Family Tears
Question of the Day!: Do you think any one has estimated the amount of time we waste sitting in front of the computer, waiting fot the pages of the internet to load? It has to be a hold load of time!
Some intresting articles:
Foreign Makers, Settled in South, Pace Car Industry : Talks about the great things toyota is doing for the US. in response to a post some while back where I vented about GM execs ;D
You should check out Toyota's Site and their future/concept cars Waaay sweet. Especially the CS&S...hybrid two seat roadster which has Toyota Space Touch," where the driver selects functions by "touching" holographic projections. SWEET!
U.S. Borders Vulnerable, Witnesses Say Even after spending so much money, we still suck at protecting ourselves. Surprise surprise. Think of all the other things that are in need of money...EDUCATION!? CHILD CARE?! ukk.
Ok now on to the main part of the post.
China In-Depth
This is a BBC indepth articleS about China. Let me emphasize the s...there are tons of articles, little blurbs about the society, economy, the ethnic make up, changing soc. econ. etc, articles. Its pretty cool actually.
To be honest, my knowledge of chinese history...mainland chinese history is pretty slim...its the same for taiwan history too now that I think about it. I started learning about mainland stuff in Jr. High, and further on. I learned more about taiwanese history in college...freshman year.
But in regards to China Mainland history, I have a really hard time sometimes, accepting it and celebrating it. Actually just the stuff from communism till now. They dynasties before are a bit more "Historical" to me and doesn't effect me as directly. Lots of people, praise communism in china, and Mao. And I understand their ideals and how they wanted to reduce the whole class system...I read marx and I wanted to get rid of capitalism too afterwards...that's a good piece of propaganda there... But the scars left on my family from the whole process is too much to ignore for me.
I started researching during junior high, and my mom recommended that I check in with my Grandma and Grandpa, Gaga and Gakon. My dad's side has been in Taiwan for awhile now. I remember the feeling I had when my grandparents told me their stories...I started crying.
For my Gakon, it is simpiler...well not simplier but easier said. He was in Navy school which supported the Democratic side and when he was 19, he left with the school when they moved to taiwan. He left all of his family there. His parents, whole host of siblings, aunts uncles...everyone. And he wasn't able to see them till about 7 years ago...when he was about 70. He hadn't seen his siblings in over 50 years...hadn't seen their children born, their grandchildren born. They had written letters, but there were issues because the governement goes through all the letters to make sure there isn't anything threatening...and who knows what that actual means...so there were pen marks and blacking out of letters. not only that. During certain parts of the communist takeover...there was a huge move around where they shifted families from one side of the country to another, so that they couldn't collaborate and bring down the governement. So you moved to an area you weren't familiar with, next to people who didn't speak your dialect.
My Gakon is from shechuen (what most americans think is just spicy food and the americaized version I can't pronounce) its a province in the south of china, but most of gakon's family is in the north of china now... When I meet the family, my great aunt...who spoke a different dialect cried over me and told me that she had forgotten the stamps that she had gotten for me and that next time she would get them for me. I think for me it was bewildering in Jr. high to have someone cry over you like that which you don't know. But I think for her, she had seen so much and to see me and be able to say next time I see you must have meant so much to her. Damn, I'm tearing. It means so much to me now. I hope I go back soon.
For my Gaga, its more complicated...sort of. Her family in china was much more well off. Her family is from norther china, north of beijing a bit I believe. Its that area that is suppose to be one of the most beautiful places in china, but its now covered by a dam....and doesn't that say it all? She had tailored clothes, a chaueffer and the house was huge enough to contain the whole extended family. And my Gaga also likes to brag about the fact that their house had one of the few natural springs in the front....yeah T_T...tell me about it. Her grandfather was the principal of a High School. My grandmother had 8/9 sisters and brothers. I know...my extended family is reallly huge and they pop out of the wood work all the time from my mom and dad's sides.
On top of destorying beautiful art and history throughout the country, the red army, in some cases tortured people. her grandfather was taken, beaten and thrown into jail, where he died for being the principle. His wife was forced to walk back and forth on a low narrow beam. it doesn't seem that painful, but her feet were bound. For those of you who don't know, that means when she broke her foot in half and then bounded it so that it grew back misshappen and that from then on she could not walk very well or fast. It was a big fad for awhile, like it was cute to break your bones and then shuffle around at a crawl for the rest of your life. Many times, they would do it when you hit your teens. She walked, and then after fainting from exhaustion and pain in her feet...she died.
Her dad decided they needed to move to tawian. It was a last minute run and the first three to go where her dad, and two of her brothers. They sent for the rest of the family later. I heard a rumor among my family that to escape, two other brothers had to pull a hay cart while the rest of the family huddled underneath in fear. But I don't know if that's really true, because gaga's family brought all the servants with them. So my mother's childhood and life has been filled with many visiting "uncles" and "aunts". The family at the time didn't have enough money to care for them, but they gave them places to stay and live for awhile.
My gaga and her siblings, grew up and built lives in Taipei but the scars will never leave them. Just last year, the family was finally able to get property rights of their house back from the government, but my great uncle: the one who gave my mom her first pair of jeans, refuses to go back and claim it. He has such horrible memories and can't stand the thought of going back and what could happen if he went back, like the chinese govt keeping him there. He's one of the oldest siblings. Eventually the house will revert back to the governement, but he still won't budge.
I interviewed gaga, gagon, and my great uncle last summer about their lives and what they have gone through. And all of them skimmed over their flight to taiwan and the whole communism takeover. My great uncle explained like this: "Life is so happy now, we should focus on those happy things. Not the unhappy periods of life". I agree...but at the sametime, will we let it pass? This great unhappiness and horror. Will we let the Holucoust pass? Will we let Tiennamen square pass?
sigh...it makes me incredible sad. And I haven't even gotten around to my dad's side of the family and history...and the Japanese Occupation. Another day, when I haven't typed as much or felt as much.
Some intresting articles:
Foreign Makers, Settled in South, Pace Car Industry : Talks about the great things toyota is doing for the US. in response to a post some while back where I vented about GM execs ;D
You should check out Toyota's Site and their future/concept cars Waaay sweet. Especially the CS&S...hybrid two seat roadster which has Toyota Space Touch," where the driver selects functions by "touching" holographic projections. SWEET!
U.S. Borders Vulnerable, Witnesses Say Even after spending so much money, we still suck at protecting ourselves. Surprise surprise. Think of all the other things that are in need of money...EDUCATION!? CHILD CARE?! ukk.
Ok now on to the main part of the post.
China In-Depth
This is a BBC indepth articleS about China. Let me emphasize the s...there are tons of articles, little blurbs about the society, economy, the ethnic make up, changing soc. econ. etc, articles. Its pretty cool actually.
To be honest, my knowledge of chinese history...mainland chinese history is pretty slim...its the same for taiwan history too now that I think about it. I started learning about mainland stuff in Jr. High, and further on. I learned more about taiwanese history in college...freshman year.
But in regards to China Mainland history, I have a really hard time sometimes, accepting it and celebrating it. Actually just the stuff from communism till now. They dynasties before are a bit more "Historical" to me and doesn't effect me as directly. Lots of people, praise communism in china, and Mao. And I understand their ideals and how they wanted to reduce the whole class system...I read marx and I wanted to get rid of capitalism too afterwards...that's a good piece of propaganda there... But the scars left on my family from the whole process is too much to ignore for me.
I started researching during junior high, and my mom recommended that I check in with my Grandma and Grandpa, Gaga and Gakon. My dad's side has been in Taiwan for awhile now. I remember the feeling I had when my grandparents told me their stories...I started crying.
For my Gakon, it is simpiler...well not simplier but easier said. He was in Navy school which supported the Democratic side and when he was 19, he left with the school when they moved to taiwan. He left all of his family there. His parents, whole host of siblings, aunts uncles...everyone. And he wasn't able to see them till about 7 years ago...when he was about 70. He hadn't seen his siblings in over 50 years...hadn't seen their children born, their grandchildren born. They had written letters, but there were issues because the governement goes through all the letters to make sure there isn't anything threatening...and who knows what that actual means...so there were pen marks and blacking out of letters. not only that. During certain parts of the communist takeover...there was a huge move around where they shifted families from one side of the country to another, so that they couldn't collaborate and bring down the governement. So you moved to an area you weren't familiar with, next to people who didn't speak your dialect.
My Gakon is from shechuen (what most americans think is just spicy food and the americaized version I can't pronounce) its a province in the south of china, but most of gakon's family is in the north of china now... When I meet the family, my great aunt...who spoke a different dialect cried over me and told me that she had forgotten the stamps that she had gotten for me and that next time she would get them for me. I think for me it was bewildering in Jr. high to have someone cry over you like that which you don't know. But I think for her, she had seen so much and to see me and be able to say next time I see you must have meant so much to her. Damn, I'm tearing. It means so much to me now. I hope I go back soon.
For my Gaga, its more complicated...sort of. Her family in china was much more well off. Her family is from norther china, north of beijing a bit I believe. Its that area that is suppose to be one of the most beautiful places in china, but its now covered by a dam....and doesn't that say it all? She had tailored clothes, a chaueffer and the house was huge enough to contain the whole extended family. And my Gaga also likes to brag about the fact that their house had one of the few natural springs in the front....yeah T_T...tell me about it. Her grandfather was the principal of a High School. My grandmother had 8/9 sisters and brothers. I know...my extended family is reallly huge and they pop out of the wood work all the time from my mom and dad's sides.
On top of destorying beautiful art and history throughout the country, the red army, in some cases tortured people. her grandfather was taken, beaten and thrown into jail, where he died for being the principle. His wife was forced to walk back and forth on a low narrow beam. it doesn't seem that painful, but her feet were bound. For those of you who don't know, that means when she broke her foot in half and then bounded it so that it grew back misshappen and that from then on she could not walk very well or fast. It was a big fad for awhile, like it was cute to break your bones and then shuffle around at a crawl for the rest of your life. Many times, they would do it when you hit your teens. She walked, and then after fainting from exhaustion and pain in her feet...she died.
Her dad decided they needed to move to tawian. It was a last minute run and the first three to go where her dad, and two of her brothers. They sent for the rest of the family later. I heard a rumor among my family that to escape, two other brothers had to pull a hay cart while the rest of the family huddled underneath in fear. But I don't know if that's really true, because gaga's family brought all the servants with them. So my mother's childhood and life has been filled with many visiting "uncles" and "aunts". The family at the time didn't have enough money to care for them, but they gave them places to stay and live for awhile.
My gaga and her siblings, grew up and built lives in Taipei but the scars will never leave them. Just last year, the family was finally able to get property rights of their house back from the government, but my great uncle: the one who gave my mom her first pair of jeans, refuses to go back and claim it. He has such horrible memories and can't stand the thought of going back and what could happen if he went back, like the chinese govt keeping him there. He's one of the oldest siblings. Eventually the house will revert back to the governement, but he still won't budge.
I interviewed gaga, gagon, and my great uncle last summer about their lives and what they have gone through. And all of them skimmed over their flight to taiwan and the whole communism takeover. My great uncle explained like this: "Life is so happy now, we should focus on those happy things. Not the unhappy periods of life". I agree...but at the sametime, will we let it pass? This great unhappiness and horror. Will we let the Holucoust pass? Will we let Tiennamen square pass?
sigh...it makes me incredible sad. And I haven't even gotten around to my dad's side of the family and history...and the Japanese Occupation. Another day, when I haven't typed as much or felt as much.
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