March against extradition

Yesterday, my wife and I joined the second march against the proposed extradition law in a month.  

This time the route is longer and the crowd is much bigger, at an estimation of 100,000+ people.  

It certainly felt like there were a lot of people.  

We started at East Point Road 東角道 in Causeway Bay.  

Many signs expressed the concerns of many of us clearly.  

The proposed law was said by the government to be in response to the case of a man who fled back to Hong Kong after committing murder in Taiwan.  

Most people felt that the man should be extradited back to Taiwan to stand trial.  

Most people would probably not be opposed to that.  

What people are afraid of is that the proposed law could be used to send people to Mainland China.  

The concerns are expressed in many ways, some rather more expressive than others.  

Some people, including some of my friends, claim that people who are innocent should not be afraid of the proposed law.   

Many people, however, are concerned that people may not get a fair trial in some places such as Mainland China.  

Some pro-establishment people such as a Mr. T actually claimed that the state of the justice system in the country which request to extradite the fugitive should not be a factor of consideration.  

Really?  Does he honestly believe that?   If so, he does not deserve to be a lawyer or a politician.   

Supposedly the extradition request will be considered by a judge in Hong Kong, who will then decide whether or not to send the fugitive back for trial.   

However, Hong Kong being part of China, many people question whether the Hong Kong court will be able and willing to stand up to Mainland China.

So many people have raised serious concerns and alternatives to the proposed law.  Yet the government seems to have made up its mind to push through the law as soon as possible.  Something is very stinky here.  

Joshua Tree

Our eldest daughter just got married under two Joshua trees at Joshua Tree National Park in southern California.  

The Joshua tree has distinctive dagger-like, hard and pointy leaves.  When the leaves dry up, they droop and wrap around the trunk like a piece of fuzzy hair-like clothing, making it look like a giant sloth.  

The flowers are light green and the fruits almost the same colour.  The fruit looks like 佛掌瓜 (Buddha Palm), just smaller.  

The flowers and fruits can actually appear together on the same branch.  Strange. 

As soon as we arrived on the ranch, we were greeted by a lizard, who performed push-ups for us.  It has a metallic skins.  They turn out to be quite common around here.

Right outside our cabin is a small tree with purple flowers, exactly like those that my wife C used to draw in her Chinese paintings.  Quite surprised to see them here.   It also produces a fruit that somewhat resembles a peanut.  , When the fruit is dried, the seeds rattle in the shell.  

The Joshua Tree thrives in the semi-deserts of south-west Northern America, and apparently no where else.  It is said that they can actually die if there is too much rain.  

Joshua Tree National Park covers a wild area under snow-capped mountains. There has been a lot of rain this past winter.  Hence there is a lot of green all around.  

Many of the cacti are flowering. 

Including some of the familiar bunny ears. 

Some of the small flowers can also be very attractive. 

There was once a thriving cattle business around a watering hole.  Now it is all quiet and tranquil. 

It is quite windy in the area.  Not surprising to see big windmills, apparently generating electricity.  

The USA is actually not doing as well as many other countries in harnessing renewable energy, such as the sun and the wind.  It is at least partly because of its vast reserves of oil.  It is a great pity, and rather short-sighted.

Soviet Submarine in San Diego

B-39 was a Foxtrot-class diesel-powered attack submarine of the Navy of the Soviet Union.  It used to stalk the U.S. warships in the North Pacific.  It is now floating in the Maritime Museum in San Diego. 

Inside, one can see the torpedos, periscope, the iconic circular doors that seal off sections of the submarine, the torpedo tubes, …

In the museum shop, one can buy various souvenirs, including a mug that commemorates the B-39.  The mug was made in China.  

A mug that commemorates the purchase of a Soviet submarine by the USA was made in China.  

When the Soviet Union collapsed, many celebrated it as capitalism winning over communism. Many even proclaimed it as the end of history - expecting no further significant struggles among the competing political ideologies.  

Now, of course, we have radical Islam, a reviving Russia, up-and-coming China, …, Trump and the Trump-lites.   If anything, it seems to be authoritarianism, or authoritarian capitalism, that is gaining an upper hand. 

Who knows what is going to happen now?  History, if anything, is not dull. 

Life in San Diego

San Diego has near-perfect weather, a deep water sea port, and a great variety of wild life, particularly of the marine kind.  At La Jolla Cove, one can find sea gulls, pelicans, sea lions, and people in close proximity.  

In the many tidal pools, there are anemones, little crabs, many types of shell fish, and so many other types of unknown (to me) sea creatures.  

At Coronado Beach, the sand glitters like gold under the sun.  Upon closer inspection, there appears to be little pieces of what looks like fools’ gold.  You can also find sand dollars if you look hard enough.  

At dusk, my family sat down for dinner.  I had an impossible burger, washed down with 4 different types of beer.  It really tastes like beef.  And for the first time, I detect a bit of liver-like texture and favour.  It is wonderful.  

No wonder so many people like to live in San Diego. 

  

What have we learned from “Occupy Central”?

Nine people have been found guilty for starting Occupy Central.  The establishment types gloat: How naive you are, dreaming that you can pressure the government to change its position on elections?  See how we (the establishment parties) have taken control of the legislature, while so many of you (the pan-democrats) have been disqualified, and you are now going to prison.  Serves you right!

The political scene is indeed quite depressing.  Just note how faceless, lazy, and inane some of the people who now sit in the legislature are; how disconnected and inept so many of the government officials are; and how disheartened and dismayed so many of the citizens are.  

How did it happen?  What lessons have we learned from Occupy Central / Umbrella Movement and what do we do now?   

Is continued banging of the head against the wall the only way to demonstrate our determination to seek social justice?  Is mass movement the only way to move forward?  Is there really no way to promote the cause within the current political system - without breaking the law and going to jail?  Are there not more innovative means to engage the citizenry in addressing social injustice? 

On the other hand, I wish to believe that at least some of the people on the establishment side truly believe that the current government is moving slowly towards a more open and fair system, despite all the inherent iniquities.  Given these assumptions, aren’t at least some of the idealism and disquiet of the young people legitimate? And if so, aren’t there more innovative ways to address those aspirations, other than disqualification and complete suppression of dissent? Haven’t we all been young and idealistic once?  

Or perhaps my assumptions are overly optimistic.  If so, it is just too depressing. 

“Innovation” is all the rage these days, at least in science and technology, and business.  Politically and socially, however, there seems to be a serious lack of imagination on all sides.    

  

Ching Ming - How do we honour our ancestors?

At Ching Ming Festival 清明節, 20+ people in our clan went together to Aberdeen pay our respects to my grandfather and his two wives, our grandmothers.  We have been doing that for decades and decades, twice a year.  I note that people honour our ancestors with a variety of offerings.  

Candles.  Incenses.  Flowers. 

Tea. Wine. Rice. 

Oranges.  Bananas.  Apples.  …

雞尾包。 

Roasted pork.  Roasted duck.  

Steamed Chicken.

Dim Sum.  Paper money.  

It is often said that the Chinese (at least some of them) believe that the dead continue to exist in another realm, where they have needs similar to the living, i.e., food, drink, shelter, clothing, money, …  Hence the custom of bring such items to the graveside on Ching Ming Festival, to show respect to the dead.  

Many Christians oppose such practices, considering them pagan practices, superstitious.  

In reality, only some people would leave such items behind, and usually only very small amounts.  The left-behind items will actually be cleared away by the caretakers at the cemetery, shortly after the people have left, for very practical reasons.  

Most people would eat what they bring at the graveside, or take them away to be shared later.  The sharing and the ritual strengthen the relationships that bind the clan.  

What if some people bring the favourite foods/drinks to the graveside do not really believe that the dead will actually benefit materially from them, but just to honour the memory of the dead?

How is it different from the way some Christians bring flowers to the graveside?  Presumably to show respect and honour to the dead?

Some claim that people started bringing flowers to the graveside thousands of years ago to mollify the ghosts of the dead who were believed to hang around the grave.  Some claimed that flowers were brought to funerals to camouflage the stench of the rotting corpse.  Christians simply picked up that practice.  The practice does not seem to be in the Biblical accounts.  

Some cultures do not being flowers, but something different.  Many Jews would place small stones on the grave.  For a variety of reasons: as a sign that the grave have been visited, that the grave is taken care of, to symbolise that the soul is permanent (like a stone), …

Bringing flowers to the grave is not necessarily Christian or Biblical.  And bringing the dead’s favourite food or drink is also not necessarily superstitious by itself.  It is not the act that matters. It is the motivation.