That's right.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
I Like Chinese
[Disclaimer: I have no problems with China, or those of Chinese heritage. I only used the following lyrics as a precursor to my post, because sometimes Mony Python really does say it best. Please take no offense.]
"I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please."
- Monty Python
Wise, witty, and ready to please.
Proven to an even further extent at the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympics held this year in Beijing.
Firstly, for those of you who actually watched the opening ceremony, it was stunning, no? I've never seen such grandeur in all of my days than when the hundreds and hundreds of Chinese men moved in perfect synchronization, beating their drums merrily, ushering in the international competition that lay before them in the coming weeks. I was thoroughly impressed at the orchestration that went into the production, and it all went over without a hitch.
However, a couple of days after the opening ceremonies, I discovered just how "ready to please" Beijing really was.
Remember the cute little girl who sang the Chinese anthem to kick off the ceremony? Apparently, she really wasn't singing. The young lady who was really cast the part to sing, was determined (at the last minute) to be unfit for international broadcast - due to her teeth!!. Thank you, China, for reminding me how shallow humans can really be.
I also remember being floored by the fireworks display that lit up the sky during the finale of the opening ceremony. I recently learned that half of these marvelous lights were digitally inserted before broadcast, because they were worried that the cameras "wouldn't be able to capture the entire skyline". Hmmm.
I'm not making any bones about these little cut corners, but I found it a little bit disappointing that we can no longer settle for the truth. This is old news about truth, of course. I only use the Olympics as an example, because it is relevant and recent and every one seems to be fussing about it.
_________________
In news unrelated to China, I am back in Nashville now, and ready to roll into a new school year at Belmont University. It should be a good one. Rumor has it that this years freshman class is the biggest in recorded history. Three cheers for Belmont!
I will leave you with two pictures: One is of the little girl whose voice resonated throughout the world during the opening ceremony, and the other is of the face that was seen. I won't bother pointing out which is which.
"I like Chinese.
I like Chinese.
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please."
- Monty Python
Wise, witty, and ready to please.
Proven to an even further extent at the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympics held this year in Beijing.
Firstly, for those of you who actually watched the opening ceremony, it was stunning, no? I've never seen such grandeur in all of my days than when the hundreds and hundreds of Chinese men moved in perfect synchronization, beating their drums merrily, ushering in the international competition that lay before them in the coming weeks. I was thoroughly impressed at the orchestration that went into the production, and it all went over without a hitch.
However, a couple of days after the opening ceremonies, I discovered just how "ready to please" Beijing really was.
Remember the cute little girl who sang the Chinese anthem to kick off the ceremony? Apparently, she really wasn't singing. The young lady who was really cast the part to sing, was determined (at the last minute) to be unfit for international broadcast - due to her teeth!!. Thank you, China, for reminding me how shallow humans can really be.
I also remember being floored by the fireworks display that lit up the sky during the finale of the opening ceremony. I recently learned that half of these marvelous lights were digitally inserted before broadcast, because they were worried that the cameras "wouldn't be able to capture the entire skyline". Hmmm.
I'm not making any bones about these little cut corners, but I found it a little bit disappointing that we can no longer settle for the truth. This is old news about truth, of course. I only use the Olympics as an example, because it is relevant and recent and every one seems to be fussing about it.
_________________
In news unrelated to China, I am back in Nashville now, and ready to roll into a new school year at Belmont University. It should be a good one. Rumor has it that this years freshman class is the biggest in recorded history. Three cheers for Belmont!
I will leave you with two pictures: One is of the little girl whose voice resonated throughout the world during the opening ceremony, and the other is of the face that was seen. I won't bother pointing out which is which.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Just Because You Can't See It Doesn't Mean It's Not There
I grew up in one of the filthiest cities in the world.
Traffic yelling from every direction; pollution clouding an otherwise bright tropical sky.
The fact that I spent much of my life in Manila, Philippines is one that I am not shy about. It is a big part of who I am, and something I believe that I will take with me wherever I go and will play a part in whatever I do. I felt like the name "Manila Moon" was appropriate to one degree simply because of the attachment that I have with the city.
It's also partly for the irony. While it may be a stretch that the moon is actually hidden behind the vast pollution of the city, it is less of a stretch than you'd imagine. It's hard to see the celestial lights when the darkness of night is thwarted by the billions of bulbs burning furiously in the heart of Manila and bravely into the night. To be honest, you can really only see the stars when you turn your back towards the city.
But despite the fact that Manila is a victim of both air & light pollution (not to mention other pollutants), it is still the home to roughly 14 million people, who, despite their circumstances - which usually includes severe poverty - care for each other, are rather content, and have an insane work ethic. If I learned anything about living life during the 8.5 years I spent overseas, it was this: "It's not about what you have, it's about who you have". If you can dig past the cliche cheese of that quote, it may be worth something to you.
I can't tell you how many people I encountered who barely had any material items to claim as their own, yet still wore smiles everyday that I saw them. They were surrounded by a community that looked out for each other, and to me, that's where they found the happiness that they wouldn't find through the acquisition of "things".
With that being said, this is a new blog. I won't promise a new post every day. But I will promise something fresh to read and enjoy whenever I encounter something fresh to read or enjoy. I'll shoot for at least once a week, and we'll take it from there, shall we?
Let the games begin.
Traffic yelling from every direction; pollution clouding an otherwise bright tropical sky.
The fact that I spent much of my life in Manila, Philippines is one that I am not shy about. It is a big part of who I am, and something I believe that I will take with me wherever I go and will play a part in whatever I do. I felt like the name "Manila Moon" was appropriate to one degree simply because of the attachment that I have with the city.
It's also partly for the irony. While it may be a stretch that the moon is actually hidden behind the vast pollution of the city, it is less of a stretch than you'd imagine. It's hard to see the celestial lights when the darkness of night is thwarted by the billions of bulbs burning furiously in the heart of Manila and bravely into the night. To be honest, you can really only see the stars when you turn your back towards the city.
But despite the fact that Manila is a victim of both air & light pollution (not to mention other pollutants), it is still the home to roughly 14 million people, who, despite their circumstances - which usually includes severe poverty - care for each other, are rather content, and have an insane work ethic. If I learned anything about living life during the 8.5 years I spent overseas, it was this: "It's not about what you have, it's about who you have". If you can dig past the cliche cheese of that quote, it may be worth something to you.
I can't tell you how many people I encountered who barely had any material items to claim as their own, yet still wore smiles everyday that I saw them. They were surrounded by a community that looked out for each other, and to me, that's where they found the happiness that they wouldn't find through the acquisition of "things".
With that being said, this is a new blog. I won't promise a new post every day. But I will promise something fresh to read and enjoy whenever I encounter something fresh to read or enjoy. I'll shoot for at least once a week, and we'll take it from there, shall we?
Let the games begin.
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