China
In My Bloodstream: Lisinopril, Amlodopine, Omeprazole, Tamsulosin
On The Stereo: The Weight Of Lies: The Avett Brothers
This week has driven me a bit off my game. There has been too much overt emotion in our lives and I did not want to drag you along as I sort things out. I am not really concerned for myself, but others in my sphere of friends and family have not fared well of late. Uncertainty looms in too many places. Demons of sickness look over the shoulders of nervous people. This past week, for me, has been unnerving. There definitely has been a heightened sense of loneliness and Covid19 news comes at us at an indigestible pace.
I felt it best that I forego my normal, abnormal, bizarre, illuminating, lackluster blog (take your pick, or add your own descriptor), and take you back in time. The following is a history not guaranteed to be faithful to the facts. It is my story. And it is my truth. That much is assuredly true.
I decided to avoid the present and time travel you back to the late 90's, and glance even farther back - another 150 years prior - to the opium trade. Bear with me, if you would. Hopefully, it will all make some sense. China, opium, and coronavirus and.......
Hong Kong
Prior to Wuhan and its new SARS virus, China was already having its troubles. Internally and globally. Unfathomable problems. With the pandemic virus rightfully dominating the news for the past month, China's issues with Hong Kong are now far from the headlines of a month ago. A massive health situation has sheltered from the world the concerns of 7.5 million inhabitants of Hong Kong. They have now lost their audience. And the interest of the world. We are all forgetting the militaristic position of mainland China over its new territory. The media forgets and moves on.
A little background might be in order.
My Child Bride and I were invited, in 1998, to travel to Hong Kong. The region's tourist bureau sponsored a small group of U.S business people whose companies had held meetings at offshore sites. Our company certainly qualified. We held large annual meetings with close to 1,000 customers and suppliers attending, and also smaller meetings of our Advisory Board, usually to more exotic locales. How they found us, in Tuscaloosa, is beyond me.
In any event, despite advising them that I considered the travel time to be a significant impediment, the group leader thought we might be swayed, if we could only see for ourselves what a destination location it could be. Even when I suggested that our larger contingent would not be an option, due to the overwhelming expense, and the amount of time that we would keep business people away from their affairs, they were insistent that would be alright. They believed my mind could be changed, once I had sampled their beauty and culture.
The travel time was exhausting. We drove to Birmingham, then flew to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and landed in a new airport, at that time, Hong Kong International. The trip well exceeded 24 hours. The service and comfort were exceptional, however, making our adventure more than palatable. But nonetheless exhausting. My immediate thought was that the flight alone might be too rigorous for some of our Board members.
On arrival, our first glimpse of Hong Kong.
Kai Tak Airport had previously been the international airport, but it was in the throes of closure, while we were there. As an aside, we were at one point, in a rooftop bar in the midst of this bustling metropolis, and the jumbo jets were landing at eye level, less than a quarter mile from where we were sitting. You could feel the air move. And you could certainly hear the noise. It is no wonder they were closing the facility. It had been engulfed by mega-hotels over time, and was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
We were to be there for a week, during which, we were promised a trip to mainland China. It was going to be interesting.
From Victoria Peak, looking down to the harbor.
Hong Kong had been colonized by Britain for about 150 years, as part of their former empire building mentality. Great Britain had commandeered a great amount of the world, usually for its own self gratification. The principle being, if G.B. needed anything, it was easier to conquer the country than negotiate with them for the goods which Britain desired. Either by necessity or by fashion. As example, Canada was conquered as it provided fur for coats and hats, for instance. Carribean islands for sugar, and so on.
Over the years, many of those territories have been returned to their logical and pre-conquered owners, or released to their own governance. In some cases because they became difficult to manage. The entire Middle East was put into stress when Britain unilaterally gave a piece of land to dispossessed Jews, to become their homeland. Those who lived there were not amused. Like Hong Kong, others made decisions regarding their future. Britain figured it was time to leave, before all hell broke loose. They washed their hands of the problem, and left the Jews and the Arabs to sort out the mess they had created.
At its peak, the British Empire controlled a quarter of the earth's surface and population. The largest empire in history, by far. A manifest destiny of sorts. Constant acquisition. So why Hong Kong? And why was that colony eventually returned to China?
The Brits had this crazy trade deal, whereby it had poppies grown in India, which it controlled, and shipped to China to be turned into opium. They used Hong Kong as the epicenter of trade. China, by sheer scale, was too difficult to overrun. Hong Kong was perfect. They traded that opium for tea, which was then shipped back to Britain, where it typically was served for breakfast and for their mid-afternoon break, along with ladyfingers and crumpets. Tea was a big deal back then. Think Boston Harbor. Silks, as well, were a key piece in the jigsaw of trade.
So that all came tumbling down, when the universality of opium use came under fire. It was used in medicine, to ease pain, but became widely used as the narcotic of choice, world-wide. As China and Britain continued to be good trading partners, and as the Brits wanted their continuing shipments of tea and silk, and China wanted a prosperous piece of its land back, everyone got their wish. It is not love that conquers all. It is money.
Everyone, that is, except the good people of Hong Kong. By this point in time, they had been privy to English education and had enjoyed the blend of English and Asian cultures. They had an enormous economic base. They were a tourist destination. And they were essentially free. They had been given the right to self-government and self determination. It had no enemies, and in any event, it had the protection of Britain.
As we began our 1998 trip, they had been through "the takeover", at midnight on July 1st, one year earlier. The exchange of this small group of islands from Great Britain, who gave them absolute freedom, to China, a communist and dictatorial government, was, to say the least, a dangerous and risky event. Britain had been under heavy pressure from China, to return a "stolen" part of their country to them. And remember, China is a significant provider of manufactured goods and medicines. Britain caved.
To appease the citizens, who had no say, whatsoever, in this arrangement, the Chinese had promised Britain and the people of Hong Kong, that there would be no changes made to the status quo, for at least the next twenty years.
When we landed, the Chinese government had just recently pulled armed soldiers off the streets, where they had begun a pattern of street patrol. We were told that soldiers may still be there, but they were now out of uniform and were ordered to no longer carry rifles. The shop and hotel owners had lobbied the government, to keep the military away. Their tourism had begun to fade, and China's newfound source of wealth was being placed in jeopardy. Hong Kong was the goose who would now lay golden eggs for China, and no one wanted to lose that potential. Income was the driver of the deal in the first place. Why would anyone want to interrupt a good thing?
We began to understand how the transition was unfolding. Inside of the whirlwind that was our life for the week, compounded by the graciousness of our hosts, things still seemed only slightly off kilter. But we did not at all understand the depth of the problem, yet to surface. We were too naive to sense the undercurrent. Our hosts, in retrospect, did expend some considerable effort in swaying our thoughts regarding their country's stability. After all, they viewed each of our little group, as future income for their economy.
Our week was absolutely the busiest of my life. As royal as was our stay, our waking hours left little to no free time. The Mandarin Oriental and The Four Seasons provided for our stays, with meals at the Peninsula and other beautiful and famous restaurants. Interestingly, the management were a blended lot, with Scots being in the majority. At least in the hotels. We were fully scheduled from early breakfast through late dinners. And I mean very late. We did find time, after dark, for cocktails with other guests. We learned about each others' businesses and their lives and occupations.
Kath and I, late one night, visited the rooftop pool, with an infinity edge and the most spectacular view of the Hong Kong skyline and harbor, that you could ever imagine. With the pool to ourselves, leaning over the edge of the world. A moment never to be forgotten. Utterly romantic. A scene unimaginable. But it was ours. That night. And forever.
Average dinner, every night.
We were guests of three spectacular hotels and met some of the finest chefs in the world. We enjoyed their delectable creations. We did find time to buy some art from a gallery near the hotel. I haggled every day for a better price, only to pay what the artist required, on our last day there. He was the dean of Shanghai University's art school, famous, and painted and sold only one portrait a year.
The Tea Lady. Apropos to this story.
The wealthy people had been moving their savings out of the country for several years. Along with their children. Sent to other, western countries, and Singapore, for educational and career opportunities. San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto were recipients of a considerable number of these new citizens, who brought intelligence, modernity and wealth to their new countries. We were fortunate to receive them.
Hong Kong harbor.
An outdoor market.
And now, with news of Covid19 at the center of all media, the citizens of Hong Kong are under siege by the Communist regime. You followed the news, I'm sure. Their right to govern is long gone, and dissenters will be sent back to the mainland for trial. That will go well.
Where would America be today, if other countries had not helped us be free of England's rule? How the world has changed. No one comes to the aid of Hong Kong. No country wishes to challenge China. Despite the twenty year promise, as part of the agreement, even Britain turns its back. The scales have been tipped. Money trumps freedom.
The twenty year "hands off" promise was ended almost before it began. The flu outbreak in Wuhan was kept under wraps for weeks, despite its severity. There is a flaw in the character of this country. Understand that and act accordingly would be my advice. Check out my song for the blog. I do have purpose.
Soap box adjourned. With apologies. But that did improve my spirits. Thank you.
Kath, at this moment, has started her first day of teaching her class on line. Last week she, and her co-workers, were given one hour of instruction as to how to make this massive educational transition work. If you were handed an abacus and told that you had two days to complete and present a complete P&L for Starbucks, you might conceive of how she has responded.
She has plugged through, not without loud moans and exasperated groans, and is, just now emerging. Not totally unscathed. Her ally in chief has been her son-in-law, Doug. He has walked her through the fires of multiple technologies, and has provided her much needed moral support, required to regain her confidence. As gifted a teacher as she is, complicated tech is not her strength. I am hopeful she will share her story with you in the near future. She is a wonder.
Next week, in the blog, we go to the Chinese mainland, just prior to our leaving for home. What an experience. And I will also get back to our more current story. Just need some time to toughen up and get my head out of my ass.
Keep safe, but don't ignore the needs of others. Kat has been calling some of our newly-widowed neighbors to see if they need anything, before she goes to the grocery store or drug store. Every little thing we can do, we should do. My surgery has kept me mostly housebound. Given our new rules and regulations, nothing much will change for the foreseeable future.
Hoarders, and those vermin who wish to profit on the ills of the less fortunate are not our friends. They are a societal disappointment. These are acts which should embarrass us all. And we do not hear enough of all the wonderful acts of kindness, large and small, that are happening each and every day. Civility is required. As is kindness and thoughtfulness. I preach to the choir, I know.
Our world is a good world. Be thankful.
I realize that virtual hugs provide nowhere near the value of the real thing. Soon. I hope. We need human contact. This insular life is not good for us. People in jail have it better.
We have had one virus case in our development. Brought, apparently, by a visitor from Washington State. Since gone home. A travel related case is not so bad. The virus has not been communal. At least not yet. Today, we were informed of one more. A person who was hospitalized and returned home, was found to have the virus. There was no other contact with anyone else in this community.
Let us know, from time to time, that you and your loved ones are surviving well.
Thanks. From Florida.
I am ignoring cancer today. It is not going away. And neither am I.
p.s. As I am about to publish, my bride just received a text from Dr. Harrington. The surgery margins are clear. Tears of joy. Thank you my God.
On The Stereo: The Weight Of Lies: The Avett Brothers
This week has driven me a bit off my game. There has been too much overt emotion in our lives and I did not want to drag you along as I sort things out. I am not really concerned for myself, but others in my sphere of friends and family have not fared well of late. Uncertainty looms in too many places. Demons of sickness look over the shoulders of nervous people. This past week, for me, has been unnerving. There definitely has been a heightened sense of loneliness and Covid19 news comes at us at an indigestible pace.
I felt it best that I forego my normal, abnormal, bizarre, illuminating, lackluster blog (take your pick, or add your own descriptor), and take you back in time. The following is a history not guaranteed to be faithful to the facts. It is my story. And it is my truth. That much is assuredly true.
I decided to avoid the present and time travel you back to the late 90's, and glance even farther back - another 150 years prior - to the opium trade. Bear with me, if you would. Hopefully, it will all make some sense. China, opium, and coronavirus and.......
Hong Kong
Prior to Wuhan and its new SARS virus, China was already having its troubles. Internally and globally. Unfathomable problems. With the pandemic virus rightfully dominating the news for the past month, China's issues with Hong Kong are now far from the headlines of a month ago. A massive health situation has sheltered from the world the concerns of 7.5 million inhabitants of Hong Kong. They have now lost their audience. And the interest of the world. We are all forgetting the militaristic position of mainland China over its new territory. The media forgets and moves on.
A little background might be in order.
My Child Bride and I were invited, in 1998, to travel to Hong Kong. The region's tourist bureau sponsored a small group of U.S business people whose companies had held meetings at offshore sites. Our company certainly qualified. We held large annual meetings with close to 1,000 customers and suppliers attending, and also smaller meetings of our Advisory Board, usually to more exotic locales. How they found us, in Tuscaloosa, is beyond me.
In any event, despite advising them that I considered the travel time to be a significant impediment, the group leader thought we might be swayed, if we could only see for ourselves what a destination location it could be. Even when I suggested that our larger contingent would not be an option, due to the overwhelming expense, and the amount of time that we would keep business people away from their affairs, they were insistent that would be alright. They believed my mind could be changed, once I had sampled their beauty and culture.
The travel time was exhausting. We drove to Birmingham, then flew to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and landed in a new airport, at that time, Hong Kong International. The trip well exceeded 24 hours. The service and comfort were exceptional, however, making our adventure more than palatable. But nonetheless exhausting. My immediate thought was that the flight alone might be too rigorous for some of our Board members.
Kai Tak Airport had previously been the international airport, but it was in the throes of closure, while we were there. As an aside, we were at one point, in a rooftop bar in the midst of this bustling metropolis, and the jumbo jets were landing at eye level, less than a quarter mile from where we were sitting. You could feel the air move. And you could certainly hear the noise. It is no wonder they were closing the facility. It had been engulfed by mega-hotels over time, and was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
We were to be there for a week, during which, we were promised a trip to mainland China. It was going to be interesting.
Hong Kong had been colonized by Britain for about 150 years, as part of their former empire building mentality. Great Britain had commandeered a great amount of the world, usually for its own self gratification. The principle being, if G.B. needed anything, it was easier to conquer the country than negotiate with them for the goods which Britain desired. Either by necessity or by fashion. As example, Canada was conquered as it provided fur for coats and hats, for instance. Carribean islands for sugar, and so on.
Over the years, many of those territories have been returned to their logical and pre-conquered owners, or released to their own governance. In some cases because they became difficult to manage. The entire Middle East was put into stress when Britain unilaterally gave a piece of land to dispossessed Jews, to become their homeland. Those who lived there were not amused. Like Hong Kong, others made decisions regarding their future. Britain figured it was time to leave, before all hell broke loose. They washed their hands of the problem, and left the Jews and the Arabs to sort out the mess they had created.
At its peak, the British Empire controlled a quarter of the earth's surface and population. The largest empire in history, by far. A manifest destiny of sorts. Constant acquisition. So why Hong Kong? And why was that colony eventually returned to China?
The Brits had this crazy trade deal, whereby it had poppies grown in India, which it controlled, and shipped to China to be turned into opium. They used Hong Kong as the epicenter of trade. China, by sheer scale, was too difficult to overrun. Hong Kong was perfect. They traded that opium for tea, which was then shipped back to Britain, where it typically was served for breakfast and for their mid-afternoon break, along with ladyfingers and crumpets. Tea was a big deal back then. Think Boston Harbor. Silks, as well, were a key piece in the jigsaw of trade.
So that all came tumbling down, when the universality of opium use came under fire. It was used in medicine, to ease pain, but became widely used as the narcotic of choice, world-wide. As China and Britain continued to be good trading partners, and as the Brits wanted their continuing shipments of tea and silk, and China wanted a prosperous piece of its land back, everyone got their wish. It is not love that conquers all. It is money.
Everyone, that is, except the good people of Hong Kong. By this point in time, they had been privy to English education and had enjoyed the blend of English and Asian cultures. They had an enormous economic base. They were a tourist destination. And they were essentially free. They had been given the right to self-government and self determination. It had no enemies, and in any event, it had the protection of Britain.
As we began our 1998 trip, they had been through "the takeover", at midnight on July 1st, one year earlier. The exchange of this small group of islands from Great Britain, who gave them absolute freedom, to China, a communist and dictatorial government, was, to say the least, a dangerous and risky event. Britain had been under heavy pressure from China, to return a "stolen" part of their country to them. And remember, China is a significant provider of manufactured goods and medicines. Britain caved.
To appease the citizens, who had no say, whatsoever, in this arrangement, the Chinese had promised Britain and the people of Hong Kong, that there would be no changes made to the status quo, for at least the next twenty years.
When we landed, the Chinese government had just recently pulled armed soldiers off the streets, where they had begun a pattern of street patrol. We were told that soldiers may still be there, but they were now out of uniform and were ordered to no longer carry rifles. The shop and hotel owners had lobbied the government, to keep the military away. Their tourism had begun to fade, and China's newfound source of wealth was being placed in jeopardy. Hong Kong was the goose who would now lay golden eggs for China, and no one wanted to lose that potential. Income was the driver of the deal in the first place. Why would anyone want to interrupt a good thing?
We began to understand how the transition was unfolding. Inside of the whirlwind that was our life for the week, compounded by the graciousness of our hosts, things still seemed only slightly off kilter. But we did not at all understand the depth of the problem, yet to surface. We were too naive to sense the undercurrent. Our hosts, in retrospect, did expend some considerable effort in swaying our thoughts regarding their country's stability. After all, they viewed each of our little group, as future income for their economy.
Our week was absolutely the busiest of my life. As royal as was our stay, our waking hours left little to no free time. The Mandarin Oriental and The Four Seasons provided for our stays, with meals at the Peninsula and other beautiful and famous restaurants. Interestingly, the management were a blended lot, with Scots being in the majority. At least in the hotels. We were fully scheduled from early breakfast through late dinners. And I mean very late. We did find time, after dark, for cocktails with other guests. We learned about each others' businesses and their lives and occupations.
Kath and I, late one night, visited the rooftop pool, with an infinity edge and the most spectacular view of the Hong Kong skyline and harbor, that you could ever imagine. With the pool to ourselves, leaning over the edge of the world. A moment never to be forgotten. Utterly romantic. A scene unimaginable. But it was ours. That night. And forever.
We were guests of three spectacular hotels and met some of the finest chefs in the world. We enjoyed their delectable creations. We did find time to buy some art from a gallery near the hotel. I haggled every day for a better price, only to pay what the artist required, on our last day there. He was the dean of Shanghai University's art school, famous, and painted and sold only one portrait a year.
The wealthy people had been moving their savings out of the country for several years. Along with their children. Sent to other, western countries, and Singapore, for educational and career opportunities. San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto were recipients of a considerable number of these new citizens, who brought intelligence, modernity and wealth to their new countries. We were fortunate to receive them.
And now, with news of Covid19 at the center of all media, the citizens of Hong Kong are under siege by the Communist regime. You followed the news, I'm sure. Their right to govern is long gone, and dissenters will be sent back to the mainland for trial. That will go well.
Where would America be today, if other countries had not helped us be free of England's rule? How the world has changed. No one comes to the aid of Hong Kong. No country wishes to challenge China. Despite the twenty year promise, as part of the agreement, even Britain turns its back. The scales have been tipped. Money trumps freedom.
The twenty year "hands off" promise was ended almost before it began. The flu outbreak in Wuhan was kept under wraps for weeks, despite its severity. There is a flaw in the character of this country. Understand that and act accordingly would be my advice. Check out my song for the blog. I do have purpose.
Soap box adjourned. With apologies. But that did improve my spirits. Thank you.
Kath, at this moment, has started her first day of teaching her class on line. Last week she, and her co-workers, were given one hour of instruction as to how to make this massive educational transition work. If you were handed an abacus and told that you had two days to complete and present a complete P&L for Starbucks, you might conceive of how she has responded.
She has plugged through, not without loud moans and exasperated groans, and is, just now emerging. Not totally unscathed. Her ally in chief has been her son-in-law, Doug. He has walked her through the fires of multiple technologies, and has provided her much needed moral support, required to regain her confidence. As gifted a teacher as she is, complicated tech is not her strength. I am hopeful she will share her story with you in the near future. She is a wonder.
Next week, in the blog, we go to the Chinese mainland, just prior to our leaving for home. What an experience. And I will also get back to our more current story. Just need some time to toughen up and get my head out of my ass.
Keep safe, but don't ignore the needs of others. Kat has been calling some of our newly-widowed neighbors to see if they need anything, before she goes to the grocery store or drug store. Every little thing we can do, we should do. My surgery has kept me mostly housebound. Given our new rules and regulations, nothing much will change for the foreseeable future.
Hoarders, and those vermin who wish to profit on the ills of the less fortunate are not our friends. They are a societal disappointment. These are acts which should embarrass us all. And we do not hear enough of all the wonderful acts of kindness, large and small, that are happening each and every day. Civility is required. As is kindness and thoughtfulness. I preach to the choir, I know.
Our world is a good world. Be thankful.
I realize that virtual hugs provide nowhere near the value of the real thing. Soon. I hope. We need human contact. This insular life is not good for us. People in jail have it better.
We have had one virus case in our development. Brought, apparently, by a visitor from Washington State. Since gone home. A travel related case is not so bad. The virus has not been communal. At least not yet. Today, we were informed of one more. A person who was hospitalized and returned home, was found to have the virus. There was no other contact with anyone else in this community.
Let us know, from time to time, that you and your loved ones are surviving well.
Thanks. From Florida.
I am ignoring cancer today. It is not going away. And neither am I.
p.s. As I am about to publish, my bride just received a text from Dr. Harrington. The surgery margins are clear. Tears of joy. Thank you my God.
Hooray for clear margins! That's excellent news.
ReplyDelete