http://aperifle.sinosplice.com/archives/2008/02/13/indiana-jones-and-the-curse-of-the-birds-nest/ Canadian Edition Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:28:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 http://aperifle.sinosplice.com/archives/2008/02/13/indiana-jones-and-the-curse-of-the-birds-nest/#comment-23507 youguys Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:58:41 +0000 http://aperifle.sinosplice.com/archives/2008/02/13/indiana-jones-and-the-curse-of-the-birds-nest/#comment-23507 This must be the best comment I've read. It is always good to read your balanced and insightful comments on pekingduck too. Whenever I have a conversation with my friends, Americans would always say, "Warts and all, America is still," this and that better, more just, less crude, open blah blah blah.The Brits would often dis the Yanks and make fairer comments on China like yours. I listen to a certain political and cultural talk radio program from HK every night,so I know what China is like, and I have a multiply entry to HK and yet I have very little complain about China because I have chosen to live here. Many of my relatives grew up in HK & overseas. And like most of the Asian posters I have been smeared as trolls and crassly labeled as brainwashed rabid nationalists. Thing is, most of us have or, traverse or still live in US, HK, the UK and Canada. I dare say we know as much as, if not more or have better understanding being bilingual and all,than a lot of the know-it-all ungrateful grumpy expats in China making 20 times or more more than the locals. This was true in British Malaysia, Singapore, HK, India, S.Africa, etc in the past, and NOW CHINA? When will this injustice end? Yet, we all worked hard at learning English - only to find out that the English world actually look down on us.I used to never understand why American Chinese seem to always have a chip on their shoulders - now that I've lived in America and learned the language, history and culture, I fully get it, just as I get why foreigners are so full of gripes & criticism in any foreign countries. People are, in the end, just people. We all have similar sentiments, prejudices, biases, love-hate relationship with our own culture, country and host country. If there is a purpose in life on earth, I think it is to learn tolerance, self control and be contented with what we have. I don't believe religion nor ideology are the answer; communism is a fantasy, but as long as the filthy rich have the unfair advantages over the great majority of the world, we'll never have peace. I am an agnostic but I remember agreeing to this saying by Jesus, "Why do you honor the rich, what have they done for you?" Something like that. I can't remember the rest of it but it really opened my eyes. Indeed, Why do we honor the rich,and the powerful when like the members of the English aristocracy and monarchy for example are but parasites ? Like you wrote, "When you play with hubris, you have to expect to get burnt. Position the Games as a flexing of your muscles, and those who disapprove of your actions (for reasons founded or unfounded) will seek to humble you. This is not rocket science." Indeed, it is not. Thank you. Cheers. This must be the best comment I’ve read. It is always good to read your balanced and insightful comments on pekingduck too. Whenever I have a conversation with my friends, Americans would always say, “Warts and all, America is still,” this and that better, more just, less crude, open blah blah blah.The Brits would often dis the Yanks and make fairer comments on China like yours. I listen to a certain political and cultural talk radio program from HK every night,so I know what China is like, and I have a multiply entry to HK and yet I have very little complain about China because I have chosen to live here. Many of my relatives grew up in HK & overseas. And like most of the Asian posters I have been smeared as trolls and crassly labeled as brainwashed rabid nationalists. Thing is, most of us have or, traverse or still live in US, HK, the UK and Canada. I dare say we know as much as, if not more or have better understanding being bilingual and all,than a lot of the know-it-all ungrateful grumpy expats in China making 20 times or more more than the locals. This was true in British Malaysia, Singapore, HK, India, S.Africa, etc in the past, and NOW CHINA? When will this injustice end?
Yet, we all worked hard at learning English - only to find out that the English world actually look down on us.I used to never understand why American Chinese seem to always have a chip on their shoulders - now that I’ve lived in America and learned the language, history and culture, I fully get it, just as I get why foreigners are so full of gripes & criticism in any foreign countries. People are, in the end, just people. We all have similar sentiments, prejudices, biases, love-hate relationship with our own culture, country and host country. If there is a purpose in life on earth, I think it is to learn tolerance, self control and be contented with what we have. I don’t believe religion nor ideology are the answer; communism is a fantasy, but as long as the filthy rich have the unfair advantages over the great majority of the world, we’ll never have peace. I am an agnostic but I remember agreeing to this saying by Jesus, “Why do you honor the rich, what have they done for you?” Something like that. I can’t remember the rest of it but it really opened my eyes. Indeed, Why do we honor the rich,and the powerful when like the members of the English aristocracy and monarchy for example are but parasites ?
Like you wrote, “When you play with hubris, you have to expect to get burnt. Position the Games as a flexing of your muscles, and those who disapprove of your actions (for reasons founded or unfounded) will seek to humble you. This is not rocket science.” Indeed, it is not. Thank you. Cheers.

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