There is something about high mountains at the top of the world that is uplifting to the human spirit. I love the peaks and clear blue skies,the simple lives of the rural communities and their adherence to rituals as a rite of passage in life.
As an intuitive person with a strong affinity for nature,my soul resonates with the Himalayan rhapsody.In my heart,I knew at once, my final resting place would be in Bhutan,my childhood Shangri La,the place I saw a double rainbow for the first time in my life and a Buddhist nation still uncorrupted by gross capitalism unlike Thailand.I've always been drawn to the die hard romanticism of untainted culture and environment of Buddhist monarch states like Mustang,Ladakh,Bhutan and Tibet.
The romance of the king of Mustang and his consort or the last king of Sikkim and his American bride or Princess Wen cheng are so like the fairy tales of the past.
Guess I hope they preserve their unique culture and not sucuumb to the monotony of ubiquitous globalization.So I thoroughly support the activism of Laurence Brahmn
in the Himalayan Consensus to have environmentally and culturally sustainable tourism
When water cuts due to pollution or hacking cough due to haze gets me down,I cheer myself up by looking at my dream home in Bhutan and think of a sustainable life that's possible
I
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Will history repeat itself?
It's pointless to bear grudges and bitterness towards those who have wronged us.
They will have to face their fate one day even if the laws of Man do not punish them.The Chinese have a saying," Heaven's net is inescapable,it will not let even one wrongdoer go scot free."
In a war,the powerful have to bear responsibility as they have blood on their hands in sending youths to die for "their cause" or "ego".The unarmed civilians suffer harm and injury and loss of property and stability.
So Jeanne Wakasuki Houston accounts of her family's internment in the second world war was suffering beyond their control.That's the price to pay for war.The same suffering would be experienced by the Jews interned in death camps in Europe.
But the nationalistic government was proud that it was the only Asian nation that dared to wage war on a Western nation just as a militaristic govt managed to lock horns in the Russo Japanese war and the Sino Japanese war.The untold suffering on civilians was not limited to migrants of Japanese ethnicity but worst horrors befell the victims of wars in China,SouthEast Asia and Russia.The prisoners incarcerated were released alive unlike the Jews or the Chinese killed in the Rape of Nanjing or the Koreans made into free labour and sex slaves.But people have to move on,we forgive our enemies and put the past behind us.So the Americans have helped a lot in giving aid for the reconstruction of Japan and transfer of technology have propelled it to be an economically advanced nation,the former enemies have become allies in the international economy.So too has China learnt to put the past behind and work in tandem with Korea and Japan to boost economic developments in their respective nations,thus improving the lives of multitudes of civilians and establishing an affluent middle class.
So we the civilians have to be vigilant against the rise of ultra nationalism that aims to oppress others in the name of "national pride".It was with outrage that a nationalist Japanese went to dishonour the dead by kicking on a statue of a comfort woman in Taiwan.The victims of war are pawns in the chess of war and to vent their anger in such a manner would be equivalent to the action of the American blogger Logan Paul making a mockery of Japanese suicide victims at a suicide forest by making fun of them.The golden rule applies do not do unto others what you do not like others to do to you.Respect is a two way street.Just as tourists,we should respect the local cultures and do not pose naked in public in a church or graveyard so too our sense of decency is violated when foreign visitors take nude pics at our holy sites.
International prejudices can be reduced if we observe the golden rule of behaviour and remember for every action,there will be a reaction,whether it is a positive or negative backlash.
They will have to face their fate one day even if the laws of Man do not punish them.The Chinese have a saying," Heaven's net is inescapable,it will not let even one wrongdoer go scot free."
In a war,the powerful have to bear responsibility as they have blood on their hands in sending youths to die for "their cause" or "ego".The unarmed civilians suffer harm and injury and loss of property and stability.
So Jeanne Wakasuki Houston accounts of her family's internment in the second world war was suffering beyond their control.That's the price to pay for war.The same suffering would be experienced by the Jews interned in death camps in Europe.
But the nationalistic government was proud that it was the only Asian nation that dared to wage war on a Western nation just as a militaristic govt managed to lock horns in the Russo Japanese war and the Sino Japanese war.The untold suffering on civilians was not limited to migrants of Japanese ethnicity but worst horrors befell the victims of wars in China,SouthEast Asia and Russia.The prisoners incarcerated were released alive unlike the Jews or the Chinese killed in the Rape of Nanjing or the Koreans made into free labour and sex slaves.But people have to move on,we forgive our enemies and put the past behind us.So the Americans have helped a lot in giving aid for the reconstruction of Japan and transfer of technology have propelled it to be an economically advanced nation,the former enemies have become allies in the international economy.So too has China learnt to put the past behind and work in tandem with Korea and Japan to boost economic developments in their respective nations,thus improving the lives of multitudes of civilians and establishing an affluent middle class.
So we the civilians have to be vigilant against the rise of ultra nationalism that aims to oppress others in the name of "national pride".It was with outrage that a nationalist Japanese went to dishonour the dead by kicking on a statue of a comfort woman in Taiwan.The victims of war are pawns in the chess of war and to vent their anger in such a manner would be equivalent to the action of the American blogger Logan Paul making a mockery of Japanese suicide victims at a suicide forest by making fun of them.The golden rule applies do not do unto others what you do not like others to do to you.Respect is a two way street.Just as tourists,we should respect the local cultures and do not pose naked in public in a church or graveyard so too our sense of decency is violated when foreign visitors take nude pics at our holy sites.
International prejudices can be reduced if we observe the golden rule of behaviour and remember for every action,there will be a reaction,whether it is a positive or negative backlash.
One Self:Two Cultures
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston describes the conflicts of being torn between two diametrically different world of East and West in her article"One self:two cultures."
I was spending most of my time with my new Caucasian friends and learning new values that clashed with those of my parents.It was also time that I asumed the duties girls were supposed to do,like cleaning,cooking,washing and ironing clothes.I cannot remember my brothers performing domestic chores while I lived at home.Their reciprocation came in a different way.They were very protective of me and made me feel good and important for being a female.My brothers taught me to ride a bicycle and to drive a car,and took me to my first dance.
My brothers encouraged me to run for school office,to try out for majorette and song leader,and to run for queen of various festivities.They were proud I was breaking social barriers still closed to them.It was acceptable for an Oriental male to excel academically and in sports.But to gain recognition socially in a society that had been fed the stereotyped model of the Asian male as cook,houseboy or crazed kamikaze pilot was almost impossible.The more alluring myth of mystery and exotica that surrounds the Oriental female made it easier,though no less inwardly painful for me.
What my brothers were saying was that I should not act towards Caucasian males as I did toward them.I must not wait on them or allow them to think I would,because they wouldn't understand.In other words,be a Japanese female around Japanese men and act Hakujin around Caucasian men.This double identity within a double standard resulted not only in confusion for me of my role as a female,but also in who or what I was racially.I would try to be aggressive,assertive and come on strong toward Caucasian men.i musn't let them think I was submissive,passive and all-giving like Madame Butterfly.With Asian males,I would tone down my natural enthusiasm and settle into patterns instilled in me through the models of my mother and my sisters.I was uncomfortable in either role.
Although i was attracted to males who looked like someone in a Coca Cola ad,I yearned for the expression of their potency to be like that of Japanese men,like that of my father;unpredictable,dominant,and brilliant-yet sensitive and poetic.I wanted a blond samurai.
When I met my blond samurai,during those college years in San Jose,I was surprised to see how readily my mom accepted the idea of our getting married.
She felt that my husband to be was strong enough because he was acting against the norms of his culture,perhaps even against his parent's wishes.From her vantage point,where family and group opinion outweighed the individual's,this willingness to oppose them was truly a show of strength.
I realized a very basic difference in attitude between Japanese and American cultures toward serving another.In a Japanese family,to serve another could be uplifting,a gracious gesture that elevated oneself.For many white Americans,it seems that serving another is degrading,an indication of dependency or weakness in character or a low place in the social ladder.
My father used to say'Serving humanity is the greatest virtue.Giving service of yourself is more worthy than selling the service or goods of another."
Now,I entertain according to how I feel that day.If my Japanese sensibility is stronger,I act accordingly and feel comfortable.If I feel like gong all-American,I can do that too,and feel comfortable.I have come to accept the cultural hybridness of my personality,to recognize it as a strength and not weakness.Because I'm culturally neither pure Japanese nor pure American does not mean I am less of a person.It means I have been enriched with the heritage of both.
My children's biracialism is,indeed,a factor in their identity and self-image,but I feel their struggle will be more to sustain human dignity in a world rapidly dehumanizing itself with mechanization and technology.My hope is they have inherited a strong will to survive,that essential trait that ethnic minorities in this country have so sharply honed.
-In reading her article,I feel that she has come to terms with both cultures and has accepted both culture's strengths and weaknesses.The ethnic minority would appreciate the potential of multi diversity,not being afraid to acknowledge the weakness of one's culture and being proud of its strengths.
So to be harrassed by insensitive provokers with stereotypical comments and jaundiced viewpoints,the best response is not to fall into their mud slinging taunts and rise above the fray by keeping our cool and let it fall on deaf ears.It only reflects badly on the provokers rather than the victim of abuse.Let the mad rants on the colour of the skin,the slanting eyes or bearded face make fools of themselves and not let our confidence be shaken.Everyone is beautiful,each in its own ways.Dare to be different and think different.Only those with deep insecurities will make themselves look good by making others feel bad
I was spending most of my time with my new Caucasian friends and learning new values that clashed with those of my parents.It was also time that I asumed the duties girls were supposed to do,like cleaning,cooking,washing and ironing clothes.I cannot remember my brothers performing domestic chores while I lived at home.Their reciprocation came in a different way.They were very protective of me and made me feel good and important for being a female.My brothers taught me to ride a bicycle and to drive a car,and took me to my first dance.
My brothers encouraged me to run for school office,to try out for majorette and song leader,and to run for queen of various festivities.They were proud I was breaking social barriers still closed to them.It was acceptable for an Oriental male to excel academically and in sports.But to gain recognition socially in a society that had been fed the stereotyped model of the Asian male as cook,houseboy or crazed kamikaze pilot was almost impossible.The more alluring myth of mystery and exotica that surrounds the Oriental female made it easier,though no less inwardly painful for me.
What my brothers were saying was that I should not act towards Caucasian males as I did toward them.I must not wait on them or allow them to think I would,because they wouldn't understand.In other words,be a Japanese female around Japanese men and act Hakujin around Caucasian men.This double identity within a double standard resulted not only in confusion for me of my role as a female,but also in who or what I was racially.I would try to be aggressive,assertive and come on strong toward Caucasian men.i musn't let them think I was submissive,passive and all-giving like Madame Butterfly.With Asian males,I would tone down my natural enthusiasm and settle into patterns instilled in me through the models of my mother and my sisters.I was uncomfortable in either role.
Although i was attracted to males who looked like someone in a Coca Cola ad,I yearned for the expression of their potency to be like that of Japanese men,like that of my father;unpredictable,dominant,and brilliant-yet sensitive and poetic.I wanted a blond samurai.
When I met my blond samurai,during those college years in San Jose,I was surprised to see how readily my mom accepted the idea of our getting married.
She felt that my husband to be was strong enough because he was acting against the norms of his culture,perhaps even against his parent's wishes.From her vantage point,where family and group opinion outweighed the individual's,this willingness to oppose them was truly a show of strength.
I realized a very basic difference in attitude between Japanese and American cultures toward serving another.In a Japanese family,to serve another could be uplifting,a gracious gesture that elevated oneself.For many white Americans,it seems that serving another is degrading,an indication of dependency or weakness in character or a low place in the social ladder.
My father used to say'Serving humanity is the greatest virtue.Giving service of yourself is more worthy than selling the service or goods of another."
Now,I entertain according to how I feel that day.If my Japanese sensibility is stronger,I act accordingly and feel comfortable.If I feel like gong all-American,I can do that too,and feel comfortable.I have come to accept the cultural hybridness of my personality,to recognize it as a strength and not weakness.Because I'm culturally neither pure Japanese nor pure American does not mean I am less of a person.It means I have been enriched with the heritage of both.
My children's biracialism is,indeed,a factor in their identity and self-image,but I feel their struggle will be more to sustain human dignity in a world rapidly dehumanizing itself with mechanization and technology.My hope is they have inherited a strong will to survive,that essential trait that ethnic minorities in this country have so sharply honed.
-In reading her article,I feel that she has come to terms with both cultures and has accepted both culture's strengths and weaknesses.The ethnic minority would appreciate the potential of multi diversity,not being afraid to acknowledge the weakness of one's culture and being proud of its strengths.
So to be harrassed by insensitive provokers with stereotypical comments and jaundiced viewpoints,the best response is not to fall into their mud slinging taunts and rise above the fray by keeping our cool and let it fall on deaf ears.It only reflects badly on the provokers rather than the victim of abuse.Let the mad rants on the colour of the skin,the slanting eyes or bearded face make fools of themselves and not let our confidence be shaken.Everyone is beautiful,each in its own ways.Dare to be different and think different.Only those with deep insecurities will make themselves look good by making others feel bad
Friday, September 21, 2018
The pilgrimage of a seeker
when the time is right,you will meet your teacher
the answer is in you if you seek within
I have been a carefree and happy go lucky person until my world fell apart.
I was dead at heart .
If something is too good to be true,then it's not true.
The apple polishers always have ulterior motives,their true colours will come out sooner or later.
Emotions make us vulnerable,control it or it will tear us up
But I've learnt to trust and hope again
that changes are possible.
Why compare yourself to others/there will always be those who are better off than you and those who are worst off than you.
I am true to myself ,why put my happiness in another person's hands?
As Helen Keller said'Alone we can do so little,but together,we can do so much."
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Individual is shaped by the environment
Humans are brought up and grow up within a specific culture determined partly by language and geography.A positive way to look at it is human nature is changeable and an individual has the option to choose how he likes to live.In other words,the ability of humans to do or be whatever they wish is limitless.
Conversely,some argue that humans cannot change their conditioning and they act out,carry out behaviours which are entirely shaped by their upbringing,and cultural constraints.This brings forth another paradox,why is it a group of children born into the same family and with the same cultural conditioning can have such vastly different personality traits and attitudes?But in nationalistic behaviours,humans tend to believe strongly in their own way of being.This sets up the idea that one set of values is intrinsically superior to another set of values.Differences in viewpoint are not valid if one believes that their own cultural norms and values are the only norms and values.
If a different culture has different values and the two come into conflict,then the defense of those values embodied in culture may lead to serious conflict.They come into conflict as a result of one culture holding the view that they have the right to impose itself on another.
Dire consequences may arise between nations,countries,potential business partners and individuals as a result.Some detrimental aspects of culture are fuelled from extreme nationalism and patriotism.In the extreme,these notions give rise to war and to the idea that it is appropriate to wipe out a people who have a culture different from one's own.An understanding of differing cultural viewpoints is essential for world peace and also for international business dealings.
There are several indicators to understand cultural differences among different societies:
:power distance index measure the degree of inequality in a society
:uncertainty avoidance index:the index measure the extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain situations
:individualism index:measures the extent to which a society is individualistic or communalistic
:masculinity index.It measures the extent to which the dominant values are assertiveness,money and things(achievement) versus the femininity index based on relationships
Conversely,some argue that humans cannot change their conditioning and they act out,carry out behaviours which are entirely shaped by their upbringing,and cultural constraints.This brings forth another paradox,why is it a group of children born into the same family and with the same cultural conditioning can have such vastly different personality traits and attitudes?But in nationalistic behaviours,humans tend to believe strongly in their own way of being.This sets up the idea that one set of values is intrinsically superior to another set of values.Differences in viewpoint are not valid if one believes that their own cultural norms and values are the only norms and values.
If a different culture has different values and the two come into conflict,then the defense of those values embodied in culture may lead to serious conflict.They come into conflict as a result of one culture holding the view that they have the right to impose itself on another.
Dire consequences may arise between nations,countries,potential business partners and individuals as a result.Some detrimental aspects of culture are fuelled from extreme nationalism and patriotism.In the extreme,these notions give rise to war and to the idea that it is appropriate to wipe out a people who have a culture different from one's own.An understanding of differing cultural viewpoints is essential for world peace and also for international business dealings.
There are several indicators to understand cultural differences among different societies:
:power distance index measure the degree of inequality in a society
:uncertainty avoidance index:the index measure the extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain situations
:individualism index:measures the extent to which a society is individualistic or communalistic
:masculinity index.It measures the extent to which the dominant values are assertiveness,money and things(achievement) versus the femininity index based on relationships
Friday, September 7, 2018
uses of social media
Social media sites like blogs are an avenue of expression of thoughts and ideas of an individual whereas social sites like Facebook are used for social interaction and instagram for posing and vanity and self gratification of ego obssessed people who want to do oneupmanship and be selfie kings and queens.Twitter is used to promote products ,services,do soul marketing or expression of individuals in the marketplace of ideas where we can bounce ideas off each other.So those who abuse it for spamming,trolling,stalking or propaganda of extremist ideology should be banned.
Users should be educated on media literacy from young so that they can detect ulterior motives and be tech savvy to unfollow dangerous people who may be doing cult brainwashing or sexual grooming or scamming for money.The social sites that earn a lot from advertising should have a standard policy and a training manual for users to learn to detect fake news or false advertising.Empower the user rather than rely on an external body to censor sites.Self censorship works better than "father knows best what's good for you" patronizing control.
Users should be educated on media literacy from young so that they can detect ulterior motives and be tech savvy to unfollow dangerous people who may be doing cult brainwashing or sexual grooming or scamming for money.The social sites that earn a lot from advertising should have a standard policy and a training manual for users to learn to detect fake news or false advertising.Empower the user rather than rely on an external body to censor sites.Self censorship works better than "father knows best what's good for you" patronizing control.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Extract from Individualism or society?
Individualism can be understood in two different ways.The first implies an individual's aspiration to self reliance or independence and the need to exist as individual human beings.By contrast,the second is a social theory which prioritises freedom of action by individuals over the authority of an all powerful state.The state's function was to protect a citizen's individual liberties and interfere with any citizen's actions only when those actions violated another individual's right to act freely.
In practice,in the context of late20th and early 21st century developed societies,the term"individualism" is generally identified with a world view whose followers wage a metaphorical low-level war against what they perceive to be the incessant and incremental growth in the power of the state.True individualists would argue that society's attempts to regulate the individualist's two most closely guarded spheres of personal liberty-economic and civil-will always represent individualism's most keenly fought over battlegrounds.This strongly individualistic view of the role of society is often referred to as "libertarianism".
An intriguing characteristic of those professing to be libertarians is that they can happliy disagree,equally,vehemently with a government policy on,say,education ,from either a distincyly left or a distinctly right libertarian perspective.Indeed,commentators and opinion formers in the mass media readily admit that one of the most fascinating aspects of these modern individualists of either kind is just how frequently both claim to be the authentic standard bearers of libertarianism.Thus,anarchists arguing for their particular vision of libertarianism would never be seen dead breaking bread with right wing neo-liberal libertarians-or vice versa.
The most striking evidence of the enduring strength of individualism ,and just how deeply this view of society has permeated all fields and forms of the contemporary arts,being famous for just being famous,has become an article of faith for wannabes everywhere.The seemingly insatiable public appetite for reality TV and tabloid newspapers,in addition to the all-pervasive celebrity photo journalism that fills multitudes of glossy magazines,are living testimony to Andy Warhol's dictum that anyone"can be famous for fifteen minutes" these days.
In practice,in the context of late20th and early 21st century developed societies,the term"individualism" is generally identified with a world view whose followers wage a metaphorical low-level war against what they perceive to be the incessant and incremental growth in the power of the state.True individualists would argue that society's attempts to regulate the individualist's two most closely guarded spheres of personal liberty-economic and civil-will always represent individualism's most keenly fought over battlegrounds.This strongly individualistic view of the role of society is often referred to as "libertarianism".
An intriguing characteristic of those professing to be libertarians is that they can happliy disagree,equally,vehemently with a government policy on,say,education ,from either a distincyly left or a distinctly right libertarian perspective.Indeed,commentators and opinion formers in the mass media readily admit that one of the most fascinating aspects of these modern individualists of either kind is just how frequently both claim to be the authentic standard bearers of libertarianism.Thus,anarchists arguing for their particular vision of libertarianism would never be seen dead breaking bread with right wing neo-liberal libertarians-or vice versa.
The most striking evidence of the enduring strength of individualism ,and just how deeply this view of society has permeated all fields and forms of the contemporary arts,being famous for just being famous,has become an article of faith for wannabes everywhere.The seemingly insatiable public appetite for reality TV and tabloid newspapers,in addition to the all-pervasive celebrity photo journalism that fills multitudes of glossy magazines,are living testimony to Andy Warhol's dictum that anyone"can be famous for fifteen minutes" these days.
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