This is an old Chinese saying, implying if the parents or seniors are not setting up the correct model for the yongsters, they tend to wrong doings.
One day I went back to Taipei, Mankit was so eager to show me something and took me to the kitchen. He kept saying this old Chinese saying which I didn't quite comprehend at the time. He then pulled open 4 or 5 carboard doors that is around knee to hip height. And then, XiaoHo came in, quickly closed all doors... with his right foot. I then realised that my mom sometimes close the carboard door or touch off the TV set switch with her foot while she is holding XiaoHo.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Headscarf
In Kuala Lumpur, most mulsim women wear headscarves, even the 3 year old has the tiny scarf around her head. But it came in different shades and styles. Why is the religion so afraid of women exposing their hair? The common answer comes like it is to prevent provoking men's sexual thoughts. If men are so brainless that they can be aroused by women's hair? The teaching is really beyond me.
However, according to newsweek (in responding to some European countries' upheavals of headscarves), wearing headscarves was not in the original Muslim doctrines. It starts with the Arabic women trying to distinguish themselves from those non-believers.
I just feel that is the very useful tool to impede a girls' freedom. It is hard to imagine a headscarf-wearing girl going backpacking in south American countries... Well, she would die of starvation because nothing is halal anyways.
However, according to newsweek (in responding to some European countries' upheavals of headscarves), wearing headscarves was not in the original Muslim doctrines. It starts with the Arabic women trying to distinguish themselves from those non-believers.
I just feel that is the very useful tool to impede a girls' freedom. It is hard to imagine a headscarf-wearing girl going backpacking in south American countries... Well, she would die of starvation because nothing is halal anyways.
Wanatabe Junichi
I am reading Junichi's (渡辺淳一) essay collection. This guy was famous in writing story about extra-marital affair. One of his very popular work was the story a couple, each of them married to someone else, decided to end their shameless happiness in death. The novel was successful largely because Junichi has meticulously described the extreme ecstatic state of this couple's immoral sex. For them, there is no way out. Even if there is a way to be together, they can only see the passion and flame to die down. Thus, they decide to stop their whole world at the climax.
Junichi has some quite interesting ideas, such as being honest is never what we, as human beings, are very good at, that's why we were repeatedly told to be honest.
Junichi has some quite interesting ideas, such as being honest is never what we, as human beings, are very good at, that's why we were repeatedly told to be honest.
The Curse of Golden Flowers
It has been very very long time since I walked out of a movie last time. But I have not been to any movie for quite a while. Given the cynical level I am in now, I should be walking out of movies a lot more often if I were a regular movie goer.
I think this movie makes the end of Zhang YiMou. He is running out of tricks to lure westerners, not even Gong Li and Chow Yun Fat can breath hope into this piece of trash. There is no logic, no reasoning of why the king (Chow Yun Fat) wanted to kill the queen (Gong Li). Most scenes were taken place in the too colourful, obsessively ornated interior of a palace. I wonder how that feels to wake up in such a place after a long night of drinking.
The history background was all so wrong, since the background was set in the late Tang dynasty (around 9th centry), where the empire was split into 5 large clans and 10 other smaller clans. And then, the palace scene was film in forbidden city, which only became the capital after Yuan dynasty (13th century). The only eye-catching scene is how those parlor maids dressed in Tang dynasty fashion, showing off their breasts in everyway they can. They dress in something very similar to the western corset, which squeezes up the 2 pockets of white meat, that trembles while the ladies walk. It is actually a scary scene, I am telling you. But I admire Zhang's effort to find so many pretty looking girls with delicate skin.
If Zhang is trying to impress the west with the fantasy-like late-Tang dynasty culture, he should have paid more attention to the details. Even I can tell, in the close up, the handkerchif Gong Li used to dry up her sweat looks like the cheap nylon sold in sourvernir shop in Bejing Capital airport.
I think this movie makes the end of Zhang YiMou. He is running out of tricks to lure westerners, not even Gong Li and Chow Yun Fat can breath hope into this piece of trash. There is no logic, no reasoning of why the king (Chow Yun Fat) wanted to kill the queen (Gong Li). Most scenes were taken place in the too colourful, obsessively ornated interior of a palace. I wonder how that feels to wake up in such a place after a long night of drinking.
The history background was all so wrong, since the background was set in the late Tang dynasty (around 9th centry), where the empire was split into 5 large clans and 10 other smaller clans. And then, the palace scene was film in forbidden city, which only became the capital after Yuan dynasty (13th century). The only eye-catching scene is how those parlor maids dressed in Tang dynasty fashion, showing off their breasts in everyway they can. They dress in something very similar to the western corset, which squeezes up the 2 pockets of white meat, that trembles while the ladies walk. It is actually a scary scene, I am telling you. But I admire Zhang's effort to find so many pretty looking girls with delicate skin.
If Zhang is trying to impress the west with the fantasy-like late-Tang dynasty culture, he should have paid more attention to the details. Even I can tell, in the close up, the handkerchif Gong Li used to dry up her sweat looks like the cheap nylon sold in sourvernir shop in Bejing Capital airport.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
The Mask of Mr. Polite
It is not unnatural to see a someone wearing mask on the street/office/department stores in Japan. It might be because the person is coming down with a cold or just sneezes too much. I think it is because that you might spray the bacteria when sneezing and get your colleagues sick as dog for days. Whether it works or not is not important, it is more important that you have shown that you care.
My mom said that she felt that she was scrutinised when touring around Japan few years ago. Well, I guess that's because she definitely looks different from other Japanese middle age women yet she is not western looking. Perhaps the scrutinisation is more like a wondering, what is made of this middle-age women with no make up, no heels and no hudsband accompanied?
I have read about Japanese culture, such as that lady should not make a sound when peeing and it is impolite to blow your nose in public. It is all coming about the guilty feelings that my action might make others to feel uncomfortable. Perhaps the rule of thumb is "if you don't want to be treated in a certain way, then prevent yourself from treating others the way". However, I guess I prefer the girl in the stall next to me is peeing rather than playing with the toilet flush (they overuse the flush to hide the sound). How the custome started at the first place? That would be a interesting thing to know.
Anyhow, I try not to hold it in if there is someone else in the lady's room in the office. I would clean the toilet seat, pretend to struggle with the zipper, etc until the other person has left. I guess I am more self-concious then I thought I am.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
The Essential of Being Honest
Yanagi san and Akiko took me out playing pachinko at my last night in Tokyo. I am really curious to see the weird elements in Japan. It is said, the combination of pinball and slot machine place is the hangout for them. I even read the section in the tour book explaining how to play Pachinko. "Smoking is compolsury because you have nothing to do other than letting the little steel balls eat away your investment". But we went to the big arcade, which is not a real Pachinko place, because Yanagi san thinks that suits my age more. Sigh...
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I am always very curious about what are behind morality. What makes us tell right from wrong (whether to do the right thing or wrong is the other question). I guess we all feel the pressure to behave in a way that's acceptable by our society. Following the rules or common sense would guarantee you not being bother by stranger's dirty looks, elders' displine or law enforcement.
The moral standard is then formed by the rule - I am a good man/woman suppose doing all that agreed by society. Cool, women wearing scarf is moral, because it is a sin not to wear it in Koram. Actually, that's the only counter example that comes to my head at the moment.
But I was told a piece of information that washing your hands after toilet is actually washing away the anti bacteria substance our hands produce. It is not good for your own health, but I am not sure whether it is going to be a threat to those who religiously wash their hands. Do we do this because we are concerned to bring disease to others?
At least for me, washing hands after toilet is a show for your fellow toilet goers. Nevertheless, I've grown used to washing hands even there is no one else to inspect me (Relax, my friends, my hands were alright clean when picking up the french fries from your plates).
Anyways, I asked people whether you would give back the extra change suppose the teller has made a mistake. Most people do. I think that's because we subconciously want to be given this allowance when we make such a silly mistake? What if you realise the world is not as forgiving as we were told? Would you still give back the change?
Monday, December 04, 2006
Nationalism Franatics
I have read somewhere that a Japanese soldier's young wife killed herself right next to her sleeping husband so that he can wake up in her blood because she wanted to encourage him to completely devote himself to the country and not to be distracted by missing her. He became the cruelest warrior in China during world war II.
Hotel Survival Guide (2)
6. A pair of scissors
You will never know how important it is to have a pair of scissor in your room. And it is quite odd to ask for one from the front desk (they gave you this strange look as if you are going to disect some frogs in the bath tub). Anyhow, it is just so useful beyound your imagination. For example, you just bought a pair of nice jeans and really want to wear it to the pub downstair. However, the price tag stripe was so strong that the mediocre toy scissors in the sewing kit wouldn't do a thing. Or you would like to cut/pry/stab open the canned peanuts from the mini bar (for some reason, the easy-open can is very easy and the handle is very easy to break). You just need to be careful that a pair of scissor might destroy your plan not to check in any luggage.
7. Nail files
The worse way to find out that there is a sprinter coming out of your thumb nail is when the sprinter pulls a tiny, wheeny thread out of your stockings when pulling them up/down. You can basically do nothing but feel depressed for a minute. Man, that's the second pair today. You need to fix any split ends or suspicious disarray in your nails, aggressively and obssessively.
8. hat and socks made of thick, warm, soft materials
Remember the stronger than normal air conditioning (as if electricity doesn't cost them a dime, of course, we pay for it). There is a danger to get very very sick by catching a cold, especially in Kuala Lumpur. The temperature contrast is too huge. Toward the end of my stay, I had to switch off the air condition at night, however, feeling suffocated in the morning. The trick I use is to wear a wool hat and socks, put on my only jumper before going to bed. This really works!
9. Chopsticks
I once bought some nice cup noodles back to the hotel, thinking to spend my night with happy web surfing and hot noodles. When my favorite web blog is on and noodles are done, I only came to realise that the d*mned 7-11 didn't give me chopsticks. My only 2 choices are my fingers and the pen. I used the pen at the end because the noodles was really too hot, hey, I chew my pen anyways, what is the difference?
10. Painkiller
Do I have to say anything more about this?
11. Wine opener
I remember one time my friends and I were trying anything handy to open a wine bottle desperately in the skiing carbin. We used screwdriver, hair pin, steak knifeThe cork remains were floating on top of the surface of wine in our glasses and bottle.
You will never know how important it is to have a pair of scissor in your room. And it is quite odd to ask for one from the front desk (they gave you this strange look as if you are going to disect some frogs in the bath tub). Anyhow, it is just so useful beyound your imagination. For example, you just bought a pair of nice jeans and really want to wear it to the pub downstair. However, the price tag stripe was so strong that the mediocre toy scissors in the sewing kit wouldn't do a thing. Or you would like to cut/pry/stab open the canned peanuts from the mini bar (for some reason, the easy-open can is very easy and the handle is very easy to break). You just need to be careful that a pair of scissor might destroy your plan not to check in any luggage.
7. Nail files
The worse way to find out that there is a sprinter coming out of your thumb nail is when the sprinter pulls a tiny, wheeny thread out of your stockings when pulling them up/down. You can basically do nothing but feel depressed for a minute. Man, that's the second pair today. You need to fix any split ends or suspicious disarray in your nails, aggressively and obssessively.
8. hat and socks made of thick, warm, soft materials
Remember the stronger than normal air conditioning (as if electricity doesn't cost them a dime, of course, we pay for it). There is a danger to get very very sick by catching a cold, especially in Kuala Lumpur. The temperature contrast is too huge. Toward the end of my stay, I had to switch off the air condition at night, however, feeling suffocated in the morning. The trick I use is to wear a wool hat and socks, put on my only jumper before going to bed. This really works!
9. Chopsticks
I once bought some nice cup noodles back to the hotel, thinking to spend my night with happy web surfing and hot noodles. When my favorite web blog is on and noodles are done, I only came to realise that the d*mned 7-11 didn't give me chopsticks. My only 2 choices are my fingers and the pen. I used the pen at the end because the noodles was really too hot, hey, I chew my pen anyways, what is the difference?
10. Painkiller
Do I have to say anything more about this?
11. Wine opener
I remember one time my friends and I were trying anything handy to open a wine bottle desperately in the skiing carbin. We used screwdriver, hair pin, steak knifeThe cork remains were floating on top of the surface of wine in our glasses and bottle.
Hotel Survival Guide
If you are planning to stay in one hotel for more than 1 week, there are quite a few items that you should not forget to bring with you:
1. Super antiseptic cream, perferrably with steroid
Forget about how bad steroid can do to your skin, you don't want to set yourself in a completely unfamiliar environment with a huge acne on your nose (or near your nose). You need that confidence to arm your timidity in a foreign country. The cream can be used heavely at the pimple spot, be careful not to spread it around. Gee, just let this bit of skin burned, I don't care, as long as the pimple doesn't grow larger due to infection.
2. Toothpaste
The hotel toothpaste doesn't work, as simple as that. No matter how hard you brush, you cannot make foam out of it. You start to wonder whether you have mistaken the lotion for toothpaste, in fact, they taste like it, too.
3. Shampoo and conditioner
Those shampoo/conditioner/body washer bottles contain essentially identical matters. I think those are made of recycled real shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap. The shampoo can easily destroy your hair. Remember I once washed my hair with body wash before moving out of London? How my hair became tangled, sticky and hard as steel wire? That's how I feel about hotel shampoo.
4. Very strong body lotion
Because most hotel rooms are seriously sealed (afraid of guests jumping off the window?). The constantly activated aircondition is really bad for your skin. My case was a bit serious, I start to grow rashes all over my thighs and back. It was really hard to suppress the urge to scratch during the meeting.
5. Gloves and detergent
2 weeks is relative long time to go without clean socks, you read the price list of the laundry service, such as 5 dollars for a pair of socks, I think, most people would decide to make the 5 bucks by drawning them in the bathroom sink. It is really handy to have a pair of thick gloves (so you can use the extra hot water to make sure all the genes are killed) and the real detergent (strickly speaking, body soap smells nice but very weak in cleaning fabric).
to be continued....
1. Super antiseptic cream, perferrably with steroid
Forget about how bad steroid can do to your skin, you don't want to set yourself in a completely unfamiliar environment with a huge acne on your nose (or near your nose). You need that confidence to arm your timidity in a foreign country. The cream can be used heavely at the pimple spot, be careful not to spread it around. Gee, just let this bit of skin burned, I don't care, as long as the pimple doesn't grow larger due to infection.
2. Toothpaste
The hotel toothpaste doesn't work, as simple as that. No matter how hard you brush, you cannot make foam out of it. You start to wonder whether you have mistaken the lotion for toothpaste, in fact, they taste like it, too.
3. Shampoo and conditioner
Those shampoo/conditioner/body washer bottles contain essentially identical matters. I think those are made of recycled real shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap. The shampoo can easily destroy your hair. Remember I once washed my hair with body wash before moving out of London? How my hair became tangled, sticky and hard as steel wire? That's how I feel about hotel shampoo.
4. Very strong body lotion
Because most hotel rooms are seriously sealed (afraid of guests jumping off the window?). The constantly activated aircondition is really bad for your skin. My case was a bit serious, I start to grow rashes all over my thighs and back. It was really hard to suppress the urge to scratch during the meeting.
5. Gloves and detergent
2 weeks is relative long time to go without clean socks, you read the price list of the laundry service, such as 5 dollars for a pair of socks, I think, most people would decide to make the 5 bucks by drawning them in the bathroom sink. It is really handy to have a pair of thick gloves (so you can use the extra hot water to make sure all the genes are killed) and the real detergent (strickly speaking, body soap smells nice but very weak in cleaning fabric).
to be continued....
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Luxury Goods Heaven
Tokyo office are very socialable. Hiroko has taken me to play walleyball (not valleyball), drinking/eating was happening almost every day, I start to switch into vacation mode... Well, that makes me feel so guilty
We finished at least 10 bottles and started singing together on the street on our way back (I also provided the backup dancing entertainment).
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I think it has a lot to do with my upbringings, I always feel reluctant to pay extra bucks for quality, no matter how small the amount is. My mom had not demanded a lot about her living space until recently (trust me, you won't feel like to decorate your home if it is an open space for all your husband's relatives/friends/business partners). Besides, we had to live a very economical life. It doesn't seem wrong at that time, I thought every one is doing the same thing. Mankit and I grew up strong and healthy, no complaints.
During my personality molding period in Canada, the people I knew were mostly penny counting. Auntie Feng is the only exception, she is the true believer of "you have to treat yourself well". Anyways, some of my friends were co-op students, the work term's earning is used to pay for the study term. Some were VISA students, cutting down the living expense means less the burden on their parents' shoulders in Taiwan/HK.
It almost became a competition among us, how to sustain the minimum student life yet have great time. Things were not getting better after I started working. I don't know what my Toronto friends have become, but I still live in the poor grad-student mode although I can definitely afford to treat myself better.
If I am in the supermarket, I would be drawn to the SALE section by an unexplainable force. Although there is usually bad-looking fruits or almost-overdue produce. I always try to get the cheap cut even though the difference is less than 10 yuan (slightly more than a dollar). When shopping for shampoo, it is unthinkable for me to buy from the BODY SHOP or the alike. They are 3 times more expensive than those chemical-ridden, mass-production shampoo. But after reading the price tag, I have changed my mind and gone back to buy cheapo shampoo 3 or 4 times. I hope I can success in buying the natural, organic shampoo next time. After reading the price list of the laundry service in the hotel, I decided to wash them in the bath tub. This really doesn't make sense to me, because the client is paying. I cannot explain why I love to abuse myself for no one's benefit. Why I do not know how to justify the marginal values purchased by the extra money? Or if I know but don't want to admit it is going to make my life better?
I think this is really the key to my whole attitute about spending. I * AM * NOT * CONFIDENT *. I don't trust myself that I am making a good deal and it is going to make me happy. Perhaps I hate to be haunted by the "spending-unwisely" experience, I have unconsciously washed out all my shopping impulse?
I envy those who can spend few hundred bucks on a handbag or a jar of night cream. They are so certain about the what they want... I guess life is a series of decision making, and shopping is one of them. We are all trying to make the best bargain by gathering information, waiting for the right time and then strike. I think I am just lack of training in the shopping department.
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