Propaganda

The most valuable crop: 1741

There is a third Sort of Land, which, tho' it appears barren, produces a greater Revenue than all the rest; it consists of a whitish Earth found in several Parts of the North-side of the Island, from whence they get such a great Quantity of Salt...

--From The general history of China--

Salty soil was bad, but really salty soil was a gold mine. So I guess in some instances not only can you not have too much of a good thing, you also can't have too much of a bad one.

Paradise: 1741

This Place may be called, as well as Hang tcheou in the Province of Tche kiang, a City of Pleasure; nothing is wanting here to complete the Pleasures of Life; therefore in the Chinese Books there is an old Proverb that says, Chang yeou tien tang, Hia yeou sou hang, Paradise is above, but below is Sou tcheou and Hang tcheou: One may truly say that these two Cities are the Terrestrial Paradise of China.

--From The general history of China--

I bet if we went back in time and saw those cities we would see all sorts of faults; sickness, poverty and ignorance among them. Which makes me wonder: is there anywhere today someone could call a terrestrial paradise? Perhaps paradise can only exist in our minds, because if anyone came back from "Paradise" they'd be sure to spill the truth and tell us all its faults.

P. S. Using the same logic, I'm pretty sure hell isn't half as bad as some people would have us think.

Prescription drugs: 1741

The Medicinal Herbs, in so large an Empire, are doubtless very numerous, but I shall only take notice of the most Remarkable and the most Valuable.

Rhubarb grows in great abundance, not only in the Province of Se tchuen, but also in the Mountains of Chensi. The Flowers resemble Tufts in the shape of a Bell, jagged at the Ends; the Leaves are long, and rough to the Touch. The Root is whitish within, while fresh, but when dryed it assumes the Coulour it has when it comes to us.

--From The general history of China--

The difference between their high priced prescription drugs and ours, is that ours work.

Also, ours aren't good in pie.

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The news: 1919

If I stop to add up all the so-called important affairs of state that I have either witnessed or heard about during that time [the past six years], there have been quite a few at that. And yet, not one has left so much as a trace in my memory, and as for their influence on me, it has only been to increase my stock of bad temper.

--From Cheering From the Sidelines--

Current events are like vegetables: adults seem to like consuming them and make their kids join in, they're insubstantial, and they're not something you'd want to live on.

---

Movie Night

I was trying to make a list of my favorite Chinese movies, and I couldn't help but notice almost all of them are somehow connected to either Taiwan or Hong Kong. Mainland Communist China, with its huge population, doesn't seem to be generating any content entertainment-wise; nothing that I enjoy anyway.

A few days ago El Pollo Real said:

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see an emerging entertainment culture which is China-based.

Dude, I think you're right.

The one movie from the list I might call a Mainland Chinese production, is Hero. The director of the movie was forced to perform hard labor for over a decade. Most Chinese intellectuals of his generation had a similar experience, or died in concentration camps. For several years all universities were effectively shut down, and China started with a mainly rural population, so it's not surprising that they are short talented people. It's why I don't expect the Chinese to take over the world anytime soon.

Anyway, here's my list (you're welcome to offer suggestions in the comments):

Fallen Angels



In the Mood for Love



2046



Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon:



Hero:



Eat Drink Man Woman:

(Worth it just to look at the food.)



Master of the Flying Guillotine:



Saving Face:



Almost any non-Hollywood Jackie Chan movie.

---

Education: 1922

I think anyone who tumbles from affluence into poverty will, on the way down, come to see the true face of the world.

--From Cheering From the Sidelines--

I was going to say this was something you couldn't learn from going to college, but that was before I considered the cost of tuition and with the type of "job training" colleges provide now-a-days. Maybe that's how college education really works; they take middle-class people and convert them into poor people, thus teaching them about the world.

It's like a casino in Las Vegas, but it takes longer and you have to pay for alcohol (if you're a guy).

Practice makes perfect

It's weird being almost illiterate; opening up a newspaper and only being able to read a dozen or so words, and perhaps recognizing the meanings of a few more. But it does have an upside. You know those spam posts you sometimes see in the comment sections of blogs, the ones in Chinese? I love looking at them now, trying to see if I can translate any of the characters.

Piracy: 1350

Sima Yi ordered one hundred skilled craftsmen to disassemble the devices before him and construct new machines according to the dimensions of the captured models.Within half a month they had built some two thousand that were identical to Kongming's and able to move as well.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

Reverse engineering is a Chinese tradition!

Political speeches: 1350

Says the Prime Minister:

Henceforth, those of you genuinely concerned for our kingdom's ultimate fate must vigorously attack my errors and hold me responsible for my failures.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

It's hard to imagine an ordinary person, let alone a politician, saying something like that today.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Today

It's neat to be reading a book that's over 600 years old and then see it make the headlines!

Lost Works: 1350

'A Handy Guide for Pacifying the Man.'

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

 If I know "the man" it involves lots of work at minimum wage.

Modern medicine: 1350

In cases of diseases of the internal organs, where applied compounds will not work, he feeds the patient a narcotic potion to induce a deep sleep; then he cuts open the stomach and irrigates the affected areas with medicinal fluids. The patient feels not the slightest pain, and after the irrigation Hua Tuo sews up the wound with treated sutures and spreads salve over it.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

Hundreds of years ago, no one could have imagined the miracles of modern medicine.

Action movies: 1350

Ling Tong dove into the fray as Sun Quan rode to the bridge. But it had been torn down at the southern end, leaving a ten foot gap....

...Sun Quan retreated more than thirty spans, then loosening the reins and swinging wide his whip, he urged the horse over the missing planks.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--



Every cliché has its source.

Riches: 1350

His family was poor, but he was a devoted student and performed menial chores in exchange for the loan of books.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

He worked his butt off, not to own books, but to be loaned books--he had to give them back after reading them! Contemplating his situation and looking at my book pile, I feel kind of dizzy:



And when I think of all the people in college, subsidized by taxes laid on the backs of the poor, who goof-off and have no idea what they'll do with their degrees, I just feel sick.

Spies: 1350

Cao Cao sent them here to spy. I want to give him a taste of his own medicine by giving them certain information to send back.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

Spies are only bad if you don't recognize them.

Talking heads: 1350

For the grand strategy of the dynasty, the security of our sacred altars, truly there is a master planner, one utterly different from the boasting rhetoricians whose empty reputations overawe people, who have no peer in armchair debate and standing discussions, of whom not even one in hundred has any idea how to confront a crisis or cope with its rapid development. What a farce to amuse the world!

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

It's interesting how people can be famous for just spouting opinions, without actually having done anything or having any accomplishments other than talking. Why do we listen to them? Why do we elect them to office?

Departmental meetings: 1350

...but Zhang Fei objected. "There's no such thing as a good banquet or a good conference," he asserted flatly.

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

All those bureaucrats together in one room, how can they help but conspire over something? At best they'll just waste of money.

Absession: 1350

Xuande himself realized that he had said more than he ought and rose to excuse himself. Doing so, he noticed the extra weight around his middle. Suddenly he found tears welling in his eyes. When Xuande resumed his place, Liu Biao asked what was distressing him. "I used to spend all my time in the saddle," Xuande replied with a deep sigh. "Now it has been so long since I have been riding that I am growing thick around the waist...."

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

So many things to worry about, and your health sometimes suffers. I only wish Xuande had a chance to see this video:

Light reading: 1350

"In war," Guo Jia answered, "speed is precious. On a march of this length the supply train requires too much time. You'd be better off with a small force that can reach Wuhuan before they suspect anything."

--From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms--

It makes you wonder about a country when their popular literature is full of military strategy.