their currency notes that are joined from end to end on the glass panels? Are they worth nothing? All such donations should be encashed for the running of the temples. These should not be displayed as though they are spoils of war. What kind of a spirit is this if those who strive to free themselves from clinging, greed and ignorant (basic Buddhist tenets) are unable to see beyond the transience of money?!
This goes back to my argument that the mismanagement of funds is rife.
Maybe I should go there, open a money changer outlet and start teaching financial management courses.
Somehow, clicking on "Hello" and getting it to upload my pics to my travel blog is much easier than coming over to my blog and doing some serious writing. But after a while, the brain turns jelly and the monotonous action of choosing a pic, writing a simple caption (or easier, surf the web for ready write-ups), and then waiting for the programme to do the uploading gets the better of my patience. I yearn to write a little, even if it is going to resemble some nonsensical ramblings (to some readers) or some divine truths (to other gifted or mentally brilliant ones). Anyway, I'm slipping into my Emperor's new clothes mentality again.
Well, Tibetan Buddhism is widely practised in Tibet. There are many lamas (not monks!) and many many temples, lamasteries, monasteries, palaces (I've got to figure the differences in the terminologies one of these days. But before that day, we'll use them interchangeably.).
Tourists flock to these places of worship to be awed by their intricate architecture, grand old age, splendour, majesty, holiness, and most of all, the sheer beauty of the places.
Unfortunately, each and every management of these places of worship charge "photo-taking fees". This practice is self-defeating, in my opinion. First, to enter such a place, tourists pay for a ticket. Part of the cost of the ticket SHOULD include photo-taking fees. Otherwise, it would beg the question, "to which coffer does the photo-taking fees go?". This is contentious, because lamas are supposed to lead simple lives - that means, lamas and too much money should not go hand in hand. If an entrance ticket costs RMB 50, does it make sense for each tourist to pay another RMB 50 for photo taking?
Second, if preservation of artifacts from light erosion (due to camera flashes) is a consideration, then any allowance for photo taking should not be considered.
Third, if such fees were to be used for upkeeping the temple grounds, then it returns to the argument of either the entrance fees had been grossly insufficient or there had been gross fund mismanagement of all the MONETARY offerings made by the devotees.
Coming to the latter point, I hate to say this. I find it sacrilegious to have devotees shove money at figures of worship. I find it extremely unacceptable to see Sakyamuni Buddha's raised hand be shoved with money between his fingers. I find it hard to agree with people sticking bills into every crevass they find on the figure. I find it totally disgusting to see people tossing money up high altars or at big figures so that the money can land near the Buddha or in His open palms.
Actually, I tossed RMB 10 once into an offering bowl placed high up on an altar. Then as the money landed, it dawned upon me the childishness of my action. If only the Gods were so gullible, only to accede to the requests of those who toss their money and offerings near them. Then what becomes of those who never got any access to these supreme beings? I wonder. From then on, I stopped tossing money and I won't pay a single cent to take any pictures.
There is actually another reason. I've walked past many many display cupboards showing all sorts of Buddha figures and figurines. On the glass panelled doors of such cupboards, I see lamas painstakingly stick bills of all sorts of denominations and nations on them. This is SO BLOODY MERCENARY! Are you trying to tell me that what I give is peanuts compared to the devotee who tossed 50 Great British Pounds at the figure? Preposterous! My peanuts (in Singapore terms) are worth S$600 000! Just ask T T Durai.
What about the pieces and pieces of 50 000 whatever their currency notes that are joined from end to end on the glass panels? Are they worth nothing? All such donations should be encashed for the running of the temples. These should not be displayed as though they are spoils of war. What kind of a spirit is this if those who strive to free themselves from clinging, greed and ignorant (basic Buddhist tenets) are unable to see beyond the transience of money?!
This goes back to my argument that the mismanagement of funds is rife.
Maybe I should go there, open a money changer outlet and start teaching financial management courses.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Some social issues in Tibet
Some interesting issues in Tibet
In the coming blog entries, I'll be writing about
1. Money and religion - how people have resorted to directly bribing the gods by sticking bills in the buddha statues' hands, between their fingers, into their robes.
2. Culinary experience - how to cook fresh food badly. How some people manage to turn your food into poison.
3. The Potala Palace Labyrinth - why Mission Impossible: 3 can never be filmed in the Potala Palace.
4. Norbulinka, the Dalai Lama's Summer Palace - A place of simple luxury.
5. Octagonal Street Shopping - how I managed to get something at RMB 50 when the initial price was RMB 600.
6. Clarified yak butter - the food of the Buddhas. Why we rejected Tibetan style rooms in a hotel.
7. Village kids, town beggars, scenic spot robbers - the state of the underprivileged in Tibet.
8. Pushing away girls beg for money by blocking your paths.
9. Shotun Festivities - How to climb two hills in a day and not die.
10. Staying beside the Potala Palace for 6 nights - How it feels to have a high class neighbout.
11. Karaoke Disasters - they only happen at night.
12. The Tibetan Slo-Mo - How they made me blow my top.
13. Songtsen Gampo
14. Dalai and Panchen - the confusion.
15. [This pertains to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Lhasa Gongga Airport] How to be wayang kings and queens - the case study of No Action, Talk Only (NATO).
16. Do & Me Singapore-style Fried Chicken - how food we disdained in Singapore saved us in Tibet.
17. La Mei Hua (Winter Cherry Blossoms) Tea - Saviour for the eyes
18. Three steps and one full body postration - Just show me the money!
19. Aviation Achievements - the Chengdu - Tibet leg.
20. (I'll fill in some more when I think of them!)
In the coming blog entries, I'll be writing about
1. Money and religion - how people have resorted to directly bribing the gods by sticking bills in the buddha statues' hands, between their fingers, into their robes.
2. Culinary experience - how to cook fresh food badly. How some people manage to turn your food into poison.
3. The Potala Palace Labyrinth - why Mission Impossible: 3 can never be filmed in the Potala Palace.
4. Norbulinka, the Dalai Lama's Summer Palace - A place of simple luxury.
5. Octagonal Street Shopping - how I managed to get something at RMB 50 when the initial price was RMB 600.
6. Clarified yak butter - the food of the Buddhas. Why we rejected Tibetan style rooms in a hotel.
7. Village kids, town beggars, scenic spot robbers - the state of the underprivileged in Tibet.
8. Pushing away girls beg for money by blocking your paths.
9. Shotun Festivities - How to climb two hills in a day and not die.
10. Staying beside the Potala Palace for 6 nights - How it feels to have a high class neighbout.
11. Karaoke Disasters - they only happen at night.
12. The Tibetan Slo-Mo - How they made me blow my top.
13. Songtsen Gampo
14. Dalai and Panchen - the confusion.
15. [This pertains to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Lhasa Gongga Airport] How to be wayang kings and queens - the case study of No Action, Talk Only (NATO).
16. Do & Me Singapore-style Fried Chicken - how food we disdained in Singapore saved us in Tibet.
17. La Mei Hua (Winter Cherry Blossoms) Tea - Saviour for the eyes
18. Three steps and one full body postration - Just show me the money!
19. Aviation Achievements - the Chengdu - Tibet leg.
20. (I'll fill in some more when I think of them!)
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
I'm Back
I'm Back
First, a little funny.
Steven Spielberg was discussing his new project - an action docudrama about famous composers starring top movie stars.
Sylvester Stallone, Stevern Segal, Bruce WIllis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all present.
Spielberg strongly desired the box office 'oomph' of these superstars, so he was prepared to allow them to select whatever composers they would portray, as long as they were very famous.
"Well, started Stallone, "I've always admired Mozart. I would love to play him."
"Chopin has always been my favourite, and my image would improve if people saw me playing the piano" said Willis. "I'll play him."
"I've always been partial to Strauss and his waltzes," said Segal. "I'd like to play him."
Spielberg was very pleased with these choices. "Sounds splendid." Then, looking at Schwarzenegger, he asked, "Who do you want to be, Arnie?"
So Arnold says, "I'll be Bach."
So, I'm back from Tibet.
And I've decided to keep my travels separate from my rantings and ravings. My digital photographs are being processed now. I'll write my stuff in my other blog www.teflontravels.blogspot.com.
Do visit. I'll tell you when.
First, a little funny.
Steven Spielberg was discussing his new project - an action docudrama about famous composers starring top movie stars.
Sylvester Stallone, Stevern Segal, Bruce WIllis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all present.
Spielberg strongly desired the box office 'oomph' of these superstars, so he was prepared to allow them to select whatever composers they would portray, as long as they were very famous.
"Well, started Stallone, "I've always admired Mozart. I would love to play him."
"Chopin has always been my favourite, and my image would improve if people saw me playing the piano" said Willis. "I'll play him."
"I've always been partial to Strauss and his waltzes," said Segal. "I'd like to play him."
Spielberg was very pleased with these choices. "Sounds splendid." Then, looking at Schwarzenegger, he asked, "Who do you want to be, Arnie?"
So Arnold says, "I'll be Bach."
So, I'm back from Tibet.
And I've decided to keep my travels separate from my rantings and ravings. My digital photographs are being processed now. I'll write my stuff in my other blog www.teflontravels.blogspot.com.
Do visit. I'll tell you when.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
It's 6 hours away!
It's 6 hours away!
Will be leaving for the airport in 6 hours! Can't believe I'm leaving for China tomorrow.
Glad to leave behind those f***ing "kan cheong spiders" (the Cantonese term kan cheong means terribly jittery, insecure, scared to be "late") at work. Terribly insecure idiots, b*****ds, sycophants, bootlickers, ass kissers, apple polishers, attention seekers, backstabbers, hypocrites, wannabes, etc they are! And I'm referring to only just very few of them. Well, you get the picture.
The miserable one is usually the misfit. In the Singapore context, the misfit is usually either the most hopeless one (laziest, dumbest, bad attitude etc) or the most brilliant. I think I'm both. I'm hopelessly brilliant and brilliantly hopeless. Depending on the situation and the work to be done. 'Nuff said.
Like I said, I'm leaving tomorrow. Well, it just feels a bit fast. I'm really hoping and hoping and hoping that the holidays will LAST and I'll come back refreshed. I don't really want to go back to work.
Heard that because of some ang-moh (local slang meaning "red devil", used to refer to caucasians - some weird linguistic legacy, so don't ask me why!) could not follow instructions. These people took out their cameras and tried to snap shots of the sky-burial DESPITE BEING TOLD NOT TO DO SO! So, apparently, the Tibetan Government has banned observers at sky-burials. Why are people such IDIOTS?
Seems like the recent entries have degenerated into some kind of idiot-bashing. Hope to bring back some fresh eyes and new thoughts when I return!
Will be leaving for the airport in 6 hours! Can't believe I'm leaving for China tomorrow.
Glad to leave behind those f***ing "kan cheong spiders" (the Cantonese term kan cheong means terribly jittery, insecure, scared to be "late") at work. Terribly insecure idiots, b*****ds, sycophants, bootlickers, ass kissers, apple polishers, attention seekers, backstabbers, hypocrites, wannabes, etc they are! And I'm referring to only just very few of them. Well, you get the picture.
The miserable one is usually the misfit. In the Singapore context, the misfit is usually either the most hopeless one (laziest, dumbest, bad attitude etc) or the most brilliant. I think I'm both. I'm hopelessly brilliant and brilliantly hopeless. Depending on the situation and the work to be done. 'Nuff said.
Like I said, I'm leaving tomorrow. Well, it just feels a bit fast. I'm really hoping and hoping and hoping that the holidays will LAST and I'll come back refreshed. I don't really want to go back to work.
Heard that because of some ang-moh (local slang meaning "red devil", used to refer to caucasians - some weird linguistic legacy, so don't ask me why!) could not follow instructions. These people took out their cameras and tried to snap shots of the sky-burial DESPITE BEING TOLD NOT TO DO SO! So, apparently, the Tibetan Government has banned observers at sky-burials. Why are people such IDIOTS?
Seems like the recent entries have degenerated into some kind of idiot-bashing. Hope to bring back some fresh eyes and new thoughts when I return!
Monday, July 25, 2005
Idiots of the World UNITE?
Idiots of the World UNITE?
Today feels like a meeting of the idiots. The idiots' stars must have aligned with mine today.
Idiotic boss does not understand that when info can be obtained only tomorrow afternoon, there is NO WAY that the f***ing paper work be done today! And he had the bl**dy cheek to call and hurl accusations like "We've got to be firm. Close the thing..." So smart, do it yourself!
Idiotic sycophantic colleague was boss' ally. 'Nuff said.
Idiotic seller on ebay, when asked for the shipping cost, replied, "If you are really intrested (sic!), I'll package it and take it to the post office tommorrow morning, then I'll let you know? Answer me with (sic!) this question format so I can get back to you. Thank you".
F**k! Are you a blond, you damned dim-witted bitch of a seller? Sigh. What do you mean "If you are really interested"? Damn you! If I ain't interested, then why would I even bother to ask? Idiot!
And spent the entire afternoon at the new office but could not get the computer working because some idiot shortcircuited the server. Hm...
Today feels like a meeting of the idiots. The idiots' stars must have aligned with mine today.
Idiotic boss does not understand that when info can be obtained only tomorrow afternoon, there is NO WAY that the f***ing paper work be done today! And he had the bl**dy cheek to call and hurl accusations like "We've got to be firm. Close the thing..." So smart, do it yourself!
Idiotic sycophantic colleague was boss' ally. 'Nuff said.
Idiotic seller on ebay, when asked for the shipping cost, replied, "If you are really intrested (sic!), I'll package it and take it to the post office tommorrow morning, then I'll let you know? Answer me with (sic!) this question format so I can get back to you. Thank you".
F**k! Are you a blond, you damned dim-witted bitch of a seller? Sigh. What do you mean "If you are really interested"? Damn you! If I ain't interested, then why would I even bother to ask? Idiot!
And spent the entire afternoon at the new office but could not get the computer working because some idiot shortcircuited the server. Hm...
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Tibet Tour
Tibet Tour
Will be leaving for Tibet on Friday. Highlight of the tour would be the Shoton Festival. A few other descriptions of the same festival are as follows: Shoton 1, Shoton 2, Shotun 3 (See xuedun, the romanized pinyin for the Chinese equivalent of Shotun), and Shotun 4 (xuedun).
I'll be visiting many places of interest, although many of these places are already rather commercialised. This is invitable. Especially in the exotic land nearest the heavens, tourists would never give such a place a miss. Too good to miss. Still, I'll be taking my first look at the Potala Palace, as well as some famous monasteries like Drepund, Samye, Tashilhunpo, Sera Thekchenling, and Ganden Chungkor. More updates when I return.
And I am hoping to get a glimpse, the really elusive glimpse, of the extremely sacred tibetan sky burial.
Will be leaving for Tibet on Friday. Highlight of the tour would be the Shoton Festival. A few other descriptions of the same festival are as follows: Shoton 1, Shoton 2, Shotun 3 (See xuedun, the romanized pinyin for the Chinese equivalent of Shotun), and Shotun 4 (xuedun).
I'll be visiting many places of interest, although many of these places are already rather commercialised. This is invitable. Especially in the exotic land nearest the heavens, tourists would never give such a place a miss. Too good to miss. Still, I'll be taking my first look at the Potala Palace, as well as some famous monasteries like Drepund, Samye, Tashilhunpo, Sera Thekchenling, and Ganden Chungkor. More updates when I return.
And I am hoping to get a glimpse, the really elusive glimpse, of the extremely sacred tibetan sky burial.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Apathy
The Roots of Apathy and How Schools Can Reduce Apathy
By DAVID O. SOLMITZ
(November 4, 2000)
Part One: The Roots of Apathy
Why is apathy, another term for passivity, submissiveness, and even numbness, reaching epidemic proportions when it comes to social, economic, environmental, and political issues? Symptoms include lack of awareness, concern, social responsibility and action, which includes voting. This is particularly apparent for those in the 18 to 24 age group.
Among the factors that cause apathy is our society's orientation toward entertainment. We have become a nation of observers watching with increasing enthusiasm as the sensationalism of the show intensifies. Presidential debates have even become an integral part of the entertainment industry. If there are no fireworks, no Jerry Springer type show, then their ratings fall way down.
How can we take politics seriously, when opposing candidates, like actors, are trained to perform in a certain way in order to appeal to the voters? Each has been prepared by their campaign experts with a bulwark of information. The debaters are trained to use that information to portray themselves in the most compelling manner possible in front of the television cameras. The audience seems to base its judgment on the clichés, slogans, and bloopers. Like an aspiring Hollywood actor or actress, charisma appears to be the final determinant as to who is the victor.
Since television networks depend upon advertisers for profit, the debates must cover a wide range of topics in a relatively short period of time. The television networks realize that the general public is not interested, nor does it have the patience, to listen to thorough, in depth discussion, like those of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 on slavery. In addition, we are bombarded by short, rapid fire, political ads. These are cleverly created to appeal instantaneously to our emotions, not necessarily to our reasoning. Therefore, it can be deduced that the television medium impacts our apathy.
The phenomenal cost of running a political campaign causes many potential candidates not to run for office, especially in large states and/or for a seat in the nation¹s House or Senate. Even, in central Maine to run for the state legislature a candidate must dole out about $10,000. Though the cost is lower than in other parts of Maine, and much below the national average, it is still high. Because of these high costs, many of us wonder to what extent politicians from either party represent the commercial interests of their big financial supporters? Therefore, we feel powerless. For example, huge corporations control health care, ranging from HMOs to prescription drugs. Many of us are troubled that some mainstream politicians, who rely on these corporations to help finance their campaigns, appear unwilling to come up with alternatives that will create a healthier society. We are troubled, at a time of a heating oil shortage and the high cost of fuel that politicians seem to take no action against the oil companies that are making a huge profit by selling their oil to European countries.
Politics aside, the consumerist inclination of out society is another factor that fosters apathy. We have become addicted to buy numerous products that we imagine make our lives easier and more appealing. For instance, it is even easier to get a "Big Mac," fries, and a shake at the drive through window, than it is to microwave a TV dinner at home. What ever became of taking the healthier and less expensive option of preparing a meal at home from scratch and eating it together with family members? Why should we prepare a meal from scratch, even though it is less expensive then micro-waving an already prepared meal? Why should we give up at least one of our cars, SUV's, or four by four pick-up trucks for train travel since the latter would preserve the environment from ever-wider highways and reduce the amount of fuel? In order to buy and enjoy craved for luxuries, many people work overtime or take on more jobs. Since we have material desires, why should we be bothered if our inability to pay off our credit cards at 18% interest causes marital problems? Why should we be upset that we have little time to spend with our children because both parents are working so bills can be paid? Do the kids really need us? After all, they have boom boxes, TVs, video games, computers, and, as teenagers, many have cars--all for entertainment.
In other words, we allow ourselves to be dominated by consumerism, the entertainment industry, and the television media. Almost instinctively, we desire instantaneous gratification.
We are also controlled by our teachers, supervisors, and bosses. In fact submission is actually the opposite side of the coin of control. It is easier to be passively controlled than it is to take initiative.
It is also easier to control others than it is to stand up for principles. By controlling others, the enforcer tries to make sure that those under his or her control do not make waves. By attempting to impose compliance to the status quo, a sense of stability and security appears to exist. Whether it is the employer, boss, or supervisor in the business world or the administrator and teacher in the realm of education, the role of the boss is to make sure that his or her employees or students learn not to question but to submit to the guidelines of their superior.
Both in the world of business and education, the bottom line is accountability. This means that each individual is answerable to those above him or her. Certainly accountability can incorporate creativity, i.e. what problems can the employee, as a member of a team, solve to bring greater profitability to the company? So what if the employees' success means downsizing and thus unemployment?
In business and industry, it is much easier for management to command his or her employees to attain specific benchmarks on the way to achieve a certain goal. For school administrators it is equally palatable to demand of his or her teachers that they make sure their students achieve high scores on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) given annually to all grade four, eight, and eleven students throughout the State of Maine as part of the process to achieve high school graduation by the end of grade twelve. Not only are students often discouraged and even humiliated if they do poorly on these tests, but teachers' and administrators' jobs are in jeopardy.
Although both businesses and schools use the language of critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, team building, respect, and social responsibility and involvement, the bottom line remains accountability. It is a difficult and challenging process to encourage and to motivate individuals to take on responsibility, to become socially, culturally, economically, and environmentally conscious.
For those who want to take control, it can be a scary experience to empower others by helping them to develop equal, just and trusting relationships. It is much easier to be the person in authority who, for instance, teaches respect as opposed to the one who models respect. If the employer or teacher disciplines one of those under his or her control for inappropriate behavior, even if he or she might have been in the wrong, it is easy to righteously chastise that person. Yet, it is much more difficult for the individuals to engage in a dialogue in which both sincerely acknowledge their mistakes. As a result of this more difficult process a trusting and better working relationship can develop.
Part Two: How Schools Can Reduce Apathy
To imagine that our society can drastically change course from one of instantaneous gratification through consumerism and entertainment to one in which each of us focuses on the present, on one another, and on the preservation of our environment may seem unrealistic. However, it is possible to begin to move in this direction by making our public schools more egalitarian and democratic. This means that trusting relationships between students, teachers, administrators, and parents need to be built. When people trust each other, they feel safe an absolutely necessary ingredient for success.
Teachers must be allowed and encouraged to keep awake that spirit of wonderment that small children have: always asking questions, seeking answers, and exploring beyond newly discovered horizons. According to the contemporary education reformer, Alfie Kohn, "teachers must first maximize the opportunity for students to make choices, to discover and learn for themselves, and second, creating a caring community in the classroom so that students have the opportunity to do thing together." In this way students develop the means by which to become ethical people, as opposed to people who merely do what they are told. They learn to construct moral meaning.
Ideally, students should learn to reach decisions by consensus. After all, decision making through voting remains a contest among students. There are winners and losers. Naturally, the losers have less commitment to the class than the majority. Therefore, no real sense of community, which includes the ability to appreciate and trust one another, has been accomplished. By helping students to become active participants in their own social and ethical development, the teacher is really putting the Guiding Principles of Maine's Learning Results into practice. Students are learning to discipline themselves rather than be controlled by others. They are developing responsibility, which is the opposite of accountability.
Democratic schools should encourage and empower students to become independent thinkers who are able to listen to and respond with appreciation and understanding to the thoughts and opinions of others. Students need to learn to compile, interpret, understand and use information from a wide variety of sources: books, periodicals, personal interviews, attendance at meetings, and the Internet. However, for this to happen, teachers and administrators must work cooperatively with all elements of the community equally--the middle class, the poor, and the wealthy.
Teachers and administrators gain strength through vulnerability when they are open to suggestions from parents, students, and colleagues. When teachers and students have the opportunity to select their principals and teachers, and their classrooms are conducted democratically, students become healthier, energetic, caring, socially responsible and active participants of the society.
David Solmitz of Waterville taught social studies for 30 years at Madison High School in Madison. He can be reached at 20 Johnson Heights, Waterville, ME 04901, Tel. (207) 872-2279
By DAVID O. SOLMITZ
(November 4, 2000)
Part One: The Roots of Apathy
Why is apathy, another term for passivity, submissiveness, and even numbness, reaching epidemic proportions when it comes to social, economic, environmental, and political issues? Symptoms include lack of awareness, concern, social responsibility and action, which includes voting. This is particularly apparent for those in the 18 to 24 age group.
Among the factors that cause apathy is our society's orientation toward entertainment. We have become a nation of observers watching with increasing enthusiasm as the sensationalism of the show intensifies. Presidential debates have even become an integral part of the entertainment industry. If there are no fireworks, no Jerry Springer type show, then their ratings fall way down.
How can we take politics seriously, when opposing candidates, like actors, are trained to perform in a certain way in order to appeal to the voters? Each has been prepared by their campaign experts with a bulwark of information. The debaters are trained to use that information to portray themselves in the most compelling manner possible in front of the television cameras. The audience seems to base its judgment on the clichés, slogans, and bloopers. Like an aspiring Hollywood actor or actress, charisma appears to be the final determinant as to who is the victor.
Since television networks depend upon advertisers for profit, the debates must cover a wide range of topics in a relatively short period of time. The television networks realize that the general public is not interested, nor does it have the patience, to listen to thorough, in depth discussion, like those of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 on slavery. In addition, we are bombarded by short, rapid fire, political ads. These are cleverly created to appeal instantaneously to our emotions, not necessarily to our reasoning. Therefore, it can be deduced that the television medium impacts our apathy.
The phenomenal cost of running a political campaign causes many potential candidates not to run for office, especially in large states and/or for a seat in the nation¹s House or Senate. Even, in central Maine to run for the state legislature a candidate must dole out about $10,000. Though the cost is lower than in other parts of Maine, and much below the national average, it is still high. Because of these high costs, many of us wonder to what extent politicians from either party represent the commercial interests of their big financial supporters? Therefore, we feel powerless. For example, huge corporations control health care, ranging from HMOs to prescription drugs. Many of us are troubled that some mainstream politicians, who rely on these corporations to help finance their campaigns, appear unwilling to come up with alternatives that will create a healthier society. We are troubled, at a time of a heating oil shortage and the high cost of fuel that politicians seem to take no action against the oil companies that are making a huge profit by selling their oil to European countries.
Politics aside, the consumerist inclination of out society is another factor that fosters apathy. We have become addicted to buy numerous products that we imagine make our lives easier and more appealing. For instance, it is even easier to get a "Big Mac," fries, and a shake at the drive through window, than it is to microwave a TV dinner at home. What ever became of taking the healthier and less expensive option of preparing a meal at home from scratch and eating it together with family members? Why should we prepare a meal from scratch, even though it is less expensive then micro-waving an already prepared meal? Why should we give up at least one of our cars, SUV's, or four by four pick-up trucks for train travel since the latter would preserve the environment from ever-wider highways and reduce the amount of fuel? In order to buy and enjoy craved for luxuries, many people work overtime or take on more jobs. Since we have material desires, why should we be bothered if our inability to pay off our credit cards at 18% interest causes marital problems? Why should we be upset that we have little time to spend with our children because both parents are working so bills can be paid? Do the kids really need us? After all, they have boom boxes, TVs, video games, computers, and, as teenagers, many have cars--all for entertainment.
In other words, we allow ourselves to be dominated by consumerism, the entertainment industry, and the television media. Almost instinctively, we desire instantaneous gratification.
We are also controlled by our teachers, supervisors, and bosses. In fact submission is actually the opposite side of the coin of control. It is easier to be passively controlled than it is to take initiative.
It is also easier to control others than it is to stand up for principles. By controlling others, the enforcer tries to make sure that those under his or her control do not make waves. By attempting to impose compliance to the status quo, a sense of stability and security appears to exist. Whether it is the employer, boss, or supervisor in the business world or the administrator and teacher in the realm of education, the role of the boss is to make sure that his or her employees or students learn not to question but to submit to the guidelines of their superior.
Both in the world of business and education, the bottom line is accountability. This means that each individual is answerable to those above him or her. Certainly accountability can incorporate creativity, i.e. what problems can the employee, as a member of a team, solve to bring greater profitability to the company? So what if the employees' success means downsizing and thus unemployment?
In business and industry, it is much easier for management to command his or her employees to attain specific benchmarks on the way to achieve a certain goal. For school administrators it is equally palatable to demand of his or her teachers that they make sure their students achieve high scores on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) given annually to all grade four, eight, and eleven students throughout the State of Maine as part of the process to achieve high school graduation by the end of grade twelve. Not only are students often discouraged and even humiliated if they do poorly on these tests, but teachers' and administrators' jobs are in jeopardy.
Although both businesses and schools use the language of critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, team building, respect, and social responsibility and involvement, the bottom line remains accountability. It is a difficult and challenging process to encourage and to motivate individuals to take on responsibility, to become socially, culturally, economically, and environmentally conscious.
For those who want to take control, it can be a scary experience to empower others by helping them to develop equal, just and trusting relationships. It is much easier to be the person in authority who, for instance, teaches respect as opposed to the one who models respect. If the employer or teacher disciplines one of those under his or her control for inappropriate behavior, even if he or she might have been in the wrong, it is easy to righteously chastise that person. Yet, it is much more difficult for the individuals to engage in a dialogue in which both sincerely acknowledge their mistakes. As a result of this more difficult process a trusting and better working relationship can develop.
Part Two: How Schools Can Reduce Apathy
To imagine that our society can drastically change course from one of instantaneous gratification through consumerism and entertainment to one in which each of us focuses on the present, on one another, and on the preservation of our environment may seem unrealistic. However, it is possible to begin to move in this direction by making our public schools more egalitarian and democratic. This means that trusting relationships between students, teachers, administrators, and parents need to be built. When people trust each other, they feel safe an absolutely necessary ingredient for success.
Teachers must be allowed and encouraged to keep awake that spirit of wonderment that small children have: always asking questions, seeking answers, and exploring beyond newly discovered horizons. According to the contemporary education reformer, Alfie Kohn, "teachers must first maximize the opportunity for students to make choices, to discover and learn for themselves, and second, creating a caring community in the classroom so that students have the opportunity to do thing together." In this way students develop the means by which to become ethical people, as opposed to people who merely do what they are told. They learn to construct moral meaning.
Ideally, students should learn to reach decisions by consensus. After all, decision making through voting remains a contest among students. There are winners and losers. Naturally, the losers have less commitment to the class than the majority. Therefore, no real sense of community, which includes the ability to appreciate and trust one another, has been accomplished. By helping students to become active participants in their own social and ethical development, the teacher is really putting the Guiding Principles of Maine's Learning Results into practice. Students are learning to discipline themselves rather than be controlled by others. They are developing responsibility, which is the opposite of accountability.
Democratic schools should encourage and empower students to become independent thinkers who are able to listen to and respond with appreciation and understanding to the thoughts and opinions of others. Students need to learn to compile, interpret, understand and use information from a wide variety of sources: books, periodicals, personal interviews, attendance at meetings, and the Internet. However, for this to happen, teachers and administrators must work cooperatively with all elements of the community equally--the middle class, the poor, and the wealthy.
Teachers and administrators gain strength through vulnerability when they are open to suggestions from parents, students, and colleagues. When teachers and students have the opportunity to select their principals and teachers, and their classrooms are conducted democratically, students become healthier, energetic, caring, socially responsible and active participants of the society.
David Solmitz of Waterville taught social studies for 30 years at Madison High School in Madison. He can be reached at 20 Johnson Heights, Waterville, ME 04901, Tel. (207) 872-2279
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Form vs Substance (II)
Form vs Substance (II)
A man and his friend decide to have a competition to see who can be intimate to his wife the most number of times. So the man goes home and gets into bed with his wife.
After a long time of doing it, he gets out of bed, feeling pleased, takes up a piece of chalk and makes a vertical mark on the wall. Although he is feeling very weary already, he goes to bed a second time with her and does it again. He gets out of bed and makes another mark beside the first one.
By now he is extremely tired but he decides he has the strength to do it one last time. So he goes back to bed, does it, and finally crawls out from under the bed sheets to the wall where he makes a third mark before collapsing from exhaustion into deep slumber.
The next day, the man has barely woken up before he hears a knock on the door. He opens it and his friend enters the room. "Whoa! You're the victor, pal!" his friend exclaims as he sees the three marks on the wall. "I could only manage it 109 times myself!"
A man and his friend decide to have a competition to see who can be intimate to his wife the most number of times. So the man goes home and gets into bed with his wife.
After a long time of doing it, he gets out of bed, feeling pleased, takes up a piece of chalk and makes a vertical mark on the wall. Although he is feeling very weary already, he goes to bed a second time with her and does it again. He gets out of bed and makes another mark beside the first one.
By now he is extremely tired but he decides he has the strength to do it one last time. So he goes back to bed, does it, and finally crawls out from under the bed sheets to the wall where he makes a third mark before collapsing from exhaustion into deep slumber.
The next day, the man has barely woken up before he hears a knock on the door. He opens it and his friend enters the room. "Whoa! You're the victor, pal!" his friend exclaims as he sees the three marks on the wall. "I could only manage it 109 times myself!"
A Stroke?
A Stroke?
Two nuns were sitting on a park bench. A flasher came by. One had a stroke; the other couldn't reach.
Two nuns were sitting on a park bench. A flasher came by. One had a stroke; the other couldn't reach.
Another funny
Another funny
There was a farmer that had three daughters. They each had a date for Saturday night. As was his custom, the farmer would meet the suitor in the front room of the farmhouse, and if they were acceptable, he'd let them take his daughters out.
That Saturday night, the first young man arrived. "My name is Freddie, I'm here for Betty, and we're going to get spaghetti." He seemed decent enough, so the farmer called Betty down and they left.
The next young man arrived a few minutes later. "My name is Joe, I'm here for Flo, and we're off to the show." He, too, seemed okay, and the pair left for the evening.
The last young man knocked on the door and entered the room to meet the farmer. "My name is Chuck--"
"Hold on, buster," shouted the farmer. "You're not going ANYWHERE with my daughter!"
There was a farmer that had three daughters. They each had a date for Saturday night. As was his custom, the farmer would meet the suitor in the front room of the farmhouse, and if they were acceptable, he'd let them take his daughters out.
That Saturday night, the first young man arrived. "My name is Freddie, I'm here for Betty, and we're going to get spaghetti." He seemed decent enough, so the farmer called Betty down and they left.
The next young man arrived a few minutes later. "My name is Joe, I'm here for Flo, and we're off to the show." He, too, seemed okay, and the pair left for the evening.
The last young man knocked on the door and entered the room to meet the farmer. "My name is Chuck--"
"Hold on, buster," shouted the farmer. "You're not going ANYWHERE with my daughter!"
A Little Teaser
A Little Teaser
Something more light hearted for a change.
My Dearest,
Please do not take this in jest,
I really do think you're the best.
You have the most beautiful eyes,
That’s where I let my gaze rest.
A woman with such good connections
Must have near infinite selection.
But you give me such a big smile,
So please ignore my imperfections.
I know that this poem's a farce,
But I'm running a bit short on class.
I'd like to take you up the West End,
It’s an evening we'd never surpass.
It's said that I'm not very slick,
And some people think that I'm thick.
I don't have a very big room,
But please don't dismiss me too quick.
I suspect that I'm pushing my luck,
Please don't say I'm out for a duck.
Come join me tonight for a film,
And I'll never treat you like muck.
When I see you I just have to thank
The Lord that I can be so frank.
Without you I'd just have to cry,
But I know on your love I can bank.
-----
Ok, think that wasn't funny at all? Take out the last word of all the third lines, and replace it with a word that rhymes with the rest of the stanza. A clue: the first one starts with 'br....'
You're more than welcome to suggest your answers in the comments.
Something more light hearted for a change.
My Dearest,
Please do not take this in jest,
I really do think you're the best.
You have the most beautiful eyes,
That’s where I let my gaze rest.
A woman with such good connections
Must have near infinite selection.
But you give me such a big smile,
So please ignore my imperfections.
I know that this poem's a farce,
But I'm running a bit short on class.
I'd like to take you up the West End,
It’s an evening we'd never surpass.
It's said that I'm not very slick,
And some people think that I'm thick.
I don't have a very big room,
But please don't dismiss me too quick.
I suspect that I'm pushing my luck,
Please don't say I'm out for a duck.
Come join me tonight for a film,
And I'll never treat you like muck.
When I see you I just have to thank
The Lord that I can be so frank.
Without you I'd just have to cry,
But I know on your love I can bank.
-----
Ok, think that wasn't funny at all? Take out the last word of all the third lines, and replace it with a word that rhymes with the rest of the stanza. A clue: the first one starts with 'br....'
You're more than welcome to suggest your answers in the comments.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Form vs Substance
Form vs Substance
The fall out from the NKF suit is tremendous but somehow I sense that many people are not aware of the TRUE "theatre of war".
Think carefully again and again. Is an organisation and its CEO one and the same?
No.
So then, why
1. cancel your donations when the CEO has already stepped down?
2. spray graffiti on the walls of the NKF HQ?
3. grouse about NKF's reserves?
The list goes on, but this little note hopes to help the confused people separate form from substance so that they will act rationally and let the kidney patients have their dialysis in peace.
It's so contradictory and childish when people en-noble themselves but act so despicably.
The fall out from the NKF suit is tremendous but somehow I sense that many people are not aware of the TRUE "theatre of war".
Think carefully again and again. Is an organisation and its CEO one and the same?
No.
So then, why
1. cancel your donations when the CEO has already stepped down?
2. spray graffiti on the walls of the NKF HQ?
3. grouse about NKF's reserves?
The list goes on, but this little note hopes to help the confused people separate form from substance so that they will act rationally and let the kidney patients have their dialysis in peace.
It's so contradictory and childish when people en-noble themselves but act so despicably.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Voice of Reason
Voice of Reason
"Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" by Don McLean
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds and violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colours changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artists' loving hand
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will...
Was singing along to Josh Groban's version of the Don McLean classic, Vincent, as I was driving home just now. Somehow, many things click as I reflect on my dismal performance trying to remember the elusive words written to the enchanting tune.
My rendition was fragmented because I never remembered the word. I know the tune but not the words. I never listened. Similarly, many people don't listen to things around them.
Vincent spoke with his paintings but his ideas were ahead of his times. No one listened to him.
Terrorists speak with their bombs but they forgot that a people without peace will not listen. Yet, the people speak with hatred and condemnation and so the terrorists won't listen either.
Parents plead with the wayward child but the child does not listen. The child speaks with rebellion and retaliation but the parents listen not either.
The examples go on and on and on.
Listening is a very difficult skill. Even though people say that speaking is tough, nothing beats listening. How many times have you fallen asleep listening to someone? How many times have your attention drifted off in the middle of a lecture? How many times have you interrupted your speaker because of what you've thought you've listened?
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR BUT NOT LISTEN?
"Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" by Don McLean
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds and violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colours changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artists' loving hand
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will...
Was singing along to Josh Groban's version of the Don McLean classic, Vincent, as I was driving home just now. Somehow, many things click as I reflect on my dismal performance trying to remember the elusive words written to the enchanting tune.
My rendition was fragmented because I never remembered the word. I know the tune but not the words. I never listened. Similarly, many people don't listen to things around them.
Vincent spoke with his paintings but his ideas were ahead of his times. No one listened to him.
Terrorists speak with their bombs but they forgot that a people without peace will not listen. Yet, the people speak with hatred and condemnation and so the terrorists won't listen either.
Parents plead with the wayward child but the child does not listen. The child speaks with rebellion and retaliation but the parents listen not either.
The examples go on and on and on.
Listening is a very difficult skill. Even though people say that speaking is tough, nothing beats listening. How many times have you fallen asleep listening to someone? How many times have your attention drifted off in the middle of a lecture? How many times have you interrupted your speaker because of what you've thought you've listened?
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR BUT NOT LISTEN?
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Let me give you $600 000 a year...
Let me give you $600 000 a year...
The recent NKF fiasco is a simple issue to me. Saving face, that's just about it all.
The notion of "saving face" is so important to Asians. If a samurai loses face, he would commit suicide by slicing open his gut. In some countries, if a Muslim girl loses face (e.g. she got raped), she should be drowned or hanged by her tribe. That's how important face is.) Applying the same logic, perhaps readers can also understand the rationale behind T T Durai's actions. When you feel wronged, you'll want to stand up and defend your face.
Anyway, I'm not here to judge the man. I'm here to make my stand clear.
1. I will continue to make my donations to NKF. Anyway, I donate to them on an ad-hoc basis and I do not see why that should change.
2. I believe in karma. He who abuses the trust and powers vested in him will get his just desserts.
3. The "aged population" in the future refers to people like ME. The old folks out there are already the "aged population" of the NOW, not the future. If anything, I am investing in my health's future. One day, I may have to go a-begging to NKF. Who knows? What goes around comes around. And for all of you out there who've terminated your donations to NKF, please retain your integrity till you see your graves. Don't go snatching my share of "returns on investments"!
4. No doubt, 10.5 cents (or is it 15 cents) per donor dollar comes back to subsidize the patients, don't forget that had it been easier to get donations from stingy Singaporeans (myself included), more money could have been pledged to the patients, instead of having to get the likes of some singers to perform the annual "NKF anthem" on TV. Anyway, given the fact that many older folks these days still can rely on their children and family for support, be thankful that NKF acts prudently to build up their reserves. When it's my turn and there's hardly a significant enough workforce to sustain the donation income, I will appreciate their prudence of the past. And when I'm so broke that I can't afford to keep myself alive, hopefully NKF then will have an even more sound policy to help me manage.
5. First class, business class, high class, low class, no class. To me, what class people travel in does not matter to me. In fact, if you are talking about entitlement-travel, then the COST should matter, not class.
6. Gold plated tap? Some of us wear gold and diamonds which easily out-do the North Star's brilliance! What's wrong with a gold plated tap? Opulence? Hardly. Wasn't it toned down anyway?
7. Dedicated Mercedes Benz. I wish people look for carefully around them. If we make options available, then expect people to choose the options. Don't preach as though you are on moral high ground cos you're not. Hey you out there driving yet another petrol guzzling 2 litre car! Do you know how much carbon dioxide you emit and how much faster you are depleting Earth's limited resources? And you, yes you! That one driving that SUV as though Singapore were some primary rainforest or jungle. We're a concrete city. Anything that moves around is good enough! So, if you can spend so much on a car, why don't you give equally much to NKF so that impoverished people like me do not need to be continually emotionally blackmailed into giving donations that I really ill-afford? If not for poor Durai having to meet up with some of you to make you feel good and induce you to give, what need would he of the dedicated Benz?
8. The $25k salary and the 12 month bonus. If you can deliver the results at a cheaper cost, then why not recommend yourself to NKF? I'm sure the board of governors will be more than willing to employ you and save some money too. But even if you get $600 000 (like Durai) and yet you can't deliver the tens of millions like Durai can, SHUT UP and go reflect. Talk big only when you can deliver on the back of your words. Place your money where your mouth is!
If anything, Durai failed to realise, or chose not to believe, that in a defamation suit, all skeletons must be paraded. Whether or not they concern the suit, the defending side will expectedly dig out all the skeletons. This is part of due diligence.
The only question that needs to be answered by Durai would be "Why was there such a lapse?"
The recent NKF fiasco is a simple issue to me. Saving face, that's just about it all.
The notion of "saving face" is so important to Asians. If a samurai loses face, he would commit suicide by slicing open his gut. In some countries, if a Muslim girl loses face (e.g. she got raped), she should be drowned or hanged by her tribe. That's how important face is.) Applying the same logic, perhaps readers can also understand the rationale behind T T Durai's actions. When you feel wronged, you'll want to stand up and defend your face.
Anyway, I'm not here to judge the man. I'm here to make my stand clear.
1. I will continue to make my donations to NKF. Anyway, I donate to them on an ad-hoc basis and I do not see why that should change.
2. I believe in karma. He who abuses the trust and powers vested in him will get his just desserts.
3. The "aged population" in the future refers to people like ME. The old folks out there are already the "aged population" of the NOW, not the future. If anything, I am investing in my health's future. One day, I may have to go a-begging to NKF. Who knows? What goes around comes around. And for all of you out there who've terminated your donations to NKF, please retain your integrity till you see your graves. Don't go snatching my share of "returns on investments"!
4. No doubt, 10.5 cents (or is it 15 cents) per donor dollar comes back to subsidize the patients, don't forget that had it been easier to get donations from stingy Singaporeans (myself included), more money could have been pledged to the patients, instead of having to get the likes of some singers to perform the annual "NKF anthem" on TV. Anyway, given the fact that many older folks these days still can rely on their children and family for support, be thankful that NKF acts prudently to build up their reserves. When it's my turn and there's hardly a significant enough workforce to sustain the donation income, I will appreciate their prudence of the past. And when I'm so broke that I can't afford to keep myself alive, hopefully NKF then will have an even more sound policy to help me manage.
5. First class, business class, high class, low class, no class. To me, what class people travel in does not matter to me. In fact, if you are talking about entitlement-travel, then the COST should matter, not class.
6. Gold plated tap? Some of us wear gold and diamonds which easily out-do the North Star's brilliance! What's wrong with a gold plated tap? Opulence? Hardly. Wasn't it toned down anyway?
7. Dedicated Mercedes Benz. I wish people look for carefully around them. If we make options available, then expect people to choose the options. Don't preach as though you are on moral high ground cos you're not. Hey you out there driving yet another petrol guzzling 2 litre car! Do you know how much carbon dioxide you emit and how much faster you are depleting Earth's limited resources? And you, yes you! That one driving that SUV as though Singapore were some primary rainforest or jungle. We're a concrete city. Anything that moves around is good enough! So, if you can spend so much on a car, why don't you give equally much to NKF so that impoverished people like me do not need to be continually emotionally blackmailed into giving donations that I really ill-afford? If not for poor Durai having to meet up with some of you to make you feel good and induce you to give, what need would he of the dedicated Benz?
8. The $25k salary and the 12 month bonus. If you can deliver the results at a cheaper cost, then why not recommend yourself to NKF? I'm sure the board of governors will be more than willing to employ you and save some money too. But even if you get $600 000 (like Durai) and yet you can't deliver the tens of millions like Durai can, SHUT UP and go reflect. Talk big only when you can deliver on the back of your words. Place your money where your mouth is!
If anything, Durai failed to realise, or chose not to believe, that in a defamation suit, all skeletons must be paraded. Whether or not they concern the suit, the defending side will expectedly dig out all the skeletons. This is part of due diligence.
The only question that needs to be answered by Durai would be "Why was there such a lapse?"
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Management Learning
Management Learning
1. Lesson Number One
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long? The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Learning:
* To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
2. Lesson Number Two:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy. "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a forth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Management Learning:
* Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
3. Lesson Number Three:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Learning:
* 1) Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
* 2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
* 3) And when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
4. Lesson Number Four:
The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along, they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions. Later, they passed some people that remarked, What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." They decided they both would walk! Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So the both rode the donkey! Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed a bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.
Management Learning:
* If you try to please everyone, you will eventually lose your ass!
1. Lesson Number One
A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long? The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Learning:
* To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
2. Lesson Number Two:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy. "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a forth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.
Management Learning:
* Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
3. Lesson Number Three:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Learning:
* 1) Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
* 2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
* 3) And when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
4. Lesson Number Four:
The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along, they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions. Later, they passed some people that remarked, What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." They decided they both would walk! Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So the both rode the donkey! Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed a bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.
Management Learning:
* If you try to please everyone, you will eventually lose your ass!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Reflections
Reflections
A off-the-cuff reply to a short message that someone sent me over the phone while I was at work about a moon ago.
Nary a good day exists in a hellish place as this
Covered in shit and drenched in piss
Forget about even a sliver of peace
I wait eagerly
For release
I begin to understand why SMSes are limited to 160 letters per message. The text above is only 149 characters (including spaces) and I don't think I need to say more. And I didn't have to resort to using abbreviations to shorten my message.
Go figure.
A off-the-cuff reply to a short message that someone sent me over the phone while I was at work about a moon ago.
Nary a good day exists in a hellish place as this
Covered in shit and drenched in piss
Forget about even a sliver of peace
I wait eagerly
For release
I begin to understand why SMSes are limited to 160 letters per message. The text above is only 149 characters (including spaces) and I don't think I need to say more. And I didn't have to resort to using abbreviations to shorten my message.
Go figure.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Value vs Worth
Value vs Worth
Just a brief one this time.
Value and worth are two attributes people use to judge things in life.
Sadly, to many of these people, value and worth are one and the same. So only things of value are of worth. But need it be so? Consider the following.
What is the value of a breath to one who is breathing on his/her own and what is its worth?
What is the value of a breath to one who needs breathing aid and what is its worth?
What is the value of health to a healthy person and what is its worth?
What is the value of health to a sick person and what is its worth?
What is the value of a million dollars to a trillionnaire and what is its worth?
What is the value of a hundred dollars to a pauper and what is its worth?
What is the value of compassion to the giver and what is its worth?
What is the value of compassion to the recipient and what is its worth?
What is the value of friendship and what is its worth?
What is the value of hatred and what is its worth?
What is the value of a pair of shoes to a person and what is its worth?
What is the value of a pair of shoes to a amputee and what is its worth?
What is the value of true happiness and what is its worth?
What is the value of an antique vase to a lay collector and what is its worth?
What is the value of an antique vase to an art museum and what is its worth?
What is the value of peace to a properous nation and what is its worth?
What is the value of peace to a war-torn nation and what is its worth?
Many things in life are not of much value, but they are of much worth. Many things in life are of much value, but they may not be of much worth. Many things in life are not of much value nor of much worth. Still, many things in life are of much value and much worth.
Perceptivity is seeing the difference in value and worth. Wisdom is treasuring what is worth in spite of its value. Only then can one begin live out a fulfilling life.
Just a brief one this time.
Value and worth are two attributes people use to judge things in life.
Sadly, to many of these people, value and worth are one and the same. So only things of value are of worth. But need it be so? Consider the following.
What is the value of a breath to one who is breathing on his/her own and what is its worth?
What is the value of a breath to one who needs breathing aid and what is its worth?
What is the value of health to a healthy person and what is its worth?
What is the value of health to a sick person and what is its worth?
What is the value of a million dollars to a trillionnaire and what is its worth?
What is the value of a hundred dollars to a pauper and what is its worth?
What is the value of compassion to the giver and what is its worth?
What is the value of compassion to the recipient and what is its worth?
What is the value of friendship and what is its worth?
What is the value of hatred and what is its worth?
What is the value of a pair of shoes to a person and what is its worth?
What is the value of a pair of shoes to a amputee and what is its worth?
What is the value of true happiness and what is its worth?
What is the value of an antique vase to a lay collector and what is its worth?
What is the value of an antique vase to an art museum and what is its worth?
What is the value of peace to a properous nation and what is its worth?
What is the value of peace to a war-torn nation and what is its worth?
Many things in life are not of much value, but they are of much worth. Many things in life are of much value, but they may not be of much worth. Many things in life are not of much value nor of much worth. Still, many things in life are of much value and much worth.
Perceptivity is seeing the difference in value and worth. Wisdom is treasuring what is worth in spite of its value. Only then can one begin live out a fulfilling life.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
For entertainment
For entertainment
I wonder if the entertainment were meant for me or my beloved readers.
I wonder if the entertainment were meant for me or my beloved readers.
 You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval. |
| You Are a Soy Latte |
 At your best, you are: free spirited, down to earth, and relaxed At your worst, you are: dogmatic and picky You drink coffee when: you need a pick me up, and green tea isn't cutting it Your caffeine addiction level: medium |
| Your Sexy Brazilian Name Is |
 Frangao da Costa |
| In a Past Life... |
 You Were: An Insane Beekeeper. Where You Lived: New Zealand. How You Died: Decapitation. |
| Your Career Type: Investigative |
 You are precise, scientific, and intellectual. Your talents lie in understanding and solving math and science problems. You would make an excellent: Architect - Biologist - Chemist Dentist - Electrical Technician - Mathematician Medical Technician - Meteorologist - Pharmacist Physician - Surveyor - Veterinarian The worst career options for your are enterprising careers, like lawyer or real estate agent. |
| You Are Chocolate Ice Cream |
 Your personality is super strong and unique. Many people crave you constantly - while you turn a few off. You are most compatible with coffee ice cream. |
You Will Die at Age 79 |
79 You're pretty average when it comes to how you live... And how you'll die as well. |
You Are A Poplar Tree |
 People tend to look up to you, and it's a bit lonely at the top. Inside, you are not always self confident, but you show great courage. Mature and organized, you are reliable in any situation. You tend to have an artistic or philosophical outlook on life. You are very choosy in love and take partnership seriously. |
Star Wars Horoscope for Aquarius |
 You can be cruel and torment people who disagree with you. Deep down, there is a peace-loving, friendly side to you. You have a knack for inflicting pain on people and use your intellect during battle. Star wars character you are most like: Darth Vader |
Your Dominant Thinking Style: |
| Exploring You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name. You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs. An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles. You show people how to question their models of the world. |
Your Secondary Thinking Style: |
| Visioning You are very insightful and tend to make decisions based on your insights. You focus on how things should be - even if you haven't worked out the details. An idealist, thinking of the future helps you guide your path. You tend to give others long-term direction and momentum. |
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Reflections of My Political Compass Results
Reflections of My Political Compass Results
I fell in the same quadrant as Mahatma Gandhi, Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. I think I'm in deep trouble.
The first went on many many hunger strikes to liberate India from the British. I complain of not enough food or food variety. The second was exiled by China. I don't even dare to think! The last was imprisoned for twenty years for being anti-aparthied.
Go figure.
I think I'll exile myself to Tibet, become an ascetic monk and chain myself to the lamastery for twenty years. Sigh!
Small wonder why I am not fitting well into my work place...
I fell in the same quadrant as Mahatma Gandhi, Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. I think I'm in deep trouble.
The first went on many many hunger strikes to liberate India from the British. I complain of not enough food or food variety. The second was exiled by China. I don't even dare to think! The last was imprisoned for twenty years for being anti-aparthied.
Go figure.
I think I'll exile myself to Tibet, become an ascetic monk and chain myself to the lamastery for twenty years. Sigh!
Small wonder why I am not fitting well into my work place...
Results of My Political Compass
Results of My Political Compass
The Political Compass
The Political Compass website copyright (c) Pace News Limited 2001-2002. All rights reserved.
There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left' , established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ?
On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.
That's about as much as we should tell you for now. After you've responded to the following propositions during the next 3-5 minutes, all will be explained. In each instance, you're asked to choose the response that best describes your feeling: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree or Strongly Agree. At the end of the test, you'll be given the compass, with your own special position on it.
The test is entirely anonymous. None of your personal details are required, and nothing about your result is recorded or logged in any way. The answers are only used to calculate your reading, and cannot be accessed by anyone, ever.
The idea was developed by a political journalist with a university counselling background, assisted by a professor of social history. They're indebted to people like Wilhelm Reich and Theodor Adorno for their ground-breaking work in this field. We believe that, in an age of diminishing ideology, a new generation in particular will get a better idea of where they stand politically - and the sort of political company they keep.
In the introduction, we explained the inadequacies of the traditional left-right line.
If we recognise that this is essentially an economic line it's fine, as far as it goes. We can show, for example, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot, with their commitment to a totally controlled economy, on the hard left. Socialists like Mahatma Gandhi and Robert Mugabe would occupy a less extreme leftist position. Margaret Thatcher would be well over to the right, but further right still would be someone like that ultimate free marketeer, General Pinochet.
That deals with economics, but the social dimension is also important in politics. That's the one that the mere left-right scale doesn't adequately address. So we've added one, ranging in positions from extreme authoritarian to extreme libertarian.
Both an economic dimension and a social dimension are important factors for a proper political analysis. By adding the social dimension you can show that Stalin was an authoritarian leftist (ie the state is more important than the individual) and that Gandhi, believing in the supreme value of each individual, is a liberal leftist. While the former involves state-imposed arbitary collectivism in the extreme top left, on the extreme bottom left is voluntary collectivism at regional level, with no state involved. Hundreds of such anarchist communities exisited in Spain during the civil war period
You can also put Pinochet, who was prepared to sanction mass killing for the sake of the free market, on the far right as well as in a hardcore authoritarian position. On the non-socialist side you can distinguish someone like Milton Friedman, who is anti-state for fiscal rather than social reasons, from Hitler, who wanted to make the state stronger, even if he wiped out half of humanity in the process.
The chart also makes clear that, despite popular perceptions, the opposite of fascism is not communism but anarchism (ie liberal socialism), and that the opposite of communism ( i.e. an entirely state-planned economy) is neo-liberalism (i.e. extreme deregulated economy).
The usual understanding of anarchism as a left wing ideology does not take into account the neo-liberal "anarchism" championed by the likes of Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman and America's Libertarian Party, which couples law of the jungle right-wing economics with liberal positions on most social issues. Often their libertarian impulses stop short of opposition to strong law and order positions, and are more economic in substance (ie no taxes) so they are not as extremely libertarian as they are extremely right wing. On the other hand, the classical libertarian collectivism of anarcho-syndicalism ( libertarian socialism) belongs in the bottom left hand corner.
In our home page we demolished the myth that authoritarianism is necessarily "right wing", with the examples of Robert Mugabe, Pol Pot and Stalin. Similarly Hitler, on an economic scale, was not an extreme right-winger. His economic policies were broadly Keynesian, and to the left of some of today's Labour parties. If you could get Hitler and Stalin to sit down together and avoid economics, the two diehard authoritarians would find plenty of common ground.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.15
International Chart
A diverse professional team has assessed the words and actions of internationally known contemporary leaders to give you an idea of how they relate to each other on the political compass.
The Political Compass
The Political Compass website copyright (c) Pace News Limited 2001-2002. All rights reserved.
There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left' , established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ?
On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.
That's about as much as we should tell you for now. After you've responded to the following propositions during the next 3-5 minutes, all will be explained. In each instance, you're asked to choose the response that best describes your feeling: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree or Strongly Agree. At the end of the test, you'll be given the compass, with your own special position on it.
The test is entirely anonymous. None of your personal details are required, and nothing about your result is recorded or logged in any way. The answers are only used to calculate your reading, and cannot be accessed by anyone, ever.
The idea was developed by a political journalist with a university counselling background, assisted by a professor of social history. They're indebted to people like Wilhelm Reich and Theodor Adorno for their ground-breaking work in this field. We believe that, in an age of diminishing ideology, a new generation in particular will get a better idea of where they stand politically - and the sort of political company they keep.
In the introduction, we explained the inadequacies of the traditional left-right line.
If we recognise that this is essentially an economic line it's fine, as far as it goes. We can show, for example, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot, with their commitment to a totally controlled economy, on the hard left. Socialists like Mahatma Gandhi and Robert Mugabe would occupy a less extreme leftist position. Margaret Thatcher would be well over to the right, but further right still would be someone like that ultimate free marketeer, General Pinochet.
That deals with economics, but the social dimension is also important in politics. That's the one that the mere left-right scale doesn't adequately address. So we've added one, ranging in positions from extreme authoritarian to extreme libertarian.
Both an economic dimension and a social dimension are important factors for a proper political analysis. By adding the social dimension you can show that Stalin was an authoritarian leftist (ie the state is more important than the individual) and that Gandhi, believing in the supreme value of each individual, is a liberal leftist. While the former involves state-imposed arbitary collectivism in the extreme top left, on the extreme bottom left is voluntary collectivism at regional level, with no state involved. Hundreds of such anarchist communities exisited in Spain during the civil war period
You can also put Pinochet, who was prepared to sanction mass killing for the sake of the free market, on the far right as well as in a hardcore authoritarian position. On the non-socialist side you can distinguish someone like Milton Friedman, who is anti-state for fiscal rather than social reasons, from Hitler, who wanted to make the state stronger, even if he wiped out half of humanity in the process.
The chart also makes clear that, despite popular perceptions, the opposite of fascism is not communism but anarchism (ie liberal socialism), and that the opposite of communism ( i.e. an entirely state-planned economy) is neo-liberalism (i.e. extreme deregulated economy).
The usual understanding of anarchism as a left wing ideology does not take into account the neo-liberal "anarchism" championed by the likes of Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman and America's Libertarian Party, which couples law of the jungle right-wing economics with liberal positions on most social issues. Often their libertarian impulses stop short of opposition to strong law and order positions, and are more economic in substance (ie no taxes) so they are not as extremely libertarian as they are extremely right wing. On the other hand, the classical libertarian collectivism of anarcho-syndicalism ( libertarian socialism) belongs in the bottom left hand corner.
In our home page we demolished the myth that authoritarianism is necessarily "right wing", with the examples of Robert Mugabe, Pol Pot and Stalin. Similarly Hitler, on an economic scale, was not an extreme right-winger. His economic policies were broadly Keynesian, and to the left of some of today's Labour parties. If you could get Hitler and Stalin to sit down together and avoid economics, the two diehard authoritarians would find plenty of common ground.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.15
International Chart
A diverse professional team has assessed the words and actions of internationally known contemporary leaders to give you an idea of how they relate to each other on the political compass.
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