三 個 朋 友

Pig Under a Roof

It's Chinese character day! The word above means family, but it is revealing how it is put together. The first Chinese character is the one that means family (the second is hall) and it is significant. In the character there is a pig under the roof which can be a good thing for those of you thinking to yourselves "I wouldn't want a pig under my roof!" or "I have a pig under my roof and I wish s/he would cut down a little!". We don't know any friends who have pigs in their houses (though we do know someone with mice, turtles, several generations of gerbils and an iguana) but the pig has always been an important part of Chinese cuisine and culture.

In my opinion, pigs have always gotten a raw deal in Western imagery. They are very economical to raise compared to other farm animals and so they are common throughout the Far East, much more common than cattle. The pig stars as a character in Journey to the West, classic Chinese literature, representing the sensual individual who enjoys the pleasures of life. We even had a whole roast pig at our wedding, though not out of symbolism. (I assumed that we would have leftovers for weeks but discovered sadly that every scrap had been eaten.) I have even heard they make good and loyal pets though I don't want to test that out.

Perspective
角度

This photo is how our daughter sees us.
She took a nice photo. It's sometimes easy to forget the different perspective that children have. We are like giants to them.

孩子
There is also a cultural difference in the way people view children. Especially Chinese and Korean cultures are very focused on children. On the whole, parents spend a lot of time on and with their children. They don't do this out of sacrifice as some in the West believe, but because they actually enjoy being with their children. Perhaps it could also be said that there is a higher expectation for the relationship between the children and the parents. Even fine restaurants and other public places are relatively child friendly.

I can still remember a funny incident when I was 8 and my parents took me to a fine restaurant in England, something that wasn't too common. This very proper gentleman tending to the name list looked at me scuffling my shoes off in proper rude American child style and said (imagine a proper British accent) "if I were taken to a fine restaurant by my parents I would not be taking my shoes off." I didn't mind but I do notice now as a parent the "adults only" places or those that are not all that welcoming to children.

Audiences

One of the differences I have noticed between American and Chinese culture that comes up occasionally is the way they watch or listen to performances. Western audiences seem to be much more senstive to noise than Chinese. I remember hearing that a particular orchestra might get up and walk out if there was too much noise in the audience. It is very common for latecomers to be kept outside until the appropriate time, which as a frequent latecomer always bothered me.

By contrast, the average Chinese audience looks at things in a different way. An account in a book written by an American man who lived in Beijing from 1946 until 1950 describes his performance of a an instrument, I think the er hu(二胡) , before an audience. As soon as he started, the audience would start chattering and conversing. He stopped for a second because he thought maybe they weren't interested. As soon as he stopped, they stopped talking and were silent except for one or two people telling him not to stop but to keep on playing. I can say from personal experience, it's not always that way but there is some truth to this picture.

In our household, I must pay close attention to a tv drama in order to follow the plot. Noise is too much of a distraction. By contrast, my wife can play Chinese chess (圍棋), watch our 2 year old doing somersaults off of the sofa and still do a better job of analyzing the plot than I do.

Atlantic Basin 大西洋 與 太平洋

This article is an example of the kind of outdated arrogance that is why I don't spend much time on the Atlantic basin. It is a fussy article no doubt written by a New York-based writer who is upset that Michelin guide gave 3 stars to a New York restaurant which is clearly a "step down" from the Paris restaurant (sniff sniff). Who cares? Some guy thinks he is a star food 'artist' and so can charge enormous prices for very little. They are proud of themselves but it is primarily by their own standards, which rarely include taste.

But at a deeper level, the North Atlantic still thinks of itself as the center of the world that it once was. You can still hear it echoed in the underlying assumption that its values and interests should be what the world values and is interested in. But the world is changing. We may have earthquakes on the Pacific basin but that is the sound of creativity shaking things up.

Fall 秋季之美













One of the likeliest targets for people from cold climates, the North, to pooh pooh about the warmer areas of the world is that we don't have seasons. There are movies and magazine articles written that suggest we are somehow deficient because there is no snow and especially because
there is no fall season. Of course those of us who live here in the lower latitudes, whether in East Asia or in the Americas know this is just jealousy. Go up in altitude, whether in Alishan 阿里山 or here, we can have our change of seasons. Stay where we are and we have spring or summer.


Today, we went as a family to see the fall season in apple picking country. It is a pretty area, between 3500 ft and 5000 ft in altitude that reminds me a lot of the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia. These are gentle rounded mountains, not the high peaks and valleys that are to be found farther on. Everything in this area revolves around apple growing from the more than 100 varieties of apples offered, depending on the season and elevation, to apple cider and apple butter. The nicest part about it is that we get to see fall and then leave it behind as we leave the mountains.

放假! Vacation

It's that time of the year they say to overindulge. People wolf down the turkey and gobble down all the side dishes. Then supposedly they get overweight from this. There is also that documentry about fast food restaurants and obesity in America Supersize Me, but as usual I have a different take on these things.

Rather than blaming that extra helping of turkey or the Golden Arches, not that I like fast food restaurants, but a lot of the blame lies in sheer laws of physics. What goes in must be put out. It's personal responsibility to walk places and to be active.

Rather than driving just to get across the street, people could walk! Many people will take an elevator to go down one floor. I was reading a Hong Kong newspaper some time ago (星島日報 I think) and it had a nice article which illustrated this point. Hong Kong, like most cities in East Asia, is quite walkable and though a few individuals are dumb enough to drive, most sensibly walk. They eat a lot of good food, but many stay thin. A reporter asked a good question of why people in America refuse to walk or take public transportation anywhere and then pay to get exercise in a gym. Why not exercise by walking for free?

Rather than sitting in front of a computer typing out a blog, why not...well let's not go there.

Music 音樂 part 2

I admit that I am not an expert in Chinese music, but I have some preferences. I like the 琵琶, a guitar-like instrument and also the 古 箏, a zither-like Chinese instrument.

One of my favorite Chinese Christian music singers is Amy Sand 盛曉玫. She has very well-written lyrics and a good sound. If you would just like to listen to sound clips from her music click here.

Lastly, I like this singer who you can hear if you click on the Hello Kitty to the left.

Music

Reading this blog, I'll bet you thought I didn't know much about music, did you? Well actually you're right, but I'll share a few thoughts with you.

I think it is too early to be hearing Christmas music in these subtropical climes. I was walking down the street a few days ago, it was a bright sunny day in the mid-80s, when I heard some store blaring music about doing something in a "winter wonderland!" "playing in the snow" and just like a "Currier and Ives" painting. The first Christmas didn't even take place in a snowy climate and Currier and Ives were certainly not around! At least wait until December so we can enjoy one holiday at a time. Having gotten rant out, I'll share something deep, down and personal.

I can sing but for some reason I never learned how to read notes 音符 beyond say...Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. I used to be a valued member of a Chinese language choral group in a church. Our song leader was great, and still is an inspiring guy. I could read all of the Chinese characters to sing the 1st time I saw them and I have a good voice but I could never follow the notes. Maybe it was just punishment for being too lazy to practice when I was younger. I can still remember my music teacher saying to me, "you see these white hairs? Do you know why they are here? Because you don't practice!"

感恩節 Thanksgiving #2

Last night we had a Thanksgiving dinner with church friends. We had a pot luck dinner, with hot pot as the center of the meal outside. Hot pot 火 鍋 originated in northern China and spread to other places. In Japan it is known as Shabu Shabu. I have eaten Korean and Thai versions but I don't know what they are called, but I like the Chinese version best.



Hot pot is one of those foods that is very culturally grounded because it is a communal meal. Yes, I know we in the west have fondue, but it's not the same. People eat using the same pot in the center of the table to cook the food. I don't think it's really that popular in Western cultures for that reason. For us, it was a good time of togetherness and food. It was a good time to touch bases, pray for each other and watch DVD productions our church had made.

It's amazing the concerns in any small group. There are businesses people run, new jobs, concerns about children, concerns about parents and even concerns about loved ones in not so safe countries in the world. We also have some happy news about those newly married who will be rejoining us soon! I'll get some photos up of the happy couples up soon.
(The part of our group that fit in this room)

The only thing I missed, which happens less because this is a Christian group, is wives engaging in a traditional bragging contest about their husbands. "My husband is really dumb." "Oh yeah, well my husband is dumb and he's messy." "Well, my husband is dumb, messy and forgetful! (that's usually me)" It's just in fun and usually all the husbands are sitting around enjoying it or chatting.

I imagine myself sitting across the table politey listening to the conversation, when all female heads turn to me. "Well Mr. Thoughtfire, what do you think?" "Uhhhh, my job is to listen to and obey my wife 很聽話."

Small Talk

Conversation is something we take for granted but it's really important in developing relationships. Do it well and people like us. Do it poorly and others will avoid us.

Tonight a Chinese friend of ours observed in American culture something I never thought about before. She observed that when American women who say overly optimistic things like "oh, I love your hair" or "your outfit is really nice!" it is just a conversation starter and nothing more. This insight has eluded many American men who feel as if their wives are primarily seeking affirmation.

I have noticed that there is no such similar ice breaker (no need for??) among Chinese women who get suspicious of such flattery unless it is genuine, "口是 心 非." My wife doesn't really pay much attention to what I have to say about her hair anyway though it does look nice. When it comes to fashion, men are to be seen and not heard.

How (Not) to Manage Time 如何 打發 (白花) 時 間

In a household with 3 children, 2 parents and 2 sets of in-laws who live nearby -all of whom I really love and enjoy- time management becomes really important. I've always been one to be scared and awed by over organizers. You know who you are, the types with the big leather organizers whose daily schedule is written out the week before down to 15 minute increments. I have one friend who is so organized (with 6 children, 2 seemingly full-time jobs I guess she has to be) she makes makes me tired just listening to her day.

In a large household, things can either be chaotic or they can work very well, saving everyone time. One thing I have learned is that each and every person contributes in the way they can best. For me, that means cleaning dishes, cooking, teaching, buying the milk, helping with homework and maintaining this blog. Even our little one who learned to walk not long ago, enjoys running diapers over to the trashcan! ...wonder how long that will last?

Are you one of those who has to dial your cell phone to find out which toy box it is in? If you answered yes, then you need this next point.

Keep a little bit of physical private space. When there are quite a few sets of hands around it is important to have some place where I can throw things and they won't be moved. Otherwise, so much time can be wasted just looking for everyday household items that were moved rearranged, ground into the floor, etc..

活 魚 三 吃 Live Fish

I promise I won't do this again...well not too many times. I won't be one of those quirky types who photographs every meal, but this was special and cultural which is the theme of this blog soooo, here it is.

(Part 1)

There is a type of live fish restaurant favored by Chinese and Koreans. This one we ate at was Korean and it was right on a harbor. They catch a live fish fresh out the tanks in the restaurant, my kind of fishing! Then they make the first course, which is sashimi and some as fried fish. The 2nd course is other types of live seafood, in this case prawns, that we want made into sashimi. The 3rd course brings the spicy seafood soup made of out of the fish bones, crab and spices, the various types of kimchee vegetables and the white rice.

(Part2)


All of this is eaten while sitting cross-legged overlooking seagulls and the water rippling through the harbor outside. Koreans seem to enjoy coming to these places in large family groups and with large quantities of beer. We skipped the beer, looked good though, but we did have a large family group with us on this pleasant warm evening.

(Part 3)

Tang Poetry 唐 詩

Click on the photo at left and you can hear a famous poet (hah! Kidding, just me) reading a Tang poem about a quiet forest scene.

Tang poetry was to meant to evoke evoke beautiful scenes and emotions with short very descriptive verses. Poets would ideally write while drinking at night in beautiful moon lit lakes with lanterns about them. I remember being at one such spot this summer and I can see how it would inspire a poem.

Tang poetry was written during the Tang dynasty in China (618-907 AD). We got this three book set for our children this summer. It is has really beautiful pictures which is of course half the fun, but our daughter really seems to enjoy memorizing the poetry. For some real information on Chinese poetry, in both English and Chinese, click here. I'll try to get this up on the links section soon.

暖和!
Just enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon! The temperature was in the 80s here today which is not unusual winter weather when it is sunny. The temperature goes up and people can enjoy going out to the park, gardening or even swimming.

Wintertime is our rainy season though. It gets chilly (down into the 50s and sometimes even the high 40s late at night) when the winter storms 暴風雨 come down from the north and we have to wear sweaters. But then the sun comes out and it's really nice. (For those of you reading this from colder climates you can enjoy this vicariously. I know because it certainly is better than winters where I have lived before.)

It certainly beats the winters where I came from. I can remember one time when I was in college the temperture was almost -30 degrees. With the heavy winds, I read the wind chill factor was -70 degrees. I was waiting for the bus and then the subway for a long time. When I finally got on the subway, it was heated to...ahhh, a toasty 0 degrees!

感恩節 Episode 1

We had our first of three or four Thanksgiving dinners tonight. It's early, but I think the timing was great. It was a holiday and so most people had time off today. Plus, as 'early birds' in buying turkeys, we missed the last minute holiday crunch. Our international group had a traditional American thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, aloo paratha and bulgogi. This was the first time in a long while that I had regular American food.

We also participated in the American tradition of letting others know what we were thankful about in the past year. As the only American at my table, I realized that everyone else was extremely thankful for their parents. I, on the other hand, had been thinking more along the lines of that traffic ticket I avoided a couple of weeks ago. By American standards I treat my parents well, but as my wife has reminded me, I realize I still have a long way to go.

There were quite a few new people there and many others I have known for a while. One of the new visitors said she was hoping for a Eurasian baby like ours (a fashion statement?) who was snoring on my lap...a bold and funny person who I hope returns.

Capturing the Moment 攝影

(Photo taken at 1/1600 second)

Photography is part technology, but mostly technique. People compliment me by saying, "nice camera" realizing that I am probably far too unskilled to be the cause of a good photo. I bought my Olympus E-300 almost a year ago now and it's been a great asset. There is a lot of good technology behind the sensor, a cooperative venture between Kodak and Olympus. Because of the size of the sensor, the price of high quality optics is also less than an equivalent lens on another digital SLR. I know there are a lot of uppity Nikon and Canon users out there, but that's because they don't know any better.

The three photos above and below were taken out on a nice sunny day at high speeds to capture the motion of the children on the swings 秋千.




Above photos were taken at 1/2000 of a second.

This photo was taken in the late afternoon sun and captures motion of children both going up and coming down.

Language and Culture

I have come to realize that, almost as much as other dimensions of culture, language divides us into groups. It affects what we read in the newspapers, what we watch on television and what we hear on the radio. News can be reported in really different ways by different language media. This information affects our outlook on the world.

The topics on television shows in a particular language and the way they portray reality also influences us. Our family rarely watches English language tv and so the many unwholesome trends and currents out of Hollywood do not affect us.

Language also affects our social groups. Language 語言 and dialect 方言 (wow, that term is in the Chinese Wilkopedia) are a way of making and keeping friends. People seem to have a language they prefer speaking with friends even if they speak several languages. If you speak this language, they will be friends with you. If you don't, it's not that they won't be friendly, but you will not get close to them.

That is why I go out of my way to speak Chinese probably more of the time than I speak English. English is my native language and I'll never have problems understanding that world. But Chinese and to a lesser extent Japanese opens the door to people, culture and a worldview that I would otherwise not have.

Well, now that I have gotten off my soapbox for tonight, for those of you who are interested in Chinese newspapers and magazines, click here. Or for those of you who prefer television, you will like this link. (Sorry, I'll get these up in the real links section soon.)

Sunlight Map

Check out this great web site http://www.die.net/earth/, a world sunlight map. It shows sunlight, (and weather, geography, everything else) for everyplace in the world at a particular time.

As a family, we love travelling to and living in different places. Some things I have learned. For some reason travelling East across the Pacific is more difficult for jet lag 時差 than the other direction. After a good night's sleep, we are usually ready to go when we arrive in East Asia, but it takes a few days to get adjusted when we come back the other way across the Pacific. When we came back this time, everyone except for me slept until 4:00 pm the next day and can you guess how late they stayed up that evening?

I once went to a job interview in Northern Canada and that's yet another time issue. That's not just Canada, but Northern Canada. In summer, it is light until 11:00 pm at night. In the winter, there is so little light there that workers have to go to these indoor faux tropics places to prevent from getting depressed. This picture, complete with endless falling snow and just wolves howling outside for neighbors, did not appeal to my wife who was raised in tropical climes.

Happy Birthday 生日快樂 !
Ok, everybody: 祝 妳 生日快樂, 祝 妳 生日 快樂, 祝 妳 生日 快樂 ______, 祝 妳 生日 快樂!

This is the birthday girl and a friend of ours.

We had a birthday party for a friend of ours. She is 80 years young with more energy than most of us half her age or less. People stopped by who have been helped by or worked with her over the years. She is hoping to go overseas to serve in teaching...an amazing person.

I hope that when I get to that age I have that much energy. Of course it helps to have good genetics, but I think that purpose is important. If people give up what they were intended to do and sit around passing time then they will go quickly. That is why comfortable, gilded surroundings with nothing to do is bad for the elderly. People have to find something that they can do to contribute and keep doing it. It is giving out more than receiving that gives life its meaning. For those of you who want to see all of the photos click here or go to the photo gallery.

Listening to stories.



Playing a group game.

Gardening

My view is that if it isn't useful, don't plant it. Now I know some of you are thinking, "what about aesthetics, beauty, nature?" Too much trouble, especially since my gardening skills extend as far as the occasional dumping of a bag of steer manure or fish bones around trees we like. Fortunately, my wife is a practical person and has the same attitude. For example, she wants to plant a 雞 蛋 花 (literally chicken egg flower, it looks like a goose egg) tree that can be brewed into a medicine.

Here's some of the good, the bad and the ugly (well mostly the ugly) in our gardening efforts. At least you can appreciate my breathtaking close up photography of leaves.

November's the end of the season: Strawberry Guavas (These aren't supposed to look like cherries.)


December & January: Thailand Guava


April: 'Champagne' Loquat


Hopefully next year but we aren't holding our breath: Central American White Sapote

I always admire the fearlessness and energy of Korean Christians. I met a Korean woman today who seemed kind of sleepy....well, actually she was sleeping in a public place. When she opened her eyes a bit I asked her why she was sleeping in the middle of the day and she told me her schedule of activities that she was involved in.

Like many of her friends, she gets up at 5:00 in the morning for an hour of prayer. (As an evening person, I personally feel that if God had meant for people to see the sunrise it would have been later in the day...but I digress.) Then she exercises an hour before breakfast. During the day she is involved in church planting activities all of the time except for an hour or so for siesta after lunch. After dinner she is at Bible study with her friends until 11 or 12 at night. She is not alone. I know a Korean man, a friend, who just wanders around this area planting churches. When he plants one, he leaves and goes someplace else to start another.

I had the real pleasure once of spending overnight at Prayer Mountain 禱 告 山 run by Koreans. It is literally a mountain out of which there are little caves. They have doors on the caves, and one can see shoes outside of the doors in the evening. Koreans, like most peoples of East Asia, take their shoes off indoors. The combination of corporate prayer, individual prayer and Bible study overnight was a special experience.

豐 收 節

We went to the harvest festival at our church and you can see there were a lot of people there despite the fact that it was a Monday night. It was also an outreach to the local community, all of whom were welcome to come.

This first photo is of the exchange table where children could exchange tickets for prizes. One ticket for 3 pieces of candy or 4 tickets for one cavity. I tried to get my daughter to exchange her tickets for something educational...to no avail.


A basket!


This table hockey table was more of a challenge. There were activities for some of the older children.