1. My birthday (aka birthweek or birthmonth; this year spanning from Jan 27 to Feb 10)
2. Chinese New Year (aka Spring Festival; this year beginning Feb 14).
Not only because today is my birthday but also because this is MY blog, for this post I am going to talk all about ME! (some of you are saying: "what's new?" right?)
I have spent a decade now as an independent adult. Most of this entails making bad decisions and big mistakes. But through all of that I've seemed to become more and more satisfied, happy, at peace, and closer to my goal of being a wise old woman who makes the world a better place. Is it just me or do other people not have these sort of goals? Am I in a minority of people who chose to assess their life in the amount of time I can laugh with someone in a day? Or am I just crazy? A crazy wise old happy woman is a fine goal to have.
I was lying in bed last night thinking about this last decade of my life. I was wondering how one sums up a life; a decade; a year. But more importantly I was curious to know how other people do this. As a scientist I automatically want to break it down into parts - Is life to be qualitatively or quantitatively assessed? How should it be analyzed? It seems to me like many people determine 'success' and quality of life based on quantitative measurements: how much money they have accrued; how many friends they have; how many places they've been to visit; how many shoes they have; their education; their job's status; how much they weight, etc. I think this is both ridiculous and useless as it neither reflects a person's success nor happiness.
So then, if I vehemently disagree with this method of judgment, how then do I think one can assess these things? How can we qualitatively assess a year; a decade; a life? I read an article a while ago about the "World's Happiest People". Along with being a very healthy person, I'd have to say a very prominent focus I have for my life is to be one of these sickeningly happy people. The thing is, everyone attains happiness in a different way, right? Furthermore, how can it really be qualitatively analyzed? Like, how do I even know if I am happy or not?
Well, some hot shots are already on it. Below, the happiest countries are in blue, the least happy are in red.
The first place I found reports on happiness indices was of course wikipedia GNH
GNH (gross national happiness) is ideal in my opinion because it is more qualitative.
"GNH refers to the concept of a measurement of well-being and happiness. It is not measured directly, but only the factors which are believed to lead to it. There is no exact quantitative definition of GNH, but elements that contribute to GNH are subject to quantitative measurement. Low rates of infant mortality, for instance, correlate positively with subjective expressions of well-being or happiness within a country. (This makes sense; it is no large leap to assume that premature death causes sorrow.) The practice of social science has long been directed toward transforming subjective expression of large numbers of people into meaningful quantitative data; there is no major difference between asking people "how confident are you in the economy?" and "how satisfied are you with your job?"
The GNH guys have come up with a way to measure happiness. "GNH can be measured using the day reconstruction method, which consists in recollecting memories of the previous working day by writing a short diary. A second-generation GNH concept, treating happiness as a socioeconomic development metric, was proposed in 2006 by Med Jones, the President of International Institute of Management. The metric measures socioeconomic development by tracking 7 development area including the nation's mental and emotional health. GNH value is proposed to be an index function of the total average per capita of the following measures:
1. Economic Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of economic metrics such as consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income distribution
2. Environmental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic
3. Physical Wellness: Indicated via statistical measurement of physical health metrics such as severe illnesses
4. Mental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of mental health metrics such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients
5. Workplace Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of labor metrics such as jobless claims, job change, workplace complaints and lawsuits
6. Social Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of social metrics such as discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates
7. Political Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of political metrics such as the quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign conflicts.
And just when I started thinking facebook is my friend again, I came
across this article on how facebook uses our information to chart a
country's happiness. This article only focused on the US and along with the graph above summarized facebook's findings by
saying, "Despite a deepening recession and prolonged wars, Americans
seemed to be happier in 2009 than 2008." This to me is slightly frightening but mostly pure entertainment....I mean, one of your happiest days of the year was when pirates were killed? Gotta love America.
Ok, so we are getting somewhere here. A way to analyze our success in life which to me means our happiness. The term 'well-being' is also thrown out there in the literature regarding happiness and success.
Check out this Wired article on the true measure of success or The New York time's Blog
Then there is this map (similar to the one above) I stumbled upon on each country's average well beings.
"The first World Map of Happiness has been published by scholars from the University of Leicester. The map is a global projection of subjective well-being (SWB), taken from a variety of recent sources, and compared with related data from UNESCO, the UN and even the CIA."
Last and certainly not least (I've been building up to this...hope you are not bored yet) the most brilliant of all:
The World's Data Base for Happiness From which one can learn that "Happiness is defined as the degree to which an individual judges the overall quality of his life-as-a-whole favorably. Within this concept two 'components' of happiness are distinguished: hedonic level of affect (the degree to which pleasant affect dominates) and contentment (perceived realization of wants). These components represent respectively 'affective' and 'cognitive' appraisals of life and are seen to figure as subtotals in the overall evaluation of life, called overall happiness."
The most interesting part of this site to me is on a global level looking at the maps
I know, I am a total nerd. Hey, it makes me happy!
Ok, so there are brilliant minds out there who've figured out how to measure and quantify our happiness as nations and the like. But then I wonder if happiness is also linked to brain chemicals; foods/drinks; environment and other such things slightly out of our control. I feel a bit guilty (I learned at a very young age that most people don't like happy people) when I say this but I kinda feel like I am just born to be happy. Or born to see the glass half full. Is it just easier for me than it is for other people? a ted talk if you are super-bored by now
Which brings me to my second point of today: Chinese New Year.
But more importantly, how Chinese New Year relates to ME....
I am a monkey based on the Chinese zodiac. It is frightening how bang-on a history of 5,000 years of observation can be....There isn't a single word I would disagree with in the information below. And if you disagree with some of it, well, frankly, you don't know me well.
Here are Jasmine and I being monkeys.
The 7 words used to describe Monkeys would all be in the 10 I would use to describe myself: Imaginative, responsible, humorous, witty, curious, clever, sneaky
(If you are curious, I personally would top off the aforementioned 10 with something like: goofy, impatient, awkward)
"Monkeys can run circles around other people with ease. They are curious and clever people who catch on quickly to most anything. Monkey people generally can accomplish any given task. They appreciate difficult or challenging work as it stimulates them and makes them think. Monkeys are fun-loving people who really enjoy a good time with friends, family or anyone else for that matter. They love practical jokes and like to play tricks on colleagues and friends alike. Monkeys tend to stir up trouble simply out of boredom, which can end up being more hurtful than they intended. Often, when this causes trouble, they expect others to understand it was all a joke and to deal with the consequences on their own. The Chinese say Monkey's are just downright curious. Although gifted with a strong intellect, creativity and intuition are nor their fortes. They can't put themselves in your shoes even if they try and will become easily distracted or confused."
HEALTH
Monkeys believe being sick is a waste of time. They don't want to spend their days in bed. They want to experiencing the flavors of life. Usually, Monkeys are very healthy creatures, partly due to their active lifestyles. If they do experience illness, it is usually of the nervous or circulatory system.
AT HOME WITH THE MONKEY
Most Monkeys enjoy the activity offered by the city life rather than the quiet and tranquility offered in a more rural lifestyle. They crave being in the middle of things, enjoying life from a spectator's view. They also enjoy people-watching and can amuse themselves for hours at a time by just watching the people walk by. They need a view, and their homes are usually filled with windows and picturesque drawings.
THE MONKEY AT WORK
A Monkey's good memory and his ability to adapt are two of his most prized possessions. He is intelligent and stoic, able to pick new trades up quickly and easily. Monkeys are also able to do all the work in half the time it takes someone else, but will charge you double what someone else would charge. As such, Monkeys generally take occupations in the world of finance, such as banking, stock exchange or accounting.
MONEY AND THE MONKEY
Monkeys are just as good as spending money as they are at making it. They can't really save it because it burns a hole in their pockets. Occasionally though, Monkeys should put a little away today for an emergency tomorrow.
More specifically, I am a "Metal Monkey" THE METAL MONKEY 1920 AND 1980
Persuasive and passionate, this Monkey is a warm person. She is successful due to her innate determination and ambitious nature. In love these Monkeys are just and loyal as well as loving and affectionate.
Lastly, in the process of reading about my mokeyness I found what Monkey's dislike and completely embarrassed myself by laughing out loud in the very silent coffee shop where I am currently writing... why laugh, you ask? This could not be more true!!!
Monkeys Dislike: Being told to be quiet, not being the most popular, people who don't like their jokes.
I am pretty sure these three things in combination have been the cause of almost every one of my prior work or school conflicts - as well as past relationships ending! If only we had all known.......
I think it is fair to say that it is not every day I run into another human being that I like; let alone that I want to spend more time with; let alone that I want to try to spend as much time with as possible. Last week, I came across three people like this - and they were all together! So, I had the pure pleasure of bringing the other few people I love here together with them to share my current passion and obsession: Chinese culture and language - in my home, Beijing."The Swedish Trio", as I promptly called them in my phone's Contact List arrived in Beijing not long after Christmas, and in good time before New Years. The next week is literally a stream of joy. And in the midst of our enjoyment (which of course involved a lot of BiJiu), I was a little surprised by the knowledge I have acquired over the 25 months i have lived here. The Swedish Trio are all very smart, observant kids; and the questions they asked within their first 24 hours made me want to write this blog. You may not truly get to experience China without coming here; but if you plan to come, maybe a few of the next questions/answers will prepare you a bit.
The trio and I went to the great wall, of course, and I got to experience it with snow for the first time. So I will share some of my pics from that day whilst quickly answering some of their good questions.
What can you get in trouble for?Nothing if you have white skin and/or look foreign. Peeing in the street, smoking in small enclosed public areas, drinking anywhere, driving you and your wife and three kids on the back of a motorbike without helmets, dragging your wife down the road by her hair, etc...they all fly. Drugs are likely the only thing a foreigner would get into serious trouble with - and that is only really localized to Beijing and Hong Kong.
What do you do if you're lost?
Jump up and down and cry to the nearest young person. If that doesn't work, get out your hotel's business card and point at it while looking at the taxi driver with big puppy dog eyes. Don't leave your hotel without one or two of those business cards.
What do you do in a taxi?
Do not jump up and down and wave your hands. Driving is dangerous enough here as it is. Get the taxi to call your hotel or a friend if there is a problem. Make sure the second you get in they put the meter down. Do not try to bargain. You will lose. They know the word for police - a single mention of that word will solve any problem.
What do you need to worry about?
Stealing of phones and other small electronics might be an issue in jam-packed subways and especially on trains. But all in all feel free to walk alone at night in dark alleys; eat unidentifiable foods; and act like you were born in a barn. The locals will likely tell you that you are being too polite. In addition, see below:
Why do they try to scam us? bargaining and cheating?
Because we have a lot more money than they do. Be grateful. Also, a few thousand years of Confucism would have you believing stealing and lying is ok too.
Why do people stare so much?
They're mothers never told them how rude it is.
Why do people spit so much?
Their mother's never told them how it makes other people around them sick.
What are they saying?
Wow look at that tall foreigner, he's so tall! Wow look how blonde his hair is, so blonde! Wow look how tall her nose is, she is so stylish and beautiful...Then when they get bored of that the next thing is usually, "Hey, you want to see my new phone?" or "how much did you pay for that?".
The pollution isn't too bad, eh?
Nope, not at all. It was much worse in 2007 when I arrived but Chinese people are changing and adapting faster and faster and now they know the sky can appear blue so are starting to make smarter choices as well as demand regulations from their government. Having said that, some days are better than others and some cities are certainly better than others too.
Why do the dudes have long finger nails? Both long finger nails and white skin colour tell other people "I am not a farmer" and therefore they are supposed to mean they are at a higher level in society or something to the effect of 'white collar'. Of course the long pinky nail is great for getting those tough to reach spots too.
Can we eat that street food?
If a billion Chinese people do something every day, it can't be all that bad for us.
What do I say when I need to go to the washroom?
Do not put your hand like a WC as they will automatically assume you want three more beers (you are with the Canadian alcoholic, afterall). Say "W.C." and hold up toilet paper. PS, bring toilet paper everywhere you go.
Suffice it to say, my knowledge of this land is far from impressive. The China that China allows the world to see is the outer layer of a billion layered onion. The answers to some of these questions might allow the outsider to delve into a second layer, which one who has not been to China might not have access to. But along the road of bargain hunting, street food eating and Chinese opera watching, we also talked about a third layer. Some of the topics included family planning (the one child policy), laws, racism, foot binding and the role and expectations of women, history, politics, colours of buildings, crazy hidden meanings and symbolism in everything, and religion. During these more serious and slightly less practical chats, I was constantly coming back to the give-and-take of how I perceive this place as an outsider and how my teachers and friends see their home.
Namely, Chinese people blame all their worries and problems on the large population. Everything in their mind boils down to the fact that China's population is too big: so there is a lot of 'eating bitterness'; people need to work harder; wages are lower; lines are longer; 'competition is fierce'. And from what I have heard many North American's say, the large majority of China's challenges are due to their Communist government.
But I don't and I know a lot of other Westerners don't see it that simply. Yeah the large population causes of a lot of day to day conflict and annoyance. But the real stuff - the big stuff - in my mind all starts back 5000 years ago. I don't want to put you to sleep but I recommend one day asking me, if you are interested. For now I will leave you with an old Chinese folk tale.
井底之蛙，所见不广
一口废井里住着一只青蛙。有一天青蛙在井边碰上了一只从海里来的大龟。
青蛙就对海龟夸口说： "你看，我住在这里多快乐！那些虾和蝌蚪，谁也此不上我。我是这个井里的主人，在这里快活无比。你为什么不到井里来游玩下呢！" 那海龟听了青蛙的话，倒真想进去看看。但它的脚被绊住了。它犹豫了一下，把大海的情形告诉青蛙说:"你看过海吗？海的广大，哪止千里；海的深度，哪止千来丈。住在那样的大海里，才是真的快乐呢！" 井蛙听了海龟的一番话，吃惊地呆在那里，心里想："我和大海比起来真是太渺小了。"
The Frog in the Well
Once upon a time, there was a frog who lived in a shallow well. He said to a big turtle from the East Sea, "I am so happy! I look around at the crabs and tadpoles, and none of them can compare with me. Moreover, I am the lord of this well and enjoy all the joys of life here. My dear lady, why don't you come in to visit my place?" The big turtle wanted to take a look. However, her leg froze as she was about to stretch over the lip of the well. She hesitated a while and told the frog about the East Sea.
"A distance of a thousand Li is
very long, but it is not enough to show how wide the sea is. A depth
of seven Li is profound, but it is not enough to show how deep the sea
is. The greatest happiness is to live in the East Sea." After listening to these words, the frog in the well was shocked: "How tiny I am beside the vast sea."
A frog
who lived in a well all his life never knew what the real body of waters
was until a sea turtle told him about it.......
Over the last bit, to no surprise, I've made a few new drinking buddies and been to a few new cities. Nothing earth shattering but distracting-in-a-good-way nonetheless; and therefore, reportable. Maybe it is just me and my perception, but it seems like in Northern climates, people become much more dependent on two very wonderful things: friends and booze. Northern China is no exception, and the locals as well as foreigners have taken a liking to calling me 加拿大酒鬼 which could be loosely translated as "that crazy Canadian girl who can really drink!" What can I say? I like friends; I like drinking; and it just so happens that I really, really like drinking with friends. A few more memorable events over the last months are as follows:
Over a month ago I went to HohHot (Inner Mongolia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohhot to work and had the pleasure of staying with Jason (from waaaaay back -see sept/oct 2007 blogs) and meet his wonderful woman and a few other friends. In true Canadian (or maybe it is just Jason and I) fashion, we bought a bottle of local spirits (60% alc.) put our jackets on, and took a motorbike ride up into the famous Mongolian Hills for a freeeezing cold and extremely beautiful high altitude adventure.
Yes, I very likely stepped on the same ground as Genghis Khan; but more importantly, I ate sweet cheese candy and drank salty milk tea from his family's store. Having said that, don't they say that something like over 40% of the world is a descendant from him? And therefore you all likely also drink tea and eat cheese from his family's store...so maybe my drinking his family's tea or eating his family's cheese is not a big deal. But all the same I felt it worth reporting.
I have been to ChangChun (Jilin province) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changchun three times in the last month - both for work and because The Baller is back in town. When I've been there recently I tend to work on improving my translating, interpreting, stretching, taping, massaging and listening skills among others. Always learning and improving -the purpose of life, right? Now whether the material that is being learned is useful or needed is up to the perception of those involved. I tend to argue that all learning is useful. And I digress.
Back in Beijing, enough time has passed where I really feel like some acquaintances are becoming real friends. Seb (my desk-mate and morning sanity, pictured below) and Jasmine (my sounding board and evening sanity, pictured above) are turning out to be very special characters in my story here. Having said that Seb is leaving (congrats on the new job though, dude!) and my favorite teacher just left, so class is looking pretty glum come next week.
Lastly, I read a great book by Paul Coelho this weekend called Brida. Can I just ask you to take a moment right now and manifest me for two things: 1. My soul mate 2. Acceptance to do my PHD. It'll only take a brief moment of your time, thanks.恩， 想起来了， 我最近写了一首故事应为这个月我们的学校组建一个写信比赛。 下面是我的诗歌。意思是一我看我们多有很多问题， 我们都吃有点儿苦。 在中国我看到了很多穷人也每天能看副人。 在外国我还看到了很多教育人也很多经验专家。 他们都想爱， 都怕， 多饿，渴，寂寞。。。 不是所有的穷人都要钱。 不是所有的富人都能休息。
一千痛一千悰； 一千罹一千禧
映
我叫小费， 明天十八岁。我高高的个子，白白的皮肤，大大的眼睛。我的头发漆黑漆黑的，很长。每天我上十个小时课。我的老师不喜欢我, 尽管我学得很努力，但是他们都批评我很多。在学校我不能笑。我讨厌学校。
今天我不能吃东西，无论如何要减肥，好女生都苗条。可能明天我会吃点儿。
我爱运动却不能，而且也没有时间，如果我有空，我应该学习。并且爸爸说过，运动会让我肌肉发达。男生不喜欢女生肌肉发达。
我想做保姆，但是不可能。 我的爸爸说我应该做大夫。我不想让他失望。
我没有朋友，没有时间。爸爸说我有很多朋友，但是他们都只是同学。我的老公以后是最好的朋友。可能他说的对。
我不想要孩子。但是我知道我得像传统的中国女生，社会告诉了我，我不可能改变。我害怕，孩子会带给我痛苦，没有自由。我没有办法。
听说我是从安徽来的，那里我有一个姐妹。但是爸爸说我们之间的区别怎么这么大。他说我们和她不可能见面。可是我想去安徽，见我的姐妹一面， 这是我唯一的生日愿望。我们必有相似，这一定是个奇迹。
我叫小费，明天十八岁。我个子不太高， 皮肤有点儿黑， 眼睛也有些呆。 我的头发很短，正灰色的。我的老师说我不能说："正灰色"，但是他同意，我的头发里有很多灰，他听得懂我的意思，然后他告诉我，我很聪明。 我每个星期上十个小时课。在学校我跟朋友常常笑得很多。我爱学习。
今天我不能吃饭，在县里最近生了小儿子， 我们都把自己的米饭给他。可能明天我能有饭吃。
我爱运动却不能，而且也没有时间， 如果我有空，我应该帮妈妈工作。 并且妈妈说今年他要给我买鞋。买了鞋我就能多运动！
我想做保姆，但是不可能。我的妈妈说我应该马上结婚。 我不想让她失望。
我没有朋友，没有时间。妈妈说朋友没有用，帮她工作有用。我的老公以后是最好的朋友。可能她说的对。
我不要孩子，但是我知道我得像传统的中国女生，生儿子让我有用。社会告诉了我，我不可能改变。我害怕，孩子带给我痛苦，没有自由。 我没有办法。
听说我是关东来的，在那儿我有一个姐妹。但是妈妈说我们怎么怎么不一样。她说我们和她不可能见面。 可是我想去关东，见我的姐妹一面， 这是我唯一的生日愿望。我们有区别，但这一定是个奇迹。
梅如
十号，十二月，二零零九年
It is fall here and I am stoked! I forgot how much I love seasons; changes; the fresh autumn breeze and the way it makes my nose cold and red, my cheeks tingly and my eyes runny. That wasn't sarcasm! I love it. And I love Beijing and all it's hilariousness. It is exactly this hilariousness and my current obsession with philosophy that have had me thinking a lot lately about perception: the power of it and the way we all see the world and individual moments with different eyes.
Is life simply just a hallucination? A mirage? A trip? An experiment? I hope so.
Either way, I am beginning to understand that if nothing else, it
is all certainly an illusion.
Perception theorists and philosophers may not agree on a lot; but many of them do agree that the way one experiences each moment is based on the individual who is experiencing it - and pretty much nothing else. The philosophy of perception is more so the philosophical
reflection of experience. The way we, as human beings, with our very limited
abilities to perceive our external stimulus experience the
world around us.
Philosophy in my mind is essentially a belief. It may or may not be melded with one's religion, and it certainly contains value judgments. Thus, how we perceive our environment can also be considered as what we believe to be happening at that point. Hallucinations or illusions or even an event considered to be a miracle are all simply judgments placed on the sensory stimuli. I am a bit of a science geek so I'll simply put it like this: we have five senses, all of which are quite pathetic compared to most other animals.. For example, we only see 'visible light'; hear only a fragment of sounds waves; can hardly fathom hunting with electronic pulses like sharks or with sonar echos like bats; or communicating with polarized and ultra violet light like honey bees and pacific salmon. Miracles, hallucination, and every single other experience are simply perceived experiences whereby the observer places a judgment on what is being observed - how or why their previously mentioned senses receive a stimuli and then what rules and beliefs they decide to place on that stimuli. Each experience is completely subjective to the one experiencing it. What is 'real' to the experiencer at that moment may or may not actually be real at all; but what matters is that it is real to them. So if I've never seen a boy fly, and my mum tells me they can't, i might think it is a bit strange to see one fly. In turn, that boy might believe with no shred of a doubt he can fly, and therefore might think the experience is as common place as walking along the road.
Sorry if I am boring you. Check out: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/perception-problem/ if I have piqued your interest in this topic. For now I will wander down a reflectionary path of the things I perceive in my world around me and how that is controlled to some extent by the media sources. The way I see things, I surmise, are therefore different than how you out there are experiencing this point in time, since your senses, values, and prior experiences are different than mine and furthermore, the information you are receiving by each sense is also different. For example, I might study perception theory for a few months on my own and begin to explore it through other avenues such as conversations with friends and strangers; but ultimately it is my perception that the best description of the power of perception is (not surprisingly, Aristotelian) Indirect Realism explaining that we do not (and cannot) perceive the external world as it really is; instead we know only our ideas and interpretations of the way the world is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indirect_realism
More than anything lately, the perception of the world around us as told through the media (or, rather, their perceptions of their own reality) has been a major source of entertainment for me and my little brain.
I don't know how it was perceived out there in the big
world, but I do know we live in a nice happy bubble of Communism here
(no one's
complaining, I'll tell you that!) and China's 60th birthday on October
1st was considered by everyone here a "great success". One of the
greatest examples of the power of perception is a game I like to play
when I compare a story from BBC, CNN
and The China Daily, but for now let's just stick to the news/entertainment received on this side of the world.
http://www.china.org.cn/features/60years/2009-10/02/content_18645967.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/features/60years/node_7077150.htm
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-09/28/content_8743905.htm
October 1st, National Day Holiday, allowed for a week off school and work, and in typical Chinese logic, everything was closed during this time. Along with other amazing Chinese logic (you know you've live in China too long when you don't react to any of this) my top five "WTF?!" moments included:
1. Closing the entire city of Beijing AND it's public transportation
2. Closing the International Airport for a day - on purpose!? (Imagine New york closing JFK just for the heck of it???!)
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2009/09/21/There-s-NO-escape-Airport-Closes-for-October-1
3. Bizzzilions of people (as per the photo above) then went out and about after they finally opened the city to the masses again.
4. They even closed entire provinces and regions! http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2009/09/22/Tibet-Closed-for-Oct-1-and-other-news
5. We further enjoyed some of the greatest rules I've yet to come
across, which included but were not limited to: not being allowed to fly kites;
not being allowed to take your bird out for a walk (and they managed to round up
every single bird, um yeah I mean the wild ones, in the city); and not being
allowed to LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW.
Sadly I only managed to break one of these - I saw the fighter planes training for the event - IN YOUR FACE CPC!!
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2009/09/21/Celebrate-Now-Jet-Fighters-Over-Beijing
Another moment that had me thinking of the Perception Principle was when I went to see my first live tennis at the China Open. I was never really sure what separated me from pro athletes until I saw Venus Williams up close. She is a monster! And they respond to serves going 200km/hr as if it is nothing. If a tennis ball came at most humans at 200km/hr, I'd be shocked if more than 2% of them would even have time to react at all.
Lastly, as per this wonderful topic of the power of perception, I spent a few minutes entertaining myself with myself recently (not what you think!) as I looked back on my blog from two years ago - my first trip to Beijing was over the 2007 National Day. Firstly I am completely embarrassed by how bad my Chinese was (I couldn't even write pinyin!) but also just how ignorant I was. I guess that is what it is all about though. My perception of this place has change a lot. But I guess my perception of everything has since then, really.
