Long Yingtai on DPP

What a coincidence. I was just blogging about Long Yingtai's (龙应台) past articles when I stumbled upon a recent media report about the Taiwanese writer.

Apparently, Long is now a professor in China's Tsinghua University (清华大学).

In the media report, Long accused Taiwan's ruling party of having a "pea-like vision" (目光如豆). She also claimed that during the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP, 民进党) seven years in power, Taiwan had increasingly become more inward-looking, and had even lost its global perspective.

Making it clear that there are no contradictions between localization and globalization, Long noted that under the DPP, Taiwan had become severely short-sighted. This short-sightedness had, according to Long, impeded the island's progress.

Long also described the DPP as "retarded" (弱智) for shutting Taiwan's doors to mainland Chinese students. Drawing on her teaching experience in the University of Hong Kong (香港大学), Long said that Hong Kong universities had been offering scholarships to attract the best mainland Chinese students. Even the U.S., Europe and Singapore had done likewise. "Are these countries all fools?" Long asked.

Long argued that as a small island, Taiwan does not have much to fall back on. Yet Taiwan had persisted in going against mainstream thinking, a move which according to Long, is "incredulous" (不可思议).

Long, who had spent several years living in Europe, noted that European students usually make it a point to keep track of global news on the internet. But the same cannot be said of Taiwan students.

But Long also acknowledged that DPP's inward-looking nature is partly brought about by China's efforts in depriving the island of its international status.

Finally, Long urged that no matter who is elected to power next year. "I beg you, to please place the future of Taiwan into the massive wave of globalization, and to quickly locate Taiwan's position." (求求你, 赶紧把台湾的未来放进全球化的大浪潮, 快点找到台湾的位置.)

Japan Rising

At another conference held in D.C. earlier this month, Japanese expert Kenneth Pyle said that what is happening in Japan today fits in well with the country's international behavior over the past 150 years.

The University of Washington professor noted that Japan had adapted carefully and incrementally to the post-Cold War order. And such an adaptation had been a consistent feature among Japan's conservative elites.

After all, the hallmark of these elites had always been to adapt its foreign policy and domestic institutions to the new international environment - in other words, to organize internally so as to succeed externally.

Pyle noted that unlike the past five decades, Japan cannot afford to remain on the sidelines now. This is mainly due to China's rise and North Korea's increasing belligerence. Japan has also increasingly come to the realization that its economic power is insufficient in ensuring its security.

Hence, Japan had been progressively undoing its Cold War strategy, and constructing a new one. Tokyo's aim is to move away from its earlier emphasis economics, and focusing more on political, military and strategic issues.

For instance, since 1997, Japan's external foreign aid had fallen by 30 per cent, and its aid to China had ceased.

Tokyo's non-nuclear principle too, had increasingly come under pressure. Within Japan, the nuclear issue is now openly discussed and debated. The consensus now seems to be that so long as the U.S. deterrence is credible, Japan will not exercise its nuclear option.

And of course, there are now greater calls within Japan to revise what many see as the country's out-dated post-war Constitution.

And there are attempts by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and present Premier Shinzo Abe to strengthen the role of the Prime Minister in foreign policy.

Furthermore, the Self-Defence Force (SDF) had also been elevated from agency to ministry status, giving it a greater voice in influencing foreign policy. In addition, serving in the SDF is no longer looked down upon, as it had been in the past. Recently, 85 per cent of Japanese polled said they respected the role of the SDF, mainly because of the the troops' success in UN Peacekeeping Operations.

Also, during the past seven to eight year, several laws had been passed, such as those relating to national emergency and crisis conditions. These laws, according to Pyle, will help Japan better prepare for security threats.

Finally, as Pyle concluded, the changes that Japan are undertaking today are certainly not peripheral. Rather, these changes should be seen as comprehensive changes to Japan's system. They should also be indications that Japan is on the threshold of a new era - the Land of the Rising Sun certainly wants to become a more assertive strategic actor in maintaining the region's balance of power.

Lessons from the Asian Financial Crisis

At a recent conference held in D.C. to mark the 10th anniversary of the Asian Financial Crisis (AFC) - wow, has it been a decade already? - Denver University professor Ilene Grabel outlined what she called the most lasting and important effect of the AFC.

And that is, the center of gravity has shifted from an "unequivocal, fundamentalist opposition to any interference with the free flow of capital, to a kind of tepid, conditional support for some types of capital controls."

So is this shift good or bad?

According to Prof Grabel, while the shift had certainly moved policy discussions "in the right direction", such a "weak consensus" is not adequate in preventing another crisis.

But on the positive side, such capital controls will reduce the risk of investor flight, financial crises, as well as involvement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This, in Prof Grabel's view, had created space "for policy experimentation and policy and institutional diversity."

Turning to lessons gleaned from the AFC, the professor suggested that developing countries need to seriously rethink their participation in trade and investment agreements. She argued that such agreements "constrain their ability to protect themselves from and respond to financial crisis."

She added: "The costs of these agreements are clear, and the benefits are, at best, negligible insofar as there is no empirical evidence that they actually enhance trade or investment flows to the developing world."

Overall, Prof Grabel noted that the decade since the AFC had not been spent wisely in preventing its recurrence. She said the political will had not been mobilized and had even dissipated, and "without any substantial crisis-preventing reform" taking place.

"Instead of meaningful reform. we face today increasing efforts to lock in financial liberalism, leaving the world financial order perhaps even more precarious than a decade ago. One step forward, two steps back - I'm afraid to say that it's hard to make sense of the past ten years of international financial mismanagement in any other way."

Long Yingtai on Taiwan Democracy

In a 1997 article, Taiwanese writer Long Yingtai (龙应台) vividly described Taiwan's democracy in the following way:

"比较起来, 80年代的 "奋斗" 虽然冒着坐牢的危险, 人们的心情是自信而轻松的. 极权体制是那么大一个目标, 打垮它只需要些英雄气概. 90年代看起来平庸而安静, 可人心惶惶不安, 首先就闹不清敌人是谁.

"在80年代, 贪污腐败, 火烧水灾死人, 都可以怪国民党; 在90年代, 官商勾结, 黑道横行, 火烧水灾照样死人, 却不知要怪谁?

政府有小市民自己投票组成; 如果还有什么要被打倒, 那最该被打倒的, 竟是小市民自己的种种弱点. 当政治责任由独裁政体转到个人肩上时, 个人顿时发现了自己体质的虚弱."

"In comparison, even though the "struggles" in the 80s were dangerous as there was the risk of being jailed, people felt confident and relaxed. The authoritarian system was such a big target, and toppling it only required some heroic courage. The 90s seemed ordinary and quiet, yet people felt anxious and uncertain. The first is that they do not know who their enemies are.

"In the 80s, corruption, fires, floods and death can all be blamed on the Kuomintang. In the 90s, there were cronyism between the government and business, the rampage of mafia and gangs, and fires and floods continued to kill people, but we are not sure who is to blame.

"The government is formed through the votes of the ordinary citizens. If there is anything left to topple, it turned out to be the toppling of oneself and the various weaknesses of the ordinary citizens. When political responsibility had passed on from an autocratic regime to the shoulders of the ordinary citizens, everyone suddenly discovered how frail their bodies actually are."

Long Yingtai on Lee Teng-hui

In a 1994 article, Taiwanese writer Long Yingtai (龙应台) had this to say about Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui.

"您不是专栏作家也不是历史学者, 您是以台湾人 "总统" 的身份与日本人说话, 您的考虑必须比我们要多一层: 除了单纯对历史回顾的诚实以外, 李先生, 您还担有前瞻性的政治责任. 一个被殖民国的 "总统", 在获得自由之后, 对殖民国说: 感谢你教了我很多东西.

"波兰的瓦文萨的捷克的哈维尔, 会对俄罗斯人那么说吗? 印度的甘地和新加坡的李光耀, 会对英国人那么说吗? 身为台湾公民, 我觉得难堪."

"You are not a columnist nor a scholar. You are speaking to the Japanese in your capacity as "president". You should have further considerations as compared to us. Apart from the honesty that comes purely from reflecting upon history, Mr. Lee, you also have to shoulder a visionary form of political responsibility. A "president" whose country had been colonized, and after obtaining freedom, actually said to the colonialist, thank you for teaching me many things.

"Will Poland's Walesa or Czech's Havel say likewise to the Russians? Will India's Gandhi and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew say likewise to the British? As a citizen of Taiwan, I feel embarrassed."

Long Yingtai on Taiwan Politics

Taiwanese writer Long Yingtai (龙应台) has always been one of my favorite Chinese writers. She is insightful and critical, and most of all vocal and fearless.

In her book 这个动荡的世界 (This Turbulent World), she had this to say about politics in Taiwan.

"太奇妙了. 在强人政权下, 反对蒋家王朝, 主张台湾独立, 推动闽南语, 鼓吹女权运动, 赞成同性恋等等都是被压抑的声音. 民主之后, 这些被长期压抑的声音一一跃为主调, 很好, 可是在同时, 不合乎主调的声音却变成了新的被压抑者.

民意张开一张 "政治正确" 的大伞, 没有多少人敢大声地赞美蒋家父子, 敢大声地支持两岸统一, 敢大声地批判闽南文化的新沙文主义之可能, 敢大声地批评女权运动或大声地宣布自己不喜欢同性恋 ... 换了一批人, 换了一套思想作为主流, 可是压抑异议的机制依旧.

"只是这一回, 压力不来自一个强权政府, 而来自一个强权的 "民意" ... 而民意的强权并不比政府的强权不危险. 首先是民意本身的可疑和不可信赖."

"It is really amazing. Under an authoritarian regime, those who opposed the Chiang dynasty, argued for Taiwan independence, promoted the local minnan dialect, supported the feminist movement or agreed with homosexuality were oppressed. But after democracy had been attained, these long-suppressed voices had all become mainstream. Well and good. But at the same time, voices which do not fit into the mainstream had become the newly oppressed.

"On the pretext of public opinion, a large umbrella of "political correctness" has been spread out. Few dared to loudly praise the two Chiangs, few dared to loudly call for cross-strait reunification, few dared to loudly castigate the possibility of the new minnan culture turning into a new type of chauvinism, few dared to loudly critique the feminist movement, and few dared to loudly proclaim that they do not like homosexuality ... A group of people had been replaced, and a new set of thinking has turned mainstream, but the mechanism for oppression remains.

But this time round, the pressure does not come from an authoritarian government, but an authoritarian "public opinion" ... and the authoritarianism of public opinion is no less dangerous as compared to governments. First and foremost is the suspicious and unreliable nature of public opinion."

An East Asian Joke

One last entry based on the Chinese book 中国人, 日本人, 韩国人 (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, 2002) by Korean-Chinese writer 金文学 (김문학) before I toss it into the donation box.

And it is a joke:

"有三个韩国人, 就会开教会; 有三个日本人, 就会办公司; 有三个中国人, 就会组帮会."

"If there are three Koreans, they will set up a church; if there are three Japanese, they will establish a company; and if there are three Chinese, they will form a triad."

Korea Has No Culture?

The description of the Koreans by Korean-Chinese writer 金文学 (김문학) in his book 中国人, 日本人, 韩国人 (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, 2002) was, I thought, a little too critical.

He wrote:

"韩国缺少那种保存并继承自己的土生土长, 看上去并不起眼的传统文化的精神. 如果时代变了的话, 前代的文明就会随之彻底破灭. 正是由于这个理由, 韩国才缺少了逐步累积自己文化的积蓄思想. 所以, 尽管韩国对5000多年文化引以为豪, 但是细究起来, 就会发现文化没有什么值得大写特写的实际内容.

"Korea lacks the spirit of maintaining and perpetuating its home-grown and the seemingly unimportant aspects of its traditional culture. When times have changed, the previous generation of civilization will have been thoroughly destroyed.

"It is precisely because of this that Korea lacks the thinking of gradually accumulating its culture. Hence, even though the Koreans are proud of their 5,000 years of culture, but if you look at it carefully, you will discover that there is nothing worthy in the culture."

环游世界也找不到象韩国这样传统文化贫乏的国家, 韩国人能够堂堂正正地拿出来并受到世界认可的传统文化也是少之又少, 只不过是在虚张声势罢了... 韩国如果象日本那样重视累积自己的传统文化, 而不是一味地破坏的话, 韩国传统文化的底蕴也不会如此的瘠薄."

"Even if you go round the world, you will not find another county that is so lacking in its traditional culture. The type of traditional culture that Koreans can formally present to the world that is worthy of recognition is few and far between, and would merely be making an empty show of its strength.

"If Korea had, like Japan, emphasized the importance of accumulating its traditional culture, and does not consistently destroy its culture, then the foundation of its traditional culture would not have been so weak."

The Hakkas

The Hakkas are known to be a tough and resilient people.

They are a subgroup of the Han Chinese people who lived predominantly in the provinces of Guangdong (广东), Jiangxi (江西) and Fujian (福建) in China. Their ancestors are said to have originated in the Henan and Shanxi provinces of northern China over 1,700 years ago.

In a series of migrations, the Hakkas settled in their present locations in southern China, and then migrated overseas to various nations throughout the world.

The Hakkas have had a significant influence on the course of Chinese and overseas Chinese history: in particular, they have been a source of revolutionary and political leaders

Famous Hakkas, according to Japanese writer 根津清 in his book 客家,最强的华族集团 (Hakkas, The Strongest Chinese Group, 1995), the list of famous Hakkas include:

- Founding Father of China Sun Yat Sen (孙中山)
- Leader of the Taiping Rebellion Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全)
- Pioneers of the Chinese Liberation Army Zhu De (朱德), Ye Jianying (叶剑英) and He Long (贺龙)
- Neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi (朱熹) and Wang Yangming (王阳明)
- Former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (邓小平)
- Former Premier Li Peng (李鹏)
- Former Vice Premier Zou Jiahua (邹家华)
- Former President Yang Shangkun (杨尚昆)
- Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui (李登辉)
- The Soong sisters : Soong Chingling (宋庆龄), Soong Mayling (宋美龄), and Soong Ailing (宋蔼龄)
- Taiwanese movie director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝贤)
- Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀)

Japanese Cultural Exports

Just finished reading a Chinese book by Japanese writer 新井一二三.

Yes, her name literally means "one, two, three" as she was reportedly born on January 23. And the book was written in Chinese, not translated!
Most of her insights and observations were keen, witty and hilarious, especially her views on China, Hong Kong and Chinese-Japanese relations.

But what struck me most was the following observation:

"作为经济大国的日本, 以往被认为对人类文明少有贡献. 可是过去的十年, 从 walkman 到卡拉OK到 "任天堂" 电子游戏, 日本对世界各国的 "文化输出" 已相当可观. 可悲的是, 这些都跟日本的传统文化没有关系, 只是反映和加强了现代人的孤独."

"As an economic giant, Japan has in the past often been perceived as not having contributed enough to human civilization. But in the past 10 years (article was written in 1992), from walkman to karaoke (pictured) to Nintendo games, Japan has in fact been making substantive "cultural exports" to all parts of the world.

"But sadly, these exports have nothing whatsoever to do with Japanese culture. All they had done was to have strengthened the loneliness among modern people."

Chinese Words With English Origins

Some Chinese words have been so commonly used that their western origins have largely been forgotten.

Some of them include:

咖啡 - coffee
可可 - cocoa
啤酒 - beer
白兰地 - brandy
威士忌 - whisky
三文治 - sandwich
可口可乐 - coca cola
柠檬 - lemon
巧克力 - chocolate
多士 - toast (more commonly used in Hong Kong)
汉堡包 - hamburger
咖哩 - curry
芝士 - cheese (though many in mainland China use a more appropriate term 乳酪)
雪茄 - cigar
尼龙 - nylon
迷你裙 - mini skirt (only the the "mini" part is "appropriated" from English)
比坚尼 - bikini
模特儿 - model
沙龙 - salon
派对 - party
吉他 - guitar
迪斯科 - disco
马拉松 - marathon
爵士 - jazz
保龄 - bowling
菲林 - film
芭蕾 - ballet
桑拿 - sauna
卡通 - cartoon
拷贝 - copy
逻辑 - logic
幽默 - humor
引擎 - engine
摩托车 - motorcycle
雷达 - radar
吉普 - jeep
的士 - taxi
巴士 - bus
坦克 - tank
麦克风 - microphone
海洛因 - heroin
尼古丁- nicotine
维他命 - vitamin

The "Elegance" of Cantonese

It never really occurred to me that Cantonese can be "elegant."

But thanks to a Chinese language book outlining the various language problems found in Hong Kong newspapers, I now have a new appreciation of the "elegance" of Cantonese - at least Cantonese as used in Hong Kong.

Writer 朱立 wrote:

"广东方言其实非常古雅: 不说 "吃", 而说 "食"; 不说 "走", 而说 "行"; 至于 "站" 则成了 "企" ... 其他如 "睇" 和 "靓" 则似乎更古, 楚辞里都找得到.

"香港是个非常现代化的都市, 但口语中却保存了那么多的 "古董", 是香港人爱惜 "文物" 吗?"

Basically, the writer had given a few examples to illustrate his point that conversationally, Hong Kong people has maintained a number of words from ancient Chinese text.

Pretty charming, though hard to translate.

One "translatable" one is the example of "鸡爪" (chicken claws, pictured) which is more commonly referred to in Hong Kong as "凤兆" (phoenix claws). I guess it sounds better to say you want to order a dish of phoenix claws than a dish of chicken claws?!

Wellington Koo and Eleanor Roosevelt

There is a story about former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who sat through an official luncheon next to a Chinese official she had not met before.

Although he was well-dressed and obviously of some importance, he never spoke.

The First Lady therefore assumed his English must be poor. Finally, she thought to begin the conversation by talking about the meal.

Mrs Roosevelt asked: "Likee soupee?" The man nodded and smiled graciously. Minutes later, the same man rose to give the keynote speech of the day in perfect English.

Returning to his seat, China's Ambassador to the U.S. and Harvard Law School graduate Wellington Koo (顾维钧) smiled broadly at the red-faced Mrs. Roosevelt and asked, "likee speechee?"

Hahaha.

Koo was acting president of China from 1926-7 and later represented China at the League of Nations to protest the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. He was also one of the founding members of the United Nations in 1945.

Koo was also China's most experienced and respected diplomat. He died in New York City in 1985 at the age of 98.

Huang Ju

I usually do not reproduce rumors. But since this is a blog ... oh well.

China Politburo Standing Committee member Huang Ju (黄菊, pictured) is said to be seriously ill for some time now. That is no rumor.

Earlier this month, Phoenix TV and Reuters even reported that Huang had died of cancer. But Chinese authorities later said that the reports were inaccurate.

But according to an analysis I came across this week, the sensitivity surrounding Huang's illness has very much to do with 1) the composition of the Shanghai faction, and 2) how this composition might impact on the personnel reshuffle during the impending 17th Party Congress which must be held by the end of this year.

The analysis noted that since ex-Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Liangyu (陈良宇) was censured and fired for misdemeanors last year, Huang and his wife were also accused of corruption.

According to the analysis, Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) and Wen Jiabao (温家宝) had given Huang two options - 1) step down, or 2) divorce.

But Huang refused to comply and despite his ill-health, even made a few public appearances. The last appearance was during the National People's Congress (NPC) session held in March. But according to the analysis, Hu and Wen tried to avoid shaking hands with Huang during the session.

While speaking at the Shanghai meeting of the NPC session, Huang even reportedly argued in a passionate tone that "all important decisions must be looked into and decided by the collective, and should not be arbitrarily decided by one person."

The comment was said to be directed at both Hu and Wen. It was also meant to be a boost to the seemingly weakened Shanghai faction.

The analysis also noted that Wu Yi (吴仪) had already taken over the responsibilities of Huang, mainly in the areas of economics and finance.

The analysis added that the authorities are currently agonizing over the wording of Huang's obituary. If the obituary is positively written, it will make it difficult to eventually "conclude" Chen's misdemeanor case.

But if the obituary is too negatively written, it would go against the tradition of letting bygones be bygones. It would also go against the policy of "soft landing" for future errant officials. The policy must have recently been put in place, in light of Chen's "hard landing".

The analysis concluded that Huang's critical illness is yet another setback to the Shanghai faction, and the disintegration of the faction is said to be a matter of time.

Any truth to these rumors and their conclusions remain to be seen!

Modification of the Chinese National Anthem

Some of us know the lyrics to the Chinese national anthem as:

起来, 不愿作奴隶的人们, 把我们的血肉筑成了新的长城.

中华民族到了最危险的时刻, 每个人被迫发出最后的哄声, 起来, 起来, 起来.

我们万众一心冒着敌人的炮火前进, 冒着敌人的炮火前进, 前进, 前进, 进.

A rough translation:

"Rise up, all of my people who do not want to be slaves. We will use our blood and flesh to build a new Great Wall.

When the Chinese people have reached a most dangerous moment, every one is forced to utter a final roar. Rise up, rise up, rise up.

We shall march forward with one heart towards the cannons and fire of the enemy, march forward towards the cannons and fire of the enemy, forward, forward, forward."

But now, it seems that some Chinese hacks have come up with a modification of the Chinese anthem, due to the frenzied craze of some Chinese in pouring money into the stock market.

"起来, 还没开户的人们, 把你们资金全部投入诱人的股市，

中華山西大学到了最疯狂的时刻, 每个人都激情地发出买入的吼声! 快涨, 快涨, 快涨!

我们万众一心, 怀着暴富的梦想, 前进, 前进, 前进, 进."

A rough translation:

"Rise up, those of your who have not opened an account, pour all your funds into the alluring stock market,

Chinese Shanxi University has reached a most frenzied moment; everyone has uttered a passionate roar of purchase; rise quickly, rise quickly, rise quickly!

Together with one heart, we shall march forward with the dream of striking it rich. Forward, forward, forward, forward."

Wang Zhaojun

Wang Zhaojun (王昭君) was popularly known as one of the four ancient beauties in China.

But less well-known was how the first century B.C. beauty had refused to bribe the court painter that made the portraits of imperial concubines for presentation to the emperor.

Portrayed as unattractive, Zhaojun was married off to a Hun chieftain.

But when the emperor discovered Zhaojun's beauty, she was brought back to the palace and the painter duly executed.

Three cheers for not giving in to corruption!

Chinese Business Etiquette

Another book to be disposed from my collection is Chinese Business Etiquette - A Guide to Protocol, Manners, And Culture in the People's Republic of China by Scott D. Seligman.

As is common with books about China, some information in the book have become outdated as soon as they are published.

Such as claiming that "many people still do not have their own phones at home" and that a "dang'an" (档案, or personal file) is needed to apply for a passport.

The book also suggested that cut flowers should never be given to Chinese as a gift, which does not gel in with what I have seen during my past several years in China.

But there are other information that are still relevant.

Such as pointing out that there is a certain schizophrenia involved in the Chinese view of westerners.

As Seligman wrote: "Senses of inferiority and superiority ... curiously exist side by side. Lu Xun (鲁迅), a great twentieth-century Chinese writer, once quipped that through the ages the Chinese have either looked down on foreigners as brutes, or up to them as saints, but have never actually been able to call them friends or speak of them as equals."

And ...

"The Chinese are fond of giving objects of art and handicrafts produced in China. These may range from the sublime to the hideous." Sure. Haha.

The Koreans

In the book mentioned in my earlier entry, Korean-Chinese writer 金文学 (김문학?) characterized the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans in the following way.

"韩国人 - 情, 日本人 - 礼, 中国人 - 义

Translated: "Koreans - emotions/sentiments, Japanese - etiquette, Chinese - loyalty."

The writer also had this to say about the Koreans:

"在东方三国中, 没有哪一个民族象韩国人那样多情, 热情. 韩国人自己自夸为 "情的民族". 诗人徐延柱曾说: 如果说情字有商标的话, 那肯定是 "made in Korea." 我在韩国遇见的很多人都坦白地说: "我们大韩民族是世界上最多情的民族."

Translated: "In the three East Asian countries, none are as emotional and warm-hearted as the Koreans. The Koreans themselves even praised themselves as "an emotional people". Poet Xu Yanzhu (what is it in Korean?) said, if being emotional comes with a trademark, then it is most certainly "made in Korea". In Korea, I have also met many people who said candidly that "we Koreans are the most emotional people in the world."

Hail hail.

For the record, the writer also provided a Chinese translation of the Korean national anthem.

"直到东海水枯, 白头山石烂, 上天永保我疆土! 无穷花三千里锦绣江山, 大韩人团结一致, 永保大韩, 愿我大韩民国万万年."

Chinese, Japanese, Korean

Another book to be given away is a Chinese book titled 中国人, 日本人, 韩国人 (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) written by Korean-Chinese writer 金文学 (김문학?).

In the book, the author wrote that different words written in Chinese characters mean different things to people from the three different countries.

For instance the expression "性味好". In Korean it means that the person has a good temperament. But in both Japanese and Chinese, it means "sexy/sex is good".

Also the word "汤". The book told of a story about a Chinese student in Japan who wondered why men and women holding basins were queuing up to enter a shop with two queues marked "male" and "female".

In Chinese, "汤" means soup, but in Japanese it means bathhouse. Of course, the Chinese student found out for himself eventually when he saw men walking around naked in the bathhouse.

Then there is the word "冷藏库".

Here, there is another story of how a Chinese student in Korea was told by his Korean landlord that he will be provided with a "冷藏库". The Chinese student was puzzled. "No matter how well-off the Koreans are, surely they don't have to go round providing frozen warehouses", the student wondered.

But as it turned out, the landlord meant "refrigerator". But of course.

Then there is "金玉满堂" which has an auspicious meaning in Chinese. It means having lots of gold and jade, or abundant wealth.

Here, there is yet another story about how a Japanese received a gift from his Chinese friend. The gift was a scroll with the four words written and framed up as a gift.

The Japanese reportedly flew into a rage, thinking that the "joke" had gone way too far. But as it turned out, the Japanese had reasons to be upset. Coz in Japanese, "金玉" means "male testicles". Hence "金玉满堂" means to have "an abundance of male testicles."

Hong Kong English

Manufacturers all know that they have to be careful when translating their products into a different language.

But in the case of Hong Kong, even with the best of intentions, such translations can be "bastardized" (Mr. ECP Flintstone, remember there is copyright on this word? 10 usage for $1, due to inflation).

Rolls-Royce has a grand sounding name in Chinese - 劳斯莱斯. But when the Hong Kong people say it in Cantonese, it sounds like 辘死老鼠, or "a rat dying of famish".

Motorola has a mundane sounding name in Chinese - 摩拖罗拉. But when said in Cantonese, it sounds like 毋得捞啦, or "no way to make money". That, of course, is highly inauspicious in Hong Kong where the pursuit of wealth is secondary only to breathing.

The combination of English names with Cantonese family names can often have unintended connotations, especially when uttered in Cantonese English.

Peter So - 皮蛋酥, century-egg pastry
Philip Yu - 肥立鱼, fat vertical fish
Robert Ko -萝卜糕, carrot cake
Vincent Mok - 浑身剥, peel off the whole body, or tear off clothes from top to bottom
Rupert Chan - 箩pat青, a Cantonese term to describe a baby's bottom.

When pronounced in the Cantonese way, "my name is the same as your name, and that is, James" will be "my nam is the sam as your nam, and that is, jams", according to Hong Kong writer 陈钧润.

In the book, the writer also noted how some English words were deliberately mispronounced.

Such as singing "God shave the Queen", instead of "God save the Queen". This was of course in the good/bad old days where Hong Kong was still under British rule.

Szeto Wah and Chris Patten

We all know that the last governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten was once vilified by China and described as a 千古罪人, or "sinner for a thousand years".

Why? Mainly for the semblance of democratic reforms he had unleashed on the territory in the years leading up to the return of Hong Kong in 1997.

At a farewell dinner for Mr. Patten, Hong Kong democracy activist Szeto Wah (司徒华) apparently presented a hand-written scroll to Mr. Patten.

The scroll consisted of four words - 千古醉人, which sounded exactly like "sinner for a thousand years".

But unlike the former, there are many ways of interpreting the latter, which differed by only one differently-pronounced word.

As Szeto explained: ""千古的含义很多, 可以解作 "永恒"的, 或 "历史" 的, 或 "过去了的", 甚至是 "死掉了".

"醉人的含义也很多, 可以解作 "喝醉了的人", 或 "使人陶醉", 或 "使人麻醉", 甚至是 "糊糊涂涂的人".

我最后说: "千古醉人"这四个字, 他可以用我的各个解释, 去做自由组合, 找出他自己喜欢的含义. 他听了又是一阵哈哈大笑."

Translated: "千古 has many meanings, it can be interpreted as "eternal", or "historical", or "in the past", or even "dead". 醉人 also has many meanings. It can be interpreted as "someone who is drunk", or "something to make someone mesmerized", or "something to make someone numb", or even "someone who is confused or bewildered".

"Finally I told Patten that he can find a combination of the above that he likes best. After he heard it, he broke into another round of laughter."

More on Szeto Wah

More on Hong Kong democracy activist Szeto Wah (司徒华) and his book mentioned in my entry yesterday.

Szeto's relations with China had been strained for sometime now, but this, unlike other activists, had never tarnished his patriotic credentials.

He wrote in his book: "我与董可以说是同年代的人, 都经过战乱. 但我曾 "饿饭", 曾听到 "鬼子进村了" 而走上荒山, 曾为共和国的诞生而满怀热望 ... 我是因民族的苦难而爱国的, 不是为了恩惠而是奉献而爱国. 我不知道, 董是否有同样的经验?"

Translated: "Tung (Chee Hwa, 董建华) and I are considered people from the same era, we have been through the ravages of war. But I had gone through starvation, and I had heard screams of "the devils (Japanese) had entered the village!"

Because of these, I had mounted desolated mountain tops. I was once filled with intense hope for the birth of the Republic ... I love my country because of the suffering of the people. I love my country NOT because of the grace bestowed upon me, or for the sake of dedication. I do not know, does Tung had these similar experiences?"

Of course Szeto was taking a swipe, a little unnecessary I thought, at former Chief Executive Tung who came from a wealthy shipping family. But his point was well-taken.

Szeto also wrote: "我曾因感触而下泪, 记者曾问我为什么那么激动. 我以艾青的诗句回答他们: "为什么我的眼里常含泪水? 因为我对这土地爱得深沉 ..."

Translated: "I had shed tears because of my thoughts and feelings. Reporters have asked me why I was so moved. I replied them with a verse from Ai Qing: "Why are my eyes often filed with tears? It's because my love for this land is deep, strong and intense ..."

Hong Kong's Szeto Wah

I am a combination of both cynicism and idealism.

So while sorting out old books to give away, I cannot help but feel both a tinge of sadness, and a whole lot of admiration when I stumbled upon a book written by Hong Kong democracy activist Szeto Wah (司徒华, pictured right).

In his book 捨命陪君子, a book from my Hong Kong days in 1998, he wrote:

"我感到骄傲. 因为我有一个中国梦. 因为我有一个中国梦, 有一个结束 "一党专政, 建设民主中国" 的中国梦.

我感到骄傲. 因为我坚信, 最终胜利是属于我们; 任何困难, 都吓不到我们, 阻挡不了我们与历史潮流同步的前进. 一个民主的香港, 一个民主的中国, 必定实现."

Translated: "I feel proud, because I have a China dream. Because I have a China dream, a China dream of ending "one-party rule, and building a democratic China.

I feel proud, because I firmly believe that final victory will belong to us, no difficulties will deter us, nor stand as obstacles to our march in tandem with the historical trend. A democratic Hong Kong, a democratic China, will definitely be realized."

I do not know when China will be democratic. But when it does, it will be built on the countless shoulders of people like Szeto Wah. And most importantly, on the fluid internal changes within China itself.

Ha Jin's Waiting

Ha Jin's (哈金) Waiting had this hilarious depiction of heavy rain.

The Chinese writer whose real name is Jin Xuefei (金雪飞) wrote: "God, what weather we have here! It hardly ever rains. But when it does, it shits and pisses without stopping like all the latrines in heaven have lost their bottoms."

When non-natives write in English, there are always descriptions which you would never find in those written by natives.

Some, in the case of Ha Jin, seemed to have been taken straight or derived from colloquial Chinese. These include:

"You strive to have a good heart. But what is a heart? Just a chunk of flesh that a dog can eat." (Derived from 心和肺都被狗吃了?)

"Even if a goose has an iron neck, it must have a spot where you can plunge a knife in." (Not sure if this was derived from Chinese)

"With money you can hire the devil to grind grain and cook dinner for you." (Derived from 有钱能使鬼推磨)

Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee

Another book which I am getting rid of is Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee. It is a story of a young American woman who "discovers the life and legacy of her Korean grandmother."

An inspiring read overall, telling a story of courage and strength. It is also a depiction of how the tumultuous history in modern Korea had turned the lives of countless ordinary Koreans topsy-turvy.

But it also contained bits and pieces of insights into the language and people.

Such as: "Neither Grandmother or Mother smiled in any of the pictures; that was the Korean way of posing for the camera."

Incidentally, that was the Chinese way too! But of course no longer these days.

This description of modern Korea made me chuckled: "The women's liberation and tampons haven't reached this part of the world. My worth is still measured by marital status (or should I say diminished by the lack of it?)"

This is funny yet sobering: "There was an old saying: A house with three daughters, a thief would not even enter such a place. For after three daughters married, there would be nothing left. Daughters were viewed as lovely bandits, who would take possessions out of their father's home and bring them to their husbands."

More descriptions on the lowly status of women. ""Say "yes" in a quiet voice and do not let that voice go beyond the walls of your house or it will bring bad fortune." Mother demonstrated in her birdlike whisper. "You are merely here to serve and not be heard."

As for life under Japanese occupation - "once every spring and autumn, the Japanese health inspector barged into each household, checking for dirt, cobwebs, insects, and rodents. It was part of the Japanese campaign to establish an orderly and clean colony, because they saw Koreans as uncivilized and incapable of keeping their homes decent without supervision."

Sexual knowledge in those pre-liberation days were seemingly scant and limited. As Lee wrote, "it was annoying being so ignorant about the relationship between a man and his wife. All I knew from stolen bits of conversations was that a husband would touch his wife in disgraceful places like her belly button and ... breasts. Why must he touch mine when he had his own?"

Furthermore, "were the gossiping whispers true about the man's thing? The women at the river told tales about it hanging like a wilted pepper between a man's leg, and when it was time to go to bed it grew to an unnatural size."

The sexual act itself was described as wretched. "Not even Mother, if she had tried, could have prepared me. How grotesquely uncivilized it was. We were no better than the livestock we butchered."

But oh, its depiction of love. "Because when a man and woman became so close, their bodies were fused into one forever. And when they were forced to part, he took a piece of her with him, leaving her walking around with a hole in her heart."

And - "through our touch, we communicated a lifetime of apologies and forgiveness. Through our eyes, we confirmed the love that flowed between us."

In conclusion - "I am Korean, and we Koreans have this unshakable faith, for we are a strong-willed people. History proves it to be so. For more than a millennium we have lived as one people and I am certain we will be united again. Unification is possible! I say this as a woman who has survived over eighty years of living; also, I say it as a woman who has given life. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."