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Thursday, 13 September 2007

I was *this* close to writing an entry complaining about a lot of things. Then I realized, am I really unhappy? Who am I kidding. Even if the worst of the worst hit me, I should still be swallowed up in joy.

Revelation: I'm terrible at being joyful!

Read that line. Even THAT didn't sound joyful. It sounded depressing, like a lot of the things I say. Like what I said right there<---.

In Numbers, Joshua and Caleb came back with a lot of other spies with good news about the land. But everybody wanted to believe the other account, that the land consumed its people, that they would fall by the sword. This wasn't pessimism. It was an inability to trust that God is our portion and that EVERY good and perfect gift (James) comes from Him who is everything anybody would ever need!
```
Joyful, Joyful 
Lord we adore Thee 
An` in my life 
I put none before Thee 
Cuz since I was a youngster 
I came to know 
That you was the only way to go!

That's better.

Father, I pray that Christians worldwide would see your beauty even in the midst of failure, sickness, or any other tragedy. I praise you for you steadfastness, and love and mercy. Just as you set aside the best land for your people of Israel, I have faith that you will guide me not in misery, but closer to you.
```

Friday, 07 September 2007

Since nobody seems to read Facebook notes, I start migrating stuff here. Xanga might make a comeback, depending.

Some basic observations on Asian Far East culture that I didn't think about until the past trip I went to. I went to Hong Kong and Japan but I think that some of these cultural vignettes apply to all of China (which includes places in the US, like my house).

I'll update this to include addenda in your comments (properly cited of course) as well as things that I think of in the future.

1. If you rent a car, be prepared to never use it, get in a car accident, or spend more time on the road then in your hotel. Don't be noob. Use the MTR, subway, taxi, bus, bike, etc. All other modes of transportation (save maybe a tank, helicopter, skis, etc.) besides the car are generally safer, more convenient, and faster (and cheaper which is what any yellow-skinned fellow with dark hair will tell you is the most important).

-Summary of Point #1: Driving in the States is equivalent to solving 2+0=? on a blackboard with nothing else written on it and nobody to check your answer and tell you if you're wrong.

2. China and Japan are "cash-only" societies. It is not uncommon to see people making large purchases with fat stacks of 10000 yen bills. Why? This can't be answered in one sentence. Or one essay even. I think it might have something to do with the fact that they think of carrying a credit card as risky (it's like a portable bank! ... to some people). Also, there's something "bling-bling" about paying for an lcd tv with fat stacks instead of a card.

-Summary of Point #2: Handing a credit card to your local congee store is obligating them to steal all your assets as efficiently as possible. OK maybe this is exaggerated but I don't really feel like finding out just how exaggerated it is.

3. Walk fast or walk left. Believe it or not, everybody in America does things on the wrong side. We walk and drive on the right side of the road. We stand on the right side of the escalator when we feel lazy. Well I'm telling you that we're all doing it on the wrong side but that since everybody's doing it, nobody really says anything about it.

-Summary of Point #3: Before you yell at somebody for shoving you around, evaluate first whether you were in his way.

4. Fear cars and buses. There is no sympathetic, effeminate, "pedestrians always have the right of way" nonsense in Asia. Nooosirreee. Things in the Orient work logically. Weaker masses should not move in front of larger masses unless the larger mass is incapacitated or in front of a red light.

-Summary of Point #4: Jaywalking isn't cool. It's suicide and you might get run over. Might here doesn't have the 2.4% chance connotation that Americans are used to.

5. On food: People eat vegetables here! For those of you who eat vegetables (I don't mean salads with lots of oily salad dressing topped with greasy salami), good for you! There are more vegetable dishes on the menus in China than there are dishes on American menus in total. In fact, comparing American menus to Chinese menus is kinda like comparing Uris library to the Library of Congress, or comparing Sherlock Holmes stories to "The Moonstone."

-Summary of Point #5: I am reaching the tipping point of tolerating greasy food and meat that's either fried or processed. Give me vegetables and seafood!

6. Also on food: It's not uncommon for dishes to come with anything and everything. For example, if we order a roast chicken, we'll probably see the head and the feet for ornamental purposes (sometimes not ornamental). Shrimp come with the shells and heads on, etc. etc. Raw fish (sashimi) is perfectly OK due to the high quality of the fish and the freshness. You will not survive (very well) in the Orient if you get all picky and squeamish around perfectly acceptable, nutritious food that millions of people consume on a daily basis.

-Summary of Point #6: Eat everything without rejecting it even after trying it several times. Lose weight and win friends! Wait, that didn't make any sense.

Feel free to give me things to add to the list.