Friday, April 11, 2008

Fear of a Chinese Planet


Beijing is everywhere! Lookee yonder, there's a giant panda on the Empire State Building! The East is Red! And to think, Nancy Reagan's "Pennies for Pandas" campaign seems just like yesterday. No more Peking Duck, now it's all Beijing Duck and Cover!

Seriously, when the Great Wall of China-Mart displaces Wal-Mart globally, Americans might bestir themselves to innovate and create substantially again. But regardless, things will never be the same.

China seems a bit mysterious to the West, eh? In the summer of '92 I dated Lu Ping, an English teacher from the People's Republic and graduate student at Temple University in Philadelphia. She was adorable. She knew a fair amount about Anglo-American culture. I knew the broad contours of Chinese history and a little about taoism and Buddhism. For each it was an eye-opening experience, like dating from a pool of aliens. Cultural exchange is fun. Make love, not war! And teach the children well, the old status quo is melting away . . .


More from Shanghai Fashion Week. (Source: People's Daily Online)
Today's Rune: Harvest.

2 comments:

the walking man said...

Although I have great respect for his domestic policies, may the world culture for America melt to Pre-Theodore Roosevelt. I would prefer a self sufficient nation where we are not the largest economy of the world for all who wish to suck off that teat.

Damn there I go with my own radical isolationist politics again.

Sounds as if you have had quite an interesting life going so far Erik, may it continue to take you to places I would never know existed less I had you to show them to me.

Peace

mark

Joe said...

"It's Beijing Duck and Cover!"

Best quote I've seen in ages!