Hi Jim,
<<… enticement in Jay's worldview … business and investment decisions … pragmatic basis … no good or bad in foreign relations among nations … appropriate, liberating, and refreshing …>>
Welcome to the dark side!
That about sums it up. Creole blooded Trinidadian Chinese have to think in this fashion as we are not exactly embraced anywhere except where our friends are, and so we make friends.
We have no big (or for that matter, small) bombs, and so we watch those who do. We do have some things that are big (some ideas for one, big for us island types) and so we focus on how to put this and other advantage to best use.
It is too hot, where we generally like to live, to think about weighty issues of principle, especially the principles seem to change so much and reinterpreted so often, and so we really focus our mental circuitry on what Carter’s Agriculture Secretary (I do not remember his name, but he got fired for speaking the truth) considered important to folks similar to me … “tepid beer, tight sex and comfortable shoes”, except he foolishly used cruder adjectives (warm, tight, and loose) and one improper noun. I tried, but cannot think of anything wrong with those priorities, except the ordering.
We do, however, like all matters new and novel, much as would children, and just as innocently. We particularly like things we do not understand, but try fitting them into a familiar frame of reference. For example, I have Putumayo’s “Cape Verde” CD playing now, and the first piece is by Ana Firmino with Tito Paris “chico malandro”. Do not understand a single word of the song, but never mind, my head is instinctively bopping around and round, and my body is going spastic, as would my cousins in Cape Verde, as I click on the PC keyboard. My wife has to put up much on Sundays.
Speaking of my wife, she is a citizen of Canada, speaks fluent French, English and several dialects of Chinese, and knows nothing about the place called Canada, but likes France a lot. To her, the passport is just a bound set of papers to be kept close to air tickets, when she remembers to, and the immigration checkpoints are less meaningful interruptions to any journey than conveniently placed public toilets.
During our recent Thailand holiday, my nine family members accounted for 5 nationalities (US, China, Britain, Canada, and Trinidad). The idea of (me) dying for my country really does seem an odd idea (if I get shot for a traffic ticket in Cincinnati, or detained in Beijing, not howls of protest will be sounded, and no aircraft carriers will steam), but I have nonetheless learnt to always line up behind my traveling companions at immigration checkpoints in order not to hold them up while being questioned by puzzled authorities. I have gotten good at telling the lady officers about the beach and palm trees (and other guys looking like myself), and telling the guy officers about the rum and ladies. I tell both types about the fact that we do not have to work too hard. The ideas generated are infectious.
I sometimes get the feeling that I am the only Trinidadian in the world, and for all practical purposes, I am, at least in my neighborhood and on SI. This is a Twilight Zone type of existence. So, what is the advantage of being in this Twilight Zone state? Well, I have gyrated through Philippine coups and rioting Chinese peasant crowds, though not exactly to the tune of “chico malandro”, and I suppose no Muslims will intentionally pack an exploding windbreaker for me. I do, however, have to watch out for myself in Cincinnati, but not so much in the Bay Area, Hawaii or Guam.
Another advantage is that I can look forward to the next CD on the stack, Putumayo’s “Dublin to Dakar – a Celtic Odyssey” and bop to Alan Stivell w/ Youssou N’Dour (France/Senegal) “A United Earth I” or something by Brigid Boden from Ireland. The spastic motion called for is probably not that different from “chico …”. Maybe we know only so many ways to go spastic.
On nuclear fires, there is no fear on this side of the Pacific lake. It actually troubles me that few in China seem concerned, just as few in the Chinese country side are concerned as they jump the fence to access the new freeways, not to drive on them, but to get to the other side. Hopefully a proper appreciation will appear before too many more are stockpiled. I worry about India and Pakistan, because they do not even have freeways worthy of the name.
Chugs, Jay
On being contrary, and the next old idea … emerging markets
Message 15699923
On CSCO, the old next idea …
Message 15699792
Message 15699826
Message 15699850
Message 15700057
Message 15700250
Message 15700367
Message 15700414 |
