Pen of Passion

~ explore Culture 101

If you ever bump into a Mongolian native on the street, he is likely to reach out his hand as a gesture of friendship. It is highly advisable that you also reach out to shake his hand. A failure to do so or any showing of hesitancy might be interpreted as a sign of hostility.

Mongolian customs dictate that a person of Mongolian blood must defend his honor by challenging you to a wrestling match. Mongolians are highly skilled wrestlers. I would not be surprised if the guy breaks your neck or seriously injures you.

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~ fall 2007

~ explore Garden

~also known as pitaya

~this year’s prospect isn’t very good; the tree hasn’t yielded any flower yet.

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~ explore Culture 101

When we think of cherry blossoms, Japan immediately comes to mind. Fortunately, you don’t have to go to Japan to enjoy all the beautiful flowers. The nation’s capital, Washington D.C., is famous for its magnificent cherry blossoms. Most of the 3000 cherry trees in the capital actually originated from Japan. They were sent to America by the emperor of Japan as tokens of friendship.

The District of Colombia hosts a cherry blossoms festival each year. The nation’s capital recently marked the festival 95th year.

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~This short poem is dedicated to my soldier friend and the love he has for his country~

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From the time
I was still in my mother’s womb,
I have learned to love…..my country.
Every night,
The voice of my homeland whispers in my ear
And the spirit of my nation tantalizes my soul.

I am listening to the nightingales,
Whistling their piercing crescendo,
And remember yesterday’s memories.
Feelings from a love long ago suddenly return,
And make me dream of a better tomorrow.

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I reunite with my little neighbor,
Who charms me with her heavenly smile.
But I have fallen in love with another,
Who has stolen every bit of my soul.

I am in love with the waves of the sea,
Caressing my homeland from end to end.
I am in love with the fruited plains,
Looking out for me from the center of the land.
I am in love with the skyscrapers, the winds,
And the heroes of my country.
Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt…..
Whose names have I not mentioned?
The heroes of the past, present, and future.

Let passing time bears witness to sadness and joys.
Let all dreams be unwavering lights.
Let tomorrow be a better day.

~ Simon N. 2008

~ explore Culture 101

The Chinese have always been known for their creative diplomacy. The “Ping Pong” diplomacy between China and the United States was a fine example. But there was another creative instance of Chinese diplomacy that many aren’t aware of.

In the early 1900s, there were a lot of unrests in the Chinese capital of Beijing. A number of foreigners were killed by a nationalist group called the Boxer. The killings infuriated foreign governments, who demanded the Qing government to take swift actions. In hope of reducing tensions, Empress Dowager Cixi invited all the top foreign diplomats to a very elaborate banquet.

The banquet was one of historic proportions. It lasted for several days (& nights) and cost around 80-100 million dollars in today’s value. Unfortunately, very little diplomacy actually took place during the feast; people were just too occupied with their eating. In fact, the participants spent more time in restrooms than engaging in conversations.

Ironically, many Chinese died of starvation during the same period — the money spent on the banquet would have adequately fed most of the Chinese poor for a whole year. The banquet, however, failed to dissuade foreign governments from attacking China and nearly demolishing Beijing.

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