A China Tale

Tombsweeping in Hong Kong

There’s about 1000 spaces on each side of this hall – can you smell the money? – probably not the smell of incense is quite potent

My Grandmother and Grandfather – the picture was recently updated to include both of them.

Some people gathered outside waiting for their turn to bow and make offerings to their ancestors

My Grandmother’s sister on another floor in the same temple.

There were monkeys outside the tomb on these trees last time – no luck this time.

I believe this is my father’s father’s brother’s brother but not not actually – need to ask about this one again.

This was the last tomb I went to – monk inside reciting scripture and ringing a large bell gave it a nicer feeling than the commercial or government stops

And now some words I captured that day

Up the stairs to find the remains of my Grandfather. A familial obligation I did my best to perform humbly. On stainless steel tables inside the halls the older women of the family hurriedly prepare. Fruit – oranges mostly, bananas, rice, roasted meats – pork, chicken, duck – steamed buns, sweet sesame buns, veggies, paper money, and other niceties to be better appreciated by those enjoying their afterlife. I took 3 sticks of burning incense and, in line, payed my respects to my ancestor with three bows endured through eye-searing, lung clogging smoke. I finished quickly as the line demanded so. It was an exercise in efficiency as much as one of respect. I moved to a second room to repeat the gesture to my father’s cousins daughter’s mother – then to a lower level to once again bow with incense to my grandmother’s sister. I got 4 sticks of incense for the second bowing and 6 for the last from my uncle. It seems the significance of three was lost a little in this transaction. I softly inquired with my father about the significance of the entire act. “I think i need to invent another way for my children to pay their respects to me when I’m gone.” I supposed. I thought a nice dinner over meaningful discussions about family matters and biz would suffice. My father told me some people already were utilizing alternatives. There are sites where you can go and purchase virtual incense and the like and pay your respects virtually. Much more cost effective than purchasing a spot at this shrine to display your ashes – anywhere from 30000-100000+HK. That would ring a wall of 100 w x 13 h units (at an avg of 50k/box) in at 65,000,000HKD. There is well over a billion HK decorating the walls of this shrine. My father and I speculated there was almost certainly a business behind this operation. Real estate for the dead is a fine business indeed.

Garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.[1] A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. Single clove garlic (also called Pearl garlic or Solo garlic) also exists—it originates in the Yunnan province of China. The cloves are used as seed, for consumption (raw or cooked), and for medicinal purposes. The leaves, stems (scape), and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible and are most often consumed while immature and still tender. The papery, protective layers of “skin” over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable. Thanks Wikipedia!!

O! and another fun fact China produces over 12million tons of garlic a year compared to America’s measly 221,000 tons. China makes about 24 times as much garlic a year compared to it’s closest garlic competitor India. Not bad if you ask me.

Enough of the wikipedia – the reason I’m sharing these gems of information about this lovely edible wonder is because of it’s impact on my life as of late. Aside from the noteworthy advantages it affords me in battles against Asian vampires it also seems to have granted me immunity from many of my skin troubles.

It all started about a month or so ago when I found this nice noodle shop at the bottom of my office building that has a nice bowl of beef noodles for a mere 8rmb + raw garlic cloves in a small cup on the side of the table which I gorge myself on. By the way this is the base unit I now valuate any purchase I make with – by the number of bowls of noodle I can purchase for the amount of RMB being requested for a product or service. Is this book worth 20 bowls of noodles? Is that bike really worth 150 bowls of noodles?? Silly perhaps, but hey it keeps my boat afloat in low times

Anyway ever since I’ve been eating garlic regularly I’ve notice my skin is reluctant to break out. Miraculous! I notice similar results when I consumed lemons several months however lemons aren’t cheap and I got tired of spending post meal times puckered up like a sour patch kid. Vinegar is next on the list of ingredients to include regularly in my diet – methinks my hypothesis about an overgrowth of yeast in my digestive track is beginning to make more sense. I’ll have to look into that again.

Tiananmen Square and Wikipedia

Tiananmen Square 1989

some history on key political players at the time including Deng Xiaoping – 邓小平 shame on you if you don’t know him by name .  Clarification on China’s one country, two systems policy and Glasnost and plenty of other goodies all linked up nicely.