Surviving

Crack Spattle lick spittle piffle drivel (or thoughts on my life)

Om mani padme hum.  I am now a Buddhist, having made the conscious decision to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, believing wholeheartedly in the truth encapsulated in the the Four Noble Truths.  Twice daily meditation sessions involving intense concentration and 'one-pointedness' of mind, focusing on my breathing.  But one thing I refuse to do (at this point in my life), is respect a fish's right to live.  I will not stop eating fish.  No way.  I will stop eating pork, as it is widely known that (as shown by George Orwell), pigs are incredibly intelligent animals, if a little crazy about power, and therefore deserve to be shown love and compassion.  As do all cows, apart from cows hailing from Argentina and Japan.  They're too damned tasty to be shown compassion.  Although eventually I would like to wean myself off even the tastiest beef. 

It is imperative, therefore, that I live somewhere which has fish in abundance.  Up in smoke go my plans to live in Chad.  The swines.  I dare to say that so far you are very confused and in doubt as to the meaning and truth of my words.  Well, most of what I have said is very true.  I am precipitously close to commencing my Path to Enlightenment.  Be not worried that I shall turn into a religious fascist though.  Buddhism is a philosophy.  The religious aspects of that philosophy are completely inessential.  In the words of a famous Buddhist commentator, temples, rituals, incense burning etc. are for those who are less intellectually developed and need help in moving along the Path...and also for travel photographers and ignorant tourists. 

Being (a serious) Buddhist involves non-consumption of intoxicating drinks, due to the fact that one should constantly be practising 'mindfulness'.  This is something I have a feeling I may struggle with.  Brian thought so too, as we chatted over a few pints.  But in Xiamen, I'll embark on a vigorous new spiritual regime.  Up at dawn.  Balcony meditation.  Contemplating the sunrise.  Tai Chi on the beach.  Teaching English to Fillipino children.  Yes, that's right.  I am 'negotiating' the terms and conditions of a teaching position at Manila Xiamen International School.  The only school in Xiamen with a crazy golf course, a bonsai garden, and a two-storey man-made waterfall.  There I intend to teach, to learn, to swim in their outdoor pool, and to become the Tiger Woods of Crazy Golf. 

Bring. It. On.

Barbarism in Babylon

"The video footage is disgusting beyond words.  British soldiers wantonly beating young Iraqi boys, with commentary from the cameraman which makes me ashamed that I even share a common language, let alone nationality, with those barbarians. 

"Messrs. Blair and Bush wonder why Iraqis and Afghanis so resent our military presence in their countries.  They should study this footage carefully and the answer will become more apparent.  With 'liberators' like these who needs enemies!?" 

These are the words I wrote earlier today as I posted a comment on the BBC's 'Have Your Say' website, where one of the topics of discussion was the video footage publicised by the News Of The World (NOTW) newspaper which 'allegedly' shows British soldiers chasing rock-hurling Iraqi civilians away from a British military base.  What follows is quite frankly disgusting:  a group of five or six soldiers catch three young, unarmed, Iraqi boys (in what looks like their early teens) and proceed to haul them back into the British military compound.  They then beat them with fists and batons.  The young Iraqis cry out for help in their limited English "Please, Please".  The cameraman, provides a running commentary during the footage, and this man's comments add a sadistic edge to the whole episode.  As the Iraqis are hauled into the compound, the cameraman shouts "ooh, they're gonna get it, they're gonna get it!".  As the Iraqis are pleading for mercy with cries of "please, please" the cameraman mocks their English and their efforts to halt the beatings.

     Imagine, for a second, an occupying Iraqi army on British soil.  The British people never asked them to be there, and it seems they'll be there indefinitely.  What's more, the bastards have the cheek to fly their own flags all over the place.  Understandably, many British people throw stones at the Iraqis at any chance they get.  On one of these occasions, the Iraqi soldiers run after some teenage kids half their size, catch a few of them, then take them back to the base and start to beat them brutally.  What's more, a particularly sadistic soldier decides to film them, whilst shouting cries of encouragement.  A newspaper in Iraq gets hold of this film and publishes pictures from it, and releases the footage to be broadcast all over the world.  Now try telling me that the British people wouldn't be outraged and hate the occupiers more than they already did.  Funny, isn't it, how different things look from the other side of the fence.

     In my opinion, there is no way that the footage is a forgery.  It is clearly filmed in Iraq, and even recipients of the Oscar for best male or female actor / actress could not put on as convincing a performance as this.  This is wanton, brutal violence, directed at unarmed youths who are half the size of the British soldiers.  Not only is it obviously despicable behaviour on the part of the soldiers, but the way in which the cameraman commentates and, indeed, shows no surprise at what is happening, leads one to believe that this is not an event which has happened in isolation.  Other soldiers who are not taking part in the beating are clearly shown in the footage and not one of them makes any effort to prevent the attacks, criminally implicating not only the soldiers doing the beating, but also the bystanders in the event.  This behaviour is real, barbaric, and criminal.

     Interestingly, a great deal of people are shocked and dismayed at the NOTW for publishing images taken from this footage.  Individuals are arguing that now is the worst time to publish something of this nature, in lieue of the fuss which the cartoons of Mohammed kicked up all over the world.  Other people are arguing that the NOTW should be boycotted as it is an 'unpatriotic rag'.  These arguments are made by people who believe that the mission which these very soldiers were sent to Iraq in order to achieve is an honourable one.  Indeed, these soldiers have ostensibly been sent there, if we are to believe what Bush and Blair say, to secure for the Iraqi people the very things - freedom of speech, a free press, liberty - which the people who write these comments are arguing should be denied the NOTW!  Apparently, in the eyes of some of the apologists for this barbarism, we are only entitled to comment on the soldiers' behaviour if we have been in a similar situation to them.  Upon what obscure logic does this argument rest?  Taken to its extremity, this ridiculous logic could be turned against the apologists: you may, in that case, only comment on my comment if you have been in the situation from which I am commenting.  I know, it makes about as much sense as their original argument.  It is, to use a currently fashionable adjective, Balderdash!

     Unless I am mistaken, it is not the job of the press in this country to print what is in the best interest of the government or the armed forces or these peculiar patriots whose patriotism leads them to condone such brutality.  The fact that the NOTW (admittedly money-driven) decided to print the pictures so soon after the cartoon protests is neither here nor there.  Yes it is unfortunate.  Yes it will put the soldiers lives at further risk.  Yes it will fuel the flames of anger and hatred towards the West which is already so evident in the Muslim world.  That does not, however, mean that the pictures should not have been published.  Ingnorance of the fact that such acts are being committed by 'our lads' will do much more long term damage than the broadcast of the video footage will cause in the short term.  Indeed, perhaps this will help some of the most stubborn of British people see the damage we are doing, put pressure on the government to stop it, and in turn understand why these Iraqis were throwing rocks and grenades, and not rose petals.  We need to cease this self-deception and admit that our armed forces make mistakes, and that our armed forces do contain some thugs.

     It is also poignant that Gordon Brown will tomorrow be making a speech proposing new anti-terrorism laws.  I am of the opinion that everything is in some way connected, and this case is no exception.  Pictures of British soldiers beating Muslim boys are now being broadcast across the world.  This will only provide further material for radical Islamists, not least in Britain, who will use it as an example of the 'Western war against Islam'.  Instead of treating the the illness (terrorism), Mr Brown should apply preventative medicine by first of all concentrating on ensuring good discipline in the British army.  There is no action which is not followed by reaction, and these British soldiers are only contributing to a broader climate of hatred and fear which justifies Brown and Blair's liberty grabbing anti-terror policies.  War in the name of freedom abroad, it seems, is leading to less of that very thing at home.

     Find the soldiers that did this, lock them up, and get the rest of the soldiers back home where they belong before they do any more damage to our country's radiply deteriorating repuatation.

A review of 'The Rape of Nanking' by Iris Chang

With the publication of this book, we have been given a chance to learn about one of the most gruesome episodes of the twentieth century. In the space of seven weeks from December 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army raped, killed, and tortured hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war and innocent civilians in Nanking (present-day Nanjing). Iris Chang details and analyses this event with passion, intelligence, style, and a sense of duty to the forgotten victims of Japanese barbarism.

The book is organised into three main sections; the first looks at source material of the Rape as it happened from Japanese, Chinese and Western perspectives. The second section is an analysis of such things as how the Rape was reported on at the time, how the Japanese who perpetrated these crimes were, or in some cases were not, punished, and what became of the survivors of the Rape. The third and final section looks at historiography; the ways in which 'history' is made. Chang also attempts to ascertain why a shocking level of selective amnesia seems to surround the Rape, in both Japan and the West. This reduction of the Rape to a mere footnote in most history books dealing with World War Two is what Chang calls 'a second Rape'.

'The Rape of Nanking' is not a light book, and it contains descriptions and pictures of acts so brutal and sordid that it is impossible not to be shocked. But rather than merely describe the events which took place, Chang also sets out clear and convincing arguments about why they took place and in this way she also offers insights into human nature. When faced, for example, with the apparently irreconcilable politeness of Japanese people with the brutality of their soldiers in Nanking, the author argues that politeness may actually be linked to brutality in a Japanese cultural context; Samurai were entitled to chop off a peasant's head if, when asked a question, the peasant did not answer in a way which the Samurai deemed polite enough. It is these immensely perceptive discussions which help make 'The Rape of Nanking' such an important and intellectually powerful book.

In a book crowded with the details of horror, Chang also details the heroic stories of people who, through amazing strength and determination, managed to survive the horrendous mental and physical pain of the Rape. Also interesting are the stories of people such as John Rabe, a Nazi Party Member resident in Nanking at the time of the Rape, who was the head of the committee which ran the Nanking Safety Zone. Dubbed by Chang to be the Schindler of China, Rabe is credited with helping to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chinese.

Ultimately, 'The Rape of Nanking' is about how, in Chang's own words "the veneer of civilisation seems to be exceedingly thin - one that can be easily stripped away, especially by the stresses of war". The book ought to be read, because it will go some way to redress the lack of knowledge in the West about the Rape, but also because the event still impacts upon Sino-Japanese relations to this day. The Rape of Nanking is an event which we should learn about and never forget, and with this book, Chang has given us the opportunity to do so.

A review of 'Sky Burial', by Xinran.

'Sky Burial' is an astounding and remarkable tale and follows hot on the heels of Xinran's first book 'The Good Women of China'. It is a story of love, adventure, loss, friendship, and belonging. It is a true emotional roller-coaster which will, I daresay, not fail to have a profound effect upon most readers.

Xinran wrote 'Sky Burial' after a two-day-long conversation with the subject of the story, Shu Wen. Wen left her home town of Suzhou, in the east of China, for Tibet in the mid-1950s in order to discover what had happened to her husband, Kejun, who had been sent there as a doctor in the People's Liberation Army. Wen travels to this vast, distant land as a brave but somewhat naive twenty-six year old Han Chinese woman and returns some three decades later a profoundly different person, having been transformed by time and circumstances into a Tibetan Buddhist nomad.

It is unsurprising, having read this book, that Xinran felt an intense desire to tell the world Shu Wen's story. Indeed, Shu Wen's story has, according to Xinran, been one of the three greatest lessons of her life. It will no doubt inspire many other readers with what one may interpet as its main message: that one should never lose hope.

The book is also interesting on a number of other levels. Firstly, it is a lesson on cultural exchange; what happens when is thrown into a culture completely alien to their own. The first section of the book explores how acts and beliefs which at first appear barbaric to Shu Wen come to make sense with the passage of time and when explained in their proper cultural context. Secondly, the story is interesting for the insight it provides into the life of Tibetan nomads in particular and Tibetan culture in general. Thirdly, the book sheds a different light on life in the People's Republic of China over the last thirty years in comparison with the works of other authors such as Jung Chang and Ma Jian.

'Sky Burial' is a stunning read, both for those with a deep-seated interest in Chinese and Tibetan culture and also for those who are inspired by tales of extraordinary compassion and humanity.

Population Problems: A 'Different' Solution

Whilst living and working in Guangzhou, I had regular chats with our middle-aged office cleaner, Mrs Zhao, who seemed to much prefer these chat-breaks to sweeping our dusty floors.  One Thursday she didn't turn up for work, and since I was unsure of her working hours, I thought nothing of it.  One day later, she reappeared...with a horribly swollen black eye, scratches on her arms and a handbag which had had its strap half torn off.  She apologised for not coming to work the day before, and duly explained what had happened:  Early on the Wednesday evening, after picking up her wages from one of her employers she had decided to take stroll down by the Pearl River.  The riverside walkway was by no means deserted, she told me.  On the contrary, it was filled with other like-minded people out to enjoy the evening air.

"There I was, minding my own business, when someone came up behind me and grabbed my bag.  He didn't reckon on me being so quick to grab it back though, and I put up so much of a struggle that he had to punch me in the face to try and get me to let go.  He never managed to get anything from me in the end."  I was slightly shocked to hear her story, and the blunt emotionless way in which she recounted it for me, but I was not overly surprised that our street-wise cleaner had put up a fight.  "Are you ok now?" I asked.  "Did you go to the police to report the thief?"  Her response was frighteningly cynical: "The police around here are all in cahoots with the thieves.  At least 70% of the police here are corrupt.  There's no point going to the police.  The maximum the thief will get is a week in a cell."

Not wanting to offend or upset her with my questions about where she had got her dubious statistics from, I opted for an easier question.  "What happened to the thief?  Didn't the bystanders do anything to help you?"  I asked.  "Well, about five of them got a hold of the thief and beat him up.  They really smashed his face in." she replied.  Was that a slight hint of satisfaction I detected in her voice?  Ah, I thought, perhaps we were getting closer to the reason why Mrs Zhao never reported the incident to the police.  Vigilante-style justice probably wouldn't receive a warm reception from the 30% of the police who aren't corrupt.  I couldn't help wondering whether a Western crowd would've reacted similarly.  My guess is that maybe they would as long as they thought that the police wouldn't find out.

From that point onwards in our conversation, it was as though I had unleashed a hidden torrent of extreme opinion.  Even if Mrs Zhao was not concussed, the things which she said would lead most people to believe otherwise.  I wanted to tap into her opinions on Chinese society.  "What is the solution to the divide between the rich and the poor which forces people to thieve?" I asked.  "There is no real solution." she blurted out.  "There are too many people in China, that's the problem.  There just aren't enough jobs to go around."  At that point her eyes seemed to flicker, as an idea came to her.  "We need a war..." (With whom she didn't say.) "...where around a third of the population is killed off.  That would go some way to alleviating the pressures of overcrowding and help make things more equal."  I was speechless.

I've never heard anyone openly advocate such an extreme 'solution' to China's population problems.  Was this the fanatical side of the Chinese psyche which last reared its ugly head during the Cultural Revolution?  This woman, who probably grew up during those troubled years, seemed to have forgotten so many of history's important lessons, which her government is so keen on trumpeting with reference to China's relations with Japan, and appeared hungry for another episode of anarchic destruction.  With whom she did not say, which gave me hope that at least she had not given her 'solution' much serious thought.  I'm just glad that in my two years of living in China Mrs Zhao is the only person I have met, who holds such extreme views.

Are you sitting comfortably? Good, then I'll begin.

So this is my first ever weblog.  I'm not quite sure what to write or to whom I should write.  I think I'll just let rip and see where it takes me...

Right now I'm in Guangzhou / Canton and it's hot.  Not only is it hot, but it's also humid.  Not only is it hot and humid, but it's also polluted.  In a word, life here is uncomfortable.  There's a choice between sweating heavily, which I accidentally found out is a good hangover cure, and being subjected to relentless air-conditioning.  I try to find a healthy balance between the two.

Still, the city has a lot of character once one scratches beneath its grimy surface.  The streets are a people-watcher's heaven, and a biologist's dream.  People here eat, sit, work, talk, spit and piss on the streets.  It's best to always keep an eye on where one walks, in order to avoid standing or slipping on some unidentified lying object.   Trying to cross the street is like a game of chess, with each player, whether they be on foot or at the wheel, sizing up their opponents, watching for indications of the next move.  A slow advance here, a change of pace and a swift jump there and your feet land on the (relative) safety of the other side of the road.  Crossing the street here makes an emotional appreciation of ones life an almost hourly event!

So that's just a small taste of everyday life in Guangzhou.  I look forward to trying to put into words a few more of the city's sights, sounds and flavours soon.