Tuesday October 21, 2008
Short Post and a Pointer
My weblog will celebrate its second anniversary pretty soon. I know that over the past two years, I managed to entertain and interest at least one reader. I would like to use this opportunity to thank him sincerely for reading, commenting on occasion, and forwarding to his friends, relatives and co-workers.
As next week will be my last week at Sun Microsystems, who graciously served as my host, free of charge, I would really hate to see my one reader disappear into the darkness, disappointed and bitter. I want to use this stage to tell him and announce to all others, that I will keep on writing, regularly. Think of it as a change of address. The new address is http://bigmouth.imserious.org/.
I'm hoping to see you there my friend. There will be no more posts here.
Posted at 07:45AM Oct 21, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal | Comments[9]
Sunday October 19, 2008
A Taste of Paradise
How does one know that it's time to go home?
The mind is a wonderful yet mysterious element. It observes, collects data and impressions, analyzes, concludes and takes action. Constructs behaviors. Forms relationships. But it also uses some forms of deception, and it finds alternatives and replacements. It learns to live with missing things, missing people. It learns to cope with difficult situations. It helps one live in harmony with one's environment. It's a master of cognitive dissonance. The ability to form the bridges between ones desired environment and the unavoidable and undeniable reality. Cognitive Dissonance is a powerful element of our ability to live in any environment outside of the mythical paradise. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance).
Rationalizing ones environment is a necessity. Without this skill, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to live away from home, from close family and friends, from familiar foods and customs, from anything outside the realm of the paradise. Paradise, in my opinion can be defined as childhood. The home where one grew up, the faces of loved ones, the smells of a favorite food. For me, the smell of my grandmother's linen, her smiling face, her chicken soup are building blocks of paradise. My mother's hug, my father's smile, my sister's commanding voice, and my brother trying to explain some complex theory in laymen terms... Heaven.
I could probably make a list of people, places, foods which construct my own personal paradise. But that would probably be too long and too boring. Plus, it would be too personal. I'm sure everyone reading this can relate to it. Can you construct your own list?
And there, two and a half years ago, my family and I left our little paradise behind and came here, to Beijing, to take part in something big.
Last Friday we were invited to dear friends at the Israeli embassy. A Friday evening, Festival of Sukkot meal. And there I was, standing there, with a few other Israelis, a few other Jews, some I've never met before, many I consider my good friends. I stood there, looking at the set dinner table, with the candlesticks, with the large braided Challah (the special and delicious bread Jews bake for the Sabbath and the Holidays), the wine bottles, the colorful salads and appetizers. And guess what: in an instant, I was in paradise, my well constructed cognitive dissonance disappeared, I was stripped of my protecting walls and defenses, and the feeling of yearning overtook me by surprise. I wanted to go home.
I would never know which came first - the cause or the effect. Did it hit me because we are going home? The answer is inconsequential and unimportant. Even irrelevant. But something was resolved something in my mind. I was ready to go. When one leaves a place, he or she always leave something behind. A part of their personality, a part of their heart. Friends, places, tastes and smells. In answer to your question - no, they can't be reproduced reliably. Only a cheap imitation would create for me the environment I'm leaving here. I'm leaving behind many friends, Israeli and Chinese. My children are leaving behind teachers, close friends, customs. We are also taking it with us. China will become part of us for as long as we live.
Ricky and Yossi, you have provided me with a taste of paradise, that I have so cleverly buried for so long. Thank you. I hope we'll be friends for life. Same for Vered and Michael, Einav and Yaniv, Yaniv's parents, David and Darren, and of course his excellency Israeli Ambassador to China Mr. Amos Nadai, thank you.
I crave my own little paradise now, I yearn for it. I am ready to go home.
Posted at 01:01PM Oct 19, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal | Comments[7]
Friday October 17, 2008
A Bag with a Ticket and a Story
My wife, the curator, bought a leather bag. In the bag I found a fancy
ticket, stating the following: "The materials used have been selected
from the best existing ones. Care and quality of the highest level are
guaranteed im enery details of workmaship iln case of wordemanship
defects please sirectly contact the boutique wher the item was
purchased".
The bag is indeed a good one. I can tell. And it has a story. From
its appearance, ticketing and ticketing, you would think that the item
was actually manufactured for the US or European markets.
Incidentally, surplus in manufacturing left a few items to be sold in
the local market. But that's only the cover story, what they would
like you to believe. The poor language on the ticket gives it away.
The bag was manufactured in China, for the Chinese market, pretending
to be export surplus, and thus justifying the significant overpricing.
This isn't an isolated incidence. It's actually very common. My only
question is, a few bucks could pay for b basic proofreading, providing
a much more credible cover story. Go figure. By the way, the bag is
good, the poor language provides good grounds for fierce bargaining.
And no, it's not even a fake, it's not a recognizable brand, at least
not to me. In short: a good deal.
Posted at 04:17PM Oct 17, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal | Comments[2]
Thursday October 16, 2008
Dead End?
For almost two years I have been writing the My China Experience weblog. wrote steadily, continuously, about current affairs, about China, about family and philosophy. I tried to express my viewpoints and ideas. As it turns out, quite a few people tuned in. I've been asked lately, by many, what happened. How come I write less frequently. The answer is that I'm not sure.
Did I run out of ideas? Is the world peaceful now? Shortage of current affairs? Have I stopped being the opinionated person that I am? Again, no, no , no and absolutely no way.
In the process of reflecting on not writing, I did have one resolution. I will not write anything for the sake of writing. If I don't have anything worth writing, I won't write at all.
But before I end this one up, I wanted to make a comment on a new TV show - Moment of Truth. I find it distasteful, disgusting and revolting to watch a bunch of bottom feeders, in an orchestrated competition of who can deliver a more devastating blow to their loved ones, friends and family. But the flip side of it, of course, is that just as everything is - the secrets have been out in the open for years, and sharing them for a few thousand bucks is not such a big deal. The flip-flip side of it is that still, watching low lives admit to cheating on their spouses, stealing from their parents and employers, lying through their teeth, is, well, nauseating.
And here's another thought. Barack Obama. After a long time of watching, reading, trying to understand who is less deceiving, who will do less damage to America, who has a better chance to survive, to unite America. After trying to figure to whom do I connect better. After months of listening to the mud slinging, the allegations, the half truths and half lies, I have made up my mind. I will vote for Barack Obama. The reason is that I cannot connect with his opponent, and much less with his opponent's vice presidential candidate. I pray that it will prove as a good choice. But quite frankly, can we do much worse than the present?
And of course, the stock markets and world economy... I wrote about it many times, and I think about it often. Is there a conclusion? I can't possibly write anything that's not already written. But I have an observation. I believe that the financial markets, the investment bank, the investors, had successfully completed the process of disconnecting the "real" economy from the stock market. The real economy is manufacturing, consuming, producing, saving, spending responsibly. The financial markets are about speculation, manipulation, gambling. Where do you belong? Are you part of the "real" economy? Are you part of the other economy, the one that manufactures, produces, consumes and ultimately bursts bubbles?
Lastly. Indeed the slowdown is going to be global. Advanced countries will be hit hard with zero or negative growth. Emerging markets will suffer from low growth. Are there bubbles to burst? Absolutely. I've been watching the Beijing real estate market for quite some time, waiting for a downturn. From what I'm reading lately, it has arrived. One paragraph I read in Business Week (October 13, 2008) sums it up pretty well: "Think the U.S. real estate slump is bad? Get ready for China's. PICC Asset Management, an affiliate of AIG, figures prices for residential housing could fall by as much as 50% over the next decade. One sign that China's real estate bubble may be set to burst: In Beijing the ratio of home prices to household income, a traditional gauge of affordability has hit an all-time high of 28.8. The World Bank considers a ratio of 5 to be a healthy norm".
Posted at 10:03PM Oct 16, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal | Comments[6]
Wednesday October 01, 2008
The Free Market is not So Free After All
The free market:
Posted at 07:46PM Oct 01, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal | Comments[3]
This is a personal weblog, I do not speak for my employer.
Today's Page Hits: 391
| www.flickr.com |
