A Memorial Tribute to Sun Zi Xian

My Father-in-law died a year ago (10/11/07) and I thought it appropriate to remember him with a message at this time.

I wrote the following comment in my journal circa 1998 after taking this photograph at his request.

"Lao Ba ('ole dad') scarcely lifts his head from his ancient world filled with the knowledge of a long life, memories of a lost wife and the echo and shadows of the billion black characters he silently painted over the years. Beneath his wife's stunning black and white portrait lay an inscription which he brushed: 'Life is fleeting but virtue is immortal.' "

This bare, elegant image of him
beside the wife he honored with such a soft and certain brush has directed my consciousness and focused my spirit over the years.

I never met my mother-in-law. I dreamed of her only once, soon before my father-in-law was to pass from this world. She was waiting for me to bring a message from my father-in-law which turned out to bear a passage written by Abdul-Baha himself mysteriously purposed outside of time for her eyes.

For me it is no small disappointment to watch such a distinguished generation of Chinese as he was a member of, symbolically receding into the horizon of it's evening. It is a daily and a serious reminder for me- to do my part in distinguishing my own generation by illumined conduct; and lofty, courageous sentiment and vocation throughout life.

---

Here some photos of my father-in-law and mother-in-law:

A Vote is cast for Obama by my wife Sunray Crofts

Yeah yeah big deal right? Well this one is unique for a few reasons. Here's a list:

• At no other time in her life could she have voted for America's president. She is eligible to vote because she is now an American citizen.
• In China, when she was a Chinese citizen she could not have voted either for China's leadership. It's the first time in her life she will have been able to vote for her country's leader.
• A few months ago (a little too early in retrospect) we bought the pictured educational placemat for our children's mealtime study. Notice anything missing? Yeah- me too: any faces of someone who isn't male and or white..(click photo to enlarge)

So we figure if Obama wins, it could be an historic memory to have a picture to show our grand-children of Sunray casting her first vote ever for the first minority president in American history. Go wife!!

All trying hard not to squint in the bright sunlight getting ready to go to the poling booth (Ethan trying perhaps a touch too hard).

Sunray and kids (Eli about to die of boredom apparently) in line to vote at Brentood Public Library.

Talking to Poling Assistant.

They told me just before I snapped it that I wasn't allowed, so I took the photo before the camera had a chance to focus.

Feeling Good

I felt strongly compelled to write a post today as a sort of a song review, as if I were in the business of writing reviews, as if I had any part of the requisite education for such, and as if anybody reads my blog. Anyway- compulsion is not a half bad reason to write a thing.

The song is "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. Now- I'm not a fan-boy. I don't love all her stuff. I like about half of it- but this song reminds me of how often I feel manipulated on an emotional level by the arts. It reminds me of this because it is a song which embodies the opposite of that effect on me- discovering and releasing within me some of the purest and most authentic moods and emotions.

Rather than trying to force me to think or feel - this song rather tells me about something, exposes me to it and finally draws that thing out of me unexpectedly.

Without delving into technical art, I'll just say it is a recording second to none displaying instrumental taste and a vocal art which I can scarcely imagine could be equaled even by the singer herself a second time.

The subject is a variety of exultant joy which is as vulnerable and tremblingly difficult to achieve as it is indomitable and defining; and it's opposite- the implied sorrow from which this joy is propelled and has heroicly escaped. It is the joy of a freed prisoner, a found child, a restored faith, or a reunited lover. A listener need not know the circumstances or antecedents of this joy to appreciate the song- they only need to understand something about deep joy and deep sorrow- yes, deep sorrow, this song's faintly gestured but important and unmistakable undercurrent.

Pet Peeves

I don't know why, but in the back of my mind is always this desire to make a list of pet peeves, but I never get around to it. Not only that, but there is something about the idea that makes me think this will actually be beneficial to others. How I can't imagine. One useful aspect of maintaining such a list is that having it consciously spelled out and written down increases my chances of finding a passable workaround for a particular peeve instead of just suffering with it newly and absently every time it presents it's self. I'll go ahead and list the respective workarounds when I think of any. This list will grow indefinitely.

• the depleting chip and dip paradox:
  -> OK, you make some onion dip with campbells onion soup and sour cream. You have your bag of chips. As the bowl of dip depletes making it more difficult to scoup the dip without getting your hands dirty sinse you need to reach increasingly further into the bowl. the chips you use actually get smaller as you reach the end of the chip bag sinse all the broken chips and crumbs tend to fall to the bottom. So you are reaching futher with an increasingly small chip.
  -> workaround: A spoon or a knife I guess. Slather the dip on the chip fragments.
  
  
• Touching Public bathroom handles after washing hands:
  -> workarounds: (1) open door w foot if possible. (2) open door w paper towel, taking care to toss the paper towel into bin once door has been opened enough to hold w foot.
  -> fix: All public bathroom entryways should be designed without doors like airports often have for wheelchair accessible- or else with foot operable or motion-sensing openers. At the very least- doors should open always outwards and be latch-less so that the door can be pushed open from the inside.
  

Peeves particular to parenting- things I dislike about kids:

• making rythmic, vaquely distructive sounding, banging noises in the background while I am resting or preoccupied.
• Food that kids reject:
  You go to the trouble to prepare a home-cooked meal and the kid doesn't like some or part of what you prepared. You could store it but generally this is a lot of trouble and every extra 'left-over' that finds it's way into your refrigerated can add to your sense of general maintenance anxiety in the home. Generally you just serve as a garbage disposal and consume the extra calories you should be watching for and weren't even hungry for at that point. I don't feel right about tossing it out either. The only good solution is to require the child to eat it. Sometimes I will do that.
  
• kids stepping on or just missusing DVD cases.
• losing my place in books by removing the bookmark or folding a book I had placed face-down.
• Stepping on and warping my broom bristols so that it is uncomfortable to sweep with and flings debris across the floor instead of neatly consolidating it for dust-bin duty.
• plausible deniability arguments (the sibs will be freaked out and both are denying and blaming so that I don't know where to begin to dispense punative justice)
• child bangs my elbow, tossing beverage out of my hand as by a lever.
  -> workaround: habitually announce and warn about the beverage when kids are near.
  
• stress-testing every object in the universe out of keeping with it's intended usage and (where applicable) terms of warrentee. A really annoying example is how the remote that came with my TV now has a dangling backing for the battery casing from constant unconscious and frenetic fidgeting. Gets looser and looser driving me ever closer to the brink of insanity.
  failed workaround: bought a couple of universal remotes. They are lousey- they won't work like the original remote for whatever reason.
• the universal remotes I bought to deal with previous workaround. They sit in my house looking ugly and not working as intended. I need to toss them in the recycle bin. I'll do that tonight.
• Leaning on my mouse or key-board hands while I am using the computer.
• hanging on to my body while I am trying to have a conversation.
• Making ungodly loud racket the moment they detect I am trying to have a phone conversation.
• Asking me questions constantly in such great number and diversity that I forget my own name and wander off for days in a phsychogenic fuge.
• Making requests which I would normally say no to- with greatly intensified persistence and rapidity while additionally tugging my arm as soon as it is detected I destracted because of trying very hard to talk on the phone.

Visit to China (third entry)

As some of you know, I've been keeping a video journal. Go to my video channel, 'Guoji Ren' on that journal to see the video and info re: this experience. Check back on that page later I don't plan to publish any more video until I return from China. Presently there are three videos- especially check back at least a month from now if you happen to actually be interested enough- I have so much video that I can't edit it all from here and enjoy my vacation. What I have edited and posted I did a crude job of for time constraints. Later, expect higher resolution video, wipes and fades, more taken out during a more rigorous editing process etc. In some future blog entry, I should have some more photos for you (besides the ones my son took which I posted previously that is). I haven't taken as many pictures- I've been more interested in video- but I should focus on taking some more pictures before I return. I'm sure they will be important to us- though I am not a good photographer.

• Guoji Ren (the term means "international person/people")

Visit to China (second entry)

Faizi's Survival lists

This is not intended to be universal- but it will be helpful to you in some way I think if you are ever in the mainland to consider some of the things I needed. I'll refer to it myself for next time as well even though I am talking to you in this list.

• Get instant coffee, creamer and sugar or bring same.

• A thing to hang your toiletries in.

• A box to keep by your bedside for stuff. This is intended as a chest really- so that you don't have to search pockets, zippered carrion or suitcases for things you grab five times a day.
• a digital camera with a large memory card and video capture capability such as my fuji finepix.
• Vimeo.com is your friend.
• Ubuntu Linux boot CD (I'm using it now to have unmitigated English access to my Google programs and other off-line OS functions and apps. Trying to guess what a Chinese menu is saying on someone else's computer will drive you nuts)
• Dude just do yourself a favor and refrain from bringing your own computer unless you are moving to China perminently. Plan ahead and work around the need to have your own computer- but trust me - it's not worth the trouble.
• IPod - you'll need the drive space as much as anything. Learn about "disk mode" (google it- and use it well)
• Load tons of episodes from "Chinesepod.com"
• Load tons of apps from "PortableApps.com" (email me if you get confused about how to use that stuff- also note- they will work only on windows computers- not your ubuntu CD)
• To save yourself time re: video-editing and photo blogging, Dump the contents of your cameras storage card on to your IPod (between Ubuntu and the windows computer you will likely have access to hopefully you will figure it out.)
• On Canada Air at this time- if you get routed through Toronto- you'll likely have access to power plugs and usb plugs from your seat - so if you could use the ability to keep a charge- bringing cables in your carry on will actually pay off. (I ran out of juice on my IPod from Toronto to Beijing unnecessarily)
• FSpot photo manager (in Ubuntu) can't view video- but WILL transfer video for you. It also can upload your photos to many popular photo-sites such as Picassa (Google photos- whatever)
• Just don't bring much at all. I came here for a two week trip with a tiny suitcase half filled with presents and a tiny carry-on and it still felt empty. I just had a small book, a pair of pants, a pair of shorts and a few shirts (one pair of white tennis-shoes on my feet). If you attempt in any way to sort of "accommodate" what you think you should have at home you will go insane and spend half your day rummaging. That's always true with travel- but especially in China where you are guaranteed small quarters. Learn from the Chinese on this point- they live very comfortably in small spaces. That's because "NO STUFF!!" and the stuff you do have is tiny, singular, and multifarious of function. (a bed may also be a bench or a sofa or a board-game space or a picknic table)

VISIT TO CHINA (first entry)

I have been to China many times. The first time I came - I lived here for a half year, returned for a Summer and returned for another six months, during which second six month duration I got married. Yadda yadda yadda, ten years and two boys later, here I am again in the city (Chang Chun) where I met my wife, to pick up my son's Ethan (neerly 8 years old) and Elijah (nearly 6). They have been here for three months, living with their uncle and learning to speak Chinese better.

• Map of route
• Pictures ethan took with his camera
• Video log of my trip

I'd have more pictures and stuff but I have been without luggage since I arrived. I've been in the same clothes for five days now. The airport finally located my one small suitcase and we are going to pick it up this morning. (hopefully it's the correct suit-case they found)