The Difference Between Blink & Wink and how it link to the idea of ONE COUNTRY…. Somehow…

Hong Kong

Saturday: Note to myself for the next late night Pictionary game:

Blink = Two eyes closing at the same time.

Wink = One eye closing independently.

I didn’t know that. We got disqualified at 3am in the morning and had to sit out a whole go. I tried the, “I only learnt to speak English at about 5 years old, I didn’t know the difference” routine. That got shut down by my culturally insensitive friends.

I am still not sure how one gets kicked out of a “friendly” game where we weren’t keeping score. I protested by threatening to draw random things that had nothing to do with the words on the cards. Someone yelled, “Go give his woman some paint!”

It was supposed to be a downgrade from the bitter cynical games of black jack and poker we were playing, I guess it didn’t work. We went onto play Tso Dai De, where a debate ensures about whether one starts with the 3 of diamonds or the 3 of squiggly things.

Someone hissed, “You are no longer in Taiwan. This is Hong Kong.”

Which I replied, “Oh that is too wrong but very funny,”

and the third person said, “No, it’s so right, Jack should learn his place.”

I went on to say, “You know what I think is ridiculous! Taiwan speaks Mandarin, and writes in Traditional Characters, China speaks Puo Tong Hua and writes in Simplified Characters and we write in Traditional Characters and speak Cantonese and we are one country for F’s sake!!!”

Which was met with a moment of silence, I quickly added, “But I believe that Taiwan should have its own independence, just that we are one people.”

“Well I was going to say! But decided not to bring it up.”

“I think that’s how a lot of Chinese people see it, when we say “country” we mean nationality, race, culture, all mixed into one. Country States is a western idea, in Chinese that’s what “Kuo Ga” means, everything together, all related by decent. We are still one country if we are ruled by different people and that we have different kinds of governments. It’s the Chinese way of thinking.”

“We are all the same, no matter where we are from. Peace.”

“It’s one 4 of squiggly things. Can you beat that?”

This Weekend

Friday: Cops, Lifts, and Alarms: It was Definately Time to Go Home

Saturday: The amazing thing of telephones, air travel and internet

Later Saturday: Why Can’t My Friends in Poor Countries Come Visit Me? Plus a little on article 23 and fear of saying what i think.

Sunday: The Difference Between Blink & Wink and how it link to the idea of ONE COUNTRY…. Somehow…

Stupid Sunday at SCMP: Education, Crocs and Safest Building in the World..