Gail - After the Trip - A. China condition and food B. Fuhua church

Emails and comments from 19-25 Sept 2014

from Bonnie (9/25/2014) 

with Gail's "China conditions and foods" (9/25/2014 2:36 AM)

Gail and Helen exchange (21-22 Sept 2014)

Gail's "Fuchan church" (21 Sept. 2014 9:19 AM)

Helen and vyg on the 19th Sept. 2014

Gail -

WoW! You must have really pigged out on all the exotic cuisine! But then, the Chinese were never noted for simple fare in my experience.

Bonnie

----- Original Message -----

From: Gail @gmail.com [class59]

To: Woodstock School

Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 2:36 AM

Subject: Re: [class59] China

 

Hi Lindsay,

I don't have any books to recommend to you, although I am sure there are many out there.  I can give you some more impressions.  First, the air quality is terrible, even in the south.  This adds to the depressing picture of empty buildings, unfinished construction, lots of rubble, a little like India, but not as dirty.  I had the impression of lots of dust, but was told it had rained recently.  The banyan trees and bougainvillea look pitiful, struggling to survive in an urban, dusty environment that seems determined to choke them to death.  There is a lot of trash on side streets, but the main roads are kept clean by street cleaners in conical hats sweeping with straw brooms.  The antiquity of this is in contrast to the fact that almost everyone seems to have a cell phone.  There are crowded duck farms with hundreds of ducks confined to small mud flats.  Almost all signs are in Chinese, a contrast to Malaysia where everything is written both in English and Malay.  The big hotels, of course, have signs in English, but the use of spoken English is more limited than in Malaysia.  I would have been lost without Judy to interpret for me.

The food is fantastic, even in small, ordinary restaurants.  At major feasts, such as we had during the church celebration, the dishes are exquisite and incomparable, although I didn't try everything.  Here's a partial list of dishes from the various meals we had.

Snails, lamb soup, mushroom and beef, green onion crepes with clams, glass noodles with crab, fish, pickled tripe, crunchy beans, prawn needle soup, crab soup, cuttlefish, marinated jellyfish, mixed veggies with shrimp, walnuts, almonds, veggies with papaya and sea cucumber,  scallop soup, tofu soup, sweet bean soup (for dessert), jellied ground water chestnut (dessert), steamed fish, beef tendon and radish, whole prawns. roasted birds (the heads of the birds were on the plate, beaks open and holding a sprig of parsley.  I passed on this one).  We had cucumber juice, carrot juice and guava juice to drink and meals always ended with fresh fruit - watermelon, cantaloupe, rambutan, dragonfruit, papaya and grapes.

I hope you enjoy your trip, Lindsay.  China is like another planet!

Gail

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 3:07 PM, Lindsay @aol.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Gail and Helen - Although your experiences are so special in China, I am savoring every bit of what you say as we are going to Shanghai for two weeks at Thanksgiving to be with my son and his family who are there for  8 months.  Probably our experience will be like going to New York City and thinking that is what the US is like.  Do you have any books you would recommend I read?   Lindsay

  

-----Original Message-----
From: Helen @hotmail.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com>
To: class59 <class59@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Sep 21, 2014 8:57 am
Subject: [class59] China

 

I can only imagine the emotion you must be feeling still, Gail. Glad you're safely home and processing your memories.

On another note, it could be that being Buddhist varies in the context. In Dharamsala there is a memorial to Tibetan Buddhists who immolated themselves......a pretty violent act. The Buddhists in Burma who protested the military junta were similarly violent, and so it goes. The Buddhists here are so peaceful and kind and never think of doing such things, or perhaps fasting at the most. I often think that being anything is a whole lot easier in western countries than in the rest of the world. But what do I know? 

I think that there is a fair amount of leeway in the provinces of China, despite the central governments dictates, especially the farther away one gets from Beijing.

Helen xo

On Sep 21, 2014, at 9:19 AM, "gail harris ..@gmail.com [class59]" <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Hi Helen,

I was told that tolerance of Christian churches depends on the mayor (not sure if this is the right term) of the province.  Judy told me that not long ago, a Buddhist mayor didn't like the Christians and several Christian churches were burned.  This is hearsay, of course, and I find it hard to believe that a genuine Buddhist would order or tolerate such violence, but perhaps corruption of the original religion is what happens when it is mixed with politics.

Futsing is a city of one million people and I was told 30% are Christian.  I don't know about the Catholic church or whether they were included in the 30% and didn't think to ask.

There was no mistaking the joy of the Fuhua church.  There were three different choirs and they processed in to the glorious music of Beethoven's Ode to Joy.  The entire 3 hour service was thrilling, which helped me to i gnore the pain of sitting on hard wooden pews.

The whole China experience made a deep impact on me, which I am still thinking about.

Say hello to Dave for me.

Love,
Gail

On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 8:17 PM, Helen @hotmail.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote: 

I have tears in my eyes as I write. Dave and I are glad you are home. Greetings and love from us both.

In my superficial knowledge of China from when I attended a Christian (RC congregation) in Chungchun, the central government tolerates and even supports certain Protestant churches. The Catholic Churches are another question, as the authorities are concerned about loyalty to the Pope rather than the PRC (central government). Over time, it was noticed that the Christians took care of each other, relieving the government of that obligation. Hence, the tolerance for some churches. 

Your parents influence is indeed far reaching.

Helen xo

On Sep 19, 2014, at 11:52 AM, "Vance @gmail.com [class59]" <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

gail what a beautiful gift

your story telling is moving

thank you
vyg

Gail - Two More Pictures (final)

From Gail Email 9/21/2014 10:40 AM

I know I am probably overloading you with my travel details, but here are two more final pictures.

The first is a picture of the Lee and Pilley family scanned from my Mom's book.  The second is of me (Hua) and Ing at our reunion after 65 years.

Gail

Gail [1 Attachment] Choir

From Gail Email 9/21/2014 10:19 AM 

Hi Helen,

I was told that tolerance of Christian churches depends on the mayor (not sure if this is the right term) of the province.  Judy told me that not long ago, a Buddhist mayor didn't like the Christians and several Christian churches were burned.  This is hearsay, of course, and I find it hard to believe that a genuine Buddhist would order or tolerate such violence, but perhaps corruption of the original religion is what happens when it is mixed with politics.

Futsing is a city of one million people and I was told 30% are Christian.  I don't know about the Catholic church or whether they were included in the 30% and didn't think to ask.

There was no mistaking the joy of the Fuhua church.  There were three different choirs and they processed in to the glorious music of Beethoven's Ode to Joy.  The entire 3 hour service was thrilling, which helped me to ignore the pain of sitting on hard wooden pews.

The whole China experience made a deep impact on me, which I am still thinking about.

Say hello to Dave for me.

Love,
Gail

-----------------------------------------
On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 8:17 PM, Helen A ...@hotmail.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

I have tears in my eyes as I write. Dave and I are glad you are home. Greetings and love from us both.

In my superficial knowledge of China from when I attended a Christian (RC congregation) in Chungchun, the central government tolerates and even supports certain Protestant churches. The Catholic Churches are another question, as the authorities are concerned about loyalty to the Pope rather than the PRC (central government). Over time, it was noticed that the Christians took care of each other, relieving the government of that obligation. Hence, the tolerance for some churches. 

Your parents influence is indeed far reaching.

Helen xo

---------------------------------------
On Sep 19, 2014, at 11:52 AM, "Vance ...@gmail.com [class59]" <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

gail what a beautiful gift

your story telling is moving

thank you
vyg

Gail Photo Speech 13 Sept 2014

From Gail Email 9/20/2014 7:50 AM

I had to give a short speech at the celebration on the 13th.  I began by saying a few words in Foochow, which delighted the audience.  The rest of the speech was in English, interpreted for me by a gentleman from Houston, Texas!  We all had a good time.

Gail

Gail Fwd (2 photos)

From Gail Email 9/19/2014 7:17 AM

Here are a couple of pictures - not sure why they're sideways, but you can always turn your computer on its side.

The second picture is of me, Judy and George standing
 outside the gate enclosing the old stone church where my parents were married in 1931.  There is an ancient gingko tree still standing outside the church, which was dropping its leaves on the wedding party so long ago.

Gail - Home from China

From Gail Email 9/19/2014 7:05 AM

Dear family and friends,

I am home.  I didn't have access to a computer in China and my Kindle wouldn't pick up any signals, so I thought I would give you a quick, abbreviated update.

 

The picture is of me standing in front of my grandparents old home on Kuliang, the mountain resort above Fuzhou where we used to go in the summer to get away from the heat.  My aunt Gail, aged 15 months, died in this house from dysentery.  I was named for her.  Kuliang is being developed into a major resort for the region.  I didn't recognize anything except the cool wind, the pines and the stone paths.

Last Saturday, the 13th, I attended the 151st anniversary celebration of the Fuhua Methodist Church in Fuqing (Futsing).  My grandfather had helped to raise money for the first building and I was an honored guest and speaker.  It's hard to describe my emotions as I sat in that church and heard the music and the overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude from the 4000 people who attended the service.  The church has 7000 members and three floors of seats.  The morning celebration was three hours long and followed by another 3 hour service that night.  I couldn't understand the Mandarin, but recognized the old hymns led by an energetic and musically trained young man whose enthusiasm and charisma was inspiring.   This church was closed down during the cultural revolution, but members continued to meet secretly in homes.  It was reopened in 1984, so this was also a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the restoration.  A 17 course dinner followed the morning celebration.  I sat at the large center table which seated 20 people. 

On Sunday, after another 3 hour service (on hard wood pews), Judy and I were driven to Fuzhou, about an hour away to meet my "twin".

 In 1941, my parents were teachers at the Anglo Chinese College (Ing Hua)  in Fuzhou (Foochow).  They were good friends with the Lee family, also teachers at ACC.  Japanese bombing forced the whole school, faculty, students and staff, to relocate to Yangkow, a small village up the mighty Min River, but ignored by Japanese planes.  Mrs. Lee and my mother were both pregnant and on November 16, 1941, Mrs. Lee gave birth to a baby girl.  A few hours later, I was born.  Because the date was also Founders Day for ACC, Mrs. Lee's baby was named Ing and I was named Hua; Ing meaning Anglo and Hua meaning Flowery Kingdom or China.  Through the magic of the internet and a wonderful internet friend, George, whom I met for the first time, I had an amazing reunion with Ing, whom I had not seen since 1949.  I was overcome with emotion.  Ing's family suffered during the cultural revolution when red guards invaded their home and burned all their pictures.  I was able to bring her a few pictures of her family that I had found in my mother's collection and a copy of my mother's book.  Ing didn't speak much English and my Foochow is limited, but talking wasn't necessary.  To touch and honor the past, our parents and our friendship needed no words.

Gail

Gail - Sarekei

From Gail Email 9/8/2014 10:46 PM (see one more added below)


Dear friends and family,

I continue to feast on fruit - lenangs, papaya, pineapple, jackfruit, melon, fresh coconut, along with the others I mentioned previously, plus some that I've forgotten. It is a paradise for fruit lovers like me.

Yesterday, Judy's son, Bryan, drove us to Sarekei, a town downriver closer to the South China Sea and famous for its seafood.  Bryan wanted to go for a special dish prepared only in Sarekei, but I wanted to see my old house again.  From 1952 - 1957 we lived in a newly built Malay style house.  There was a center room, two rooms and a bathroom on each side of the center , a raised area for a dinning room and a kitchen in the back.  The house was on stilts and at the bottom of the stairs from the kitchen was a huge concrete cistern to catch rainwater.  A kerosene pump was used periodically to pump the water to a tank in the ceiling so that we had running water, cold, of course.  No need for a hot water heater in this climate.

There was no electricity in those days.  Every night we pumped up the Coleman lantern and watched as huge moths, cicadas and other insects were attracted to its light.

It was during the time I was living here that I first met Judy's family.  Her older brother, Lawrence,  was a member of our MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) and he taught me how to play ping pong.  He is still the champion senior  ping pong player in Houston, Texas!

One early morning in 1953, he came to our house and told my parents that his mother had just died in childbirth.  Since the family was very poor, his father was planning to sell Lawrence's three little sisters into slavery, an illegal practice under the British, but very common.  Lawrence begged my Mom to talk to his father.  So she did and persuaded the father to let the three little girls live with us until the dorms at the new school could be completed.  So, little Judy, Lilian and Natalie became part of our family.  After we went back to the States on furlough, the girls went to live at the Children's Home in Sibu until Lawrence was able to take them to his home.  Judy is now the principal and CEO of the Methodist Pilley Institute (MPI).  Lilian and Natalie are U.S. citizens and live in Texas.  In 2010, I went with the three of them and Natalie's daughter, Cyndy, to Sabah, the other Malaysian state on the island of Borneo.  There we visited Kinabalu National Park, saw a wildlife sanctuary and went snorkeling in the South China Sea.

Back to Sarekei, we made a quick stop for me to take picture of my old house, now very decrepit and sad.  Mom used to have bougainvillea climbing over the steps and other flowers in the yard, but now the Iban Conference has possession of it and they, having little financial resources, have let it succumb to the ravages of entropy.

We had lunch at Bryan's favorite coffee shop.  Starting and ending with a coconut pudding, we enjoyed his favorite dish, spicy prawns cooked with tamarind and other spices and served with noodles in a large coconut husk.  It was messy eating, but oh, so good.  The coconut pudding helped to cool my mouth after the fiery hot prawns.  The pudding was made out of fresh, immature coconut meat, cooked with coconut milk and cooled with gelatin.  It was smooth, cool and refreshing.  Our server was a young Indonesian girl who had on a t-shirt with the stars and stripes and the words, "I love the USA".  I took her picture and will send it when I figure out how to on this computer, or when I get back home.

It took us an hour to drive back to Sibu, a journey that used to take 4 hours by river launch.  A much quicker journey, but not nearly as exciting as chugging along up the wide Rajang River, the longest in Sarawak.  The Rajang, which used to be clear and supported crocodiles and other wildlife, is now muddy all the time, a reflection of the development and logging, both legal and illegal, that is occurring all the time in Borneo and devastating the rain forest and its inhabitants.

I've started to pack for China.  We leave early Thursday morning.

Cheers!

Gail

Gail Email 9/10/2014 1:49 AM

Hi Bonnie,

I saw Ida the other day.  She still lives next to Judy and is quite frail and doesn't get out much.  I gave your greetings to Judy and asked her to tell Ida that you said hello.  I doubt that I'll see her again.  Ida has an Indonesian helper that takes care of her and her hundreds (?) of flower pots.

Judy and I leave early tomorrow morning for China.  It's been a great trip so far!

Love,

Gail

On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 11:45 AM, 'BONNIE M' ... @frontier.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:   



Oh, Gail, such memories of Sibu and Sareikei! Fruit, "putt-putt" motor boats on the Rejang, green coconut meat straight out of the shell, and all the other fruit, and of course walking around your old house on trip together. Did you get to see Ida Mamora--do say hello to her for me if you see her and  do give my greetings and best regards to Judy and her family, too.

Have a great time in CHina!

Bonnie

Gail's travel letters

Gail Email 9/7/2014 8:03 AM

 

Vance is right, except that he failed to mention that pumelo is also very sweet and is in sections, like a tangerine.  There is also white and pink pumelo, just like the grapefruit.

Rambutans and lychees are not in season in Sibu right now, but I have been enjoying a fruit that the Chinese called "cui haw", roughly translated as water apple or peach.  It's red on the outside, shaped something like a pear and extremely juicy, crunchy and sweet.  Oh my!

 

--Gail

On Sun, Sep 7, 2014 at 3:55 PM, Vance G ...@gmail.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

pomelo edith is like a huge, really huge grapefruit

today in china town with friends celebrating the moon festival
which occurs monday

had rambutan, hairy reddish fruit

slice into it and its rather sweet and juicy like lychees

same kind of flesh with big pit

delicious

then goodies from the bakery, one of many many
in china town, egg custard tarts, crusts of lard, mmm,

steamed sponge cake, moochi or sweet rice balls stuffed

with peanuts, lovely with tea.

vyg

On Sun, Sep 7, 2014 at 12:27 AM, Edith etn@hotmail.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Thanks Gail for your travel letters. Loved your story of the Air France upgrade and now interesting history and stories of the area today. I have never heard of pumello but realize that there are just so many fruits in faraway lands.
edith

Sendt fra min iPhone

Gail - From my past to your future

From Gail Email  9/7/2014 2:02 AM

Dear family and friends,

It is 12:35 p.m., Sunday, September 7.  I am twelve hours ahead of those of you on EST, so in a sense I am writing from your future.

As to the past, this morning I went to church with Judy's family to Wesley Methodist Church, which stands on the site of the old Malay house my mother called "Journey's End", because she knew she would never live again in her beloved China.  In 1950, the Mission bought the old house for pittance, because it was rumoured that there were ghosts in the house, so locals were interested.  I seem to remember that it was in this house that the plot to assassinate the British governor of Sarawak had taken place.  Late in 1949, I was standing out in front of the Hoover House (built by Bonnie's father) where we first lived when we arrived in Sibu, when I heard a lot of commotion and saw a group of grim faced soldiers marching down the road with an equally grim faced young man in their midst.  Later my Dad told us what had happened.  He was standing on the dock with other town dignitaries to welcome the British governor when the young man dashed out of the crowd and stabbed the governor.  He died a week later.  The day after the attack British war planes swooped down over Sibu in a show of intimidation.  This was at a time when planes were so rare that if one flew over, everyone ran outside to get a look.

Journey's End was a delightful place for a child.  There were two tall coconut trees in front and a long bicycle path out to the road.  The jungle was all around.  We kids played in the jungle, made rubber balls out of the leftover latex on the rubber trees and played with our pet gibbon, "Gibby".

Today the jungle is gone, paved roads are everywhere and Wesley Church stands where I used to live and play.  As I stood in the church, remembering, I had an indescribable feeling of rightness; a sense of the 'Holy", that which stands apart.  The ground was hallowed.  The purpose sacred; an inevitable change which honoured the past and my parents' life efforts to promote the philosophy of love, compassion and justice.  I felt humbled and grateful for my wonderful, most fortunate life.

After church, I and Judy's family (husband and two sons) headed to a corner coffee shop for brunch.  It was unusually cool for Sibu, since there had been a steady rain all night.  I had "gamma mein", famous noodles with "bing kopi-o" (cold coffee without sugar).  Oh, how delicious.  I've also been feasting on pumelo, sweet Sibu bananas, guavas and other fruit that has no English name that I know of.  If heaven exists, it surely must serve Sibu fruit!, a sort of divine business class!

Judy and I head for China on Thursday, a visit to a more distant past.

Love to all,

Gail

Gail's Borneo via Paris

Gail's Email 9/6/2014 4:53 AM

Dear friends and family,

I am here in hot and sticky Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) after a long, tiring trip from Knoxville.   The kind United agent at Tyson McGhee airport tried to check my bag all the way from K-town to Sibu, but could only get it as far as Kuala Lumpur (KL).  So when I got to KL I had to retrieve my bag (intact!) and then check in again at Malaysian Airlines.  

From JFK to Paris, I sat next to a 30ish Frenchman who spoke English with a very heavy French accent.  But he was charming with very white teeth and a ready laugh. His right arm was paralysed and his leg left was a prosthetic; the damage had resulted from a motor cycle accident when he was 21 years old.  He was quite philosophical about it all.  His home was Tours, about 2 hours south of Paris by train.

Air France is a lovely carrier.  Just before I left home I got an offer to upgrade my economy ticket to Business Class for the Paris to KL leg of the trip.  I said yes and it was a good thing, because I didn't sleep much from JFK to Paris, thanks in part to my talkative French ami.  One bonus of Business Class is that it admits one to the Air France lounge!  I had comfortable couches on which to stretch, access to all the food I wanted, plus various wines.  I had an adapter for Asian cities, but not France, so I borrowed one from the Lounge staff who required my boarding pass as collateral.  "You don't trust me", I said reprovingly.  They just laughed knowingly, having lost too many adapters, I suppose.  At any rate, I got my Kindle charged during the 4 hours I was in the lounge.

Business class on Air France!  Oh my, what a delight!  I was offered champagne upon claiming my seat and given  a hot towel.  Dinner was served on a crisp white tablecloth. A lovely salad, rolls, a chicken dinner with more wine and a variety of cheeses for dessert.  I was too tired to eat everything and just anxious to sleep.  As soon as I could I lowered my seat which flattened out into a bed, with my feet going into a large cavity under the seat in front of me.  With a blanket and pillow I slept most of the 12 hours from Paris to KL.  What joy!

The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is a marvel of modern design.  It is huge with trains running between the various terminals, but with easy signage, everything written in both Malay and English.  The tandas (toilets) are all clean and offer one's choice of squat or the traditional throne.  There is such a diversity of humans hurrying through the halls of shops and restaurants.  It was really thrilling to observe everyone, all races, clothing styles, family groups from children to solos like me.  In the middle of the international terminal, there is a miniature rain forest.  One can step out of the air conditioning into the hot, humid, sweltering atmosphere of the jungle.  Quite amazing.

KLIA seemed fairly normal after this year's tragedies.  The only difference I saw was when I boarded my flight to Sibu.  On the TV screen there was a prayer to Allah, the most compassionate and most merciful, for a safe flight.  There was also an option to read, among the various offerings of TV, music, movies, etc.  I was curious and so clicked it on.  You may have guessed:  it was the Qu"ran.

The MPI graduation was this morning, much pomp and ceremony.  I tried not to read my speech and so forgot some of it.  But they were politely appreciative.  This was the first graduation of students receiving degrees from MPI and the first time anybody had gotten a degree in Sibu.  Remarkable changes in just a few short years.

The big party is tonight - more feasting and performances by MPI students.  I'll try to send pictures when I get home - not sure how to do it on this computer.

Cheers!

Gail

Gail's Fwd: #3 Kuala Lumpur - Be safe.

Gail's Email 7/22/2014 12:24 PM

 

I forgot to mention that in Sibu I will also be attending a funding raising campaign for a spay/neuter program for cats and dogs.  A Malaysian friend who visited me last year was so taken with my many happy cats that he went back to Sibu and, with a little $ help from me, started the "Love Our Animals" project.  So far, they have "fixed" more than 800 animals, a drop in the bucket, but at least it's a start.  The hardest thing for me about going back is seeing all the unwanted and homeless cats and dogs and this program is a "first", at least in Sibu.  I hope it spreads.

 

Regarding animals, I am happy to report that my farm will become a "Safe House" for animals that the local SPCA rescues.  We're calling it a safe house because everyone needs to "shhhh" about its existence, less the average irresponsible public citizen decides to leave his animal here.  Our first residents are a mother dog and 6 puppies.  We are remodeling the old loafing shed that used to be the bedroom for the dairy cows.  And all this is being coordinated with the Foothills Land Conservancy which will use the farm as an educational center and my house as their headquarters after I am "late" (as in, the late Gail Harris).  

One last piece of information ( I'm sure you're thinking this is already too much), I am  hoping to visit Niah Cave in Miri, on the Borneo coast after graduation and the funding raising event.   This cave is famous for the discovery of a 40,000 year old human skull; a discovery that added to the information scientists have been collecting about the migration of humans out of Africa.  Read Chris Stringer's book, Lone Survivors, for more detail about our ancestors.

I am just home from picking 10 pounds of luscious blueberries.  This is a favorite time of year for me!  Life is good.

Gail

On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 10:21 AM, Vance G ....@gmail.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Life goes on

V

Gail - Fwd: #2 Kuala Lumpur - Be safe.

Gail's Email reply to Maudie 7/22/2014 6:11 AM

Thanks, Maudie.  I'm not too worried about my safety.  It's a risky world and I have lived a most fortunate life, especially the extraordinary experience of Woodstock.

I will be flying to Sibu (East Malaysia) for a special graduation of the first degreed students at the Methodist Pilley Institute, my Dad's school.  My flight path will be JFK to Paris to KL to Sibu, a very long flight, not one that I enjoy.  After the graduation in Sibu, Judy Wong (Robert Hunt's sister-in-law) will be going with me to south China for the 151st anniversary of the arrival of Methodist missionaries in China.  I am expecting to meet my "twin", a girl who was born a few hours before me in 1941, on Founders' Day of the Anglo Chinese College.

ACC was called Ing-Hua in Chinese; Ing for Anglo; Hua for Flowery Kingdom or China.  My "twin was named Ing and I was named Hua.  I will be seeing Ing for the first time since I was 7 years ago.  Amazing, isn't it?

This Friday, I'm flying out to Washington State to visit Robin who will turn 75 on Monday. 

Love,
Gail

On Sun, Jul 20, 2014 at 10:45 AM, .. @aol.com [class59] <class59@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Thanks, Gail. I really enjoyed Mr. Hunt's diatribe, but I will still worry about you.  Things are so unsettled in the world.  I can only hope fall and winter will slow the heavy momentum.

We made our trip to Russia just in time last year.  Can't say I learned a lot while we were there, but stepping on Russian soil was a first for me. 

 This year we chose to tour the Midwest.  First, thing learned was this is a big, big country. As I prepared my pictures, the vastness of the Plains where the sky met the earth will stay in my mind forever.  I have a lot of studying to do about the Indians.  An Sioux author told me at the Crazy Horse Indian  Museum that 50 per cent of the Sioux Nation have returned to their original spiritualism.  I am curious to study just what that means.  The Christian missionaries flocked to redeem the Indians in eighteen hundreds and the children were sent to Omaha's Christian School.  Now, their great-grandchildren (since 1979, I believe) have returned to their original beliefs?  Fascinating.  We Americans fought to erase the beliefs and culture, and we, I feel, are to blame for the alcoholism that exists today.  It will be a test in this century where all of this goes.

Lee D

Gail's Fwd: Kuala Lumpur - Be safe.

From Gail Email 7/19/2014 12:15 PM

 

Since I'll be heading to KL in September (via Paris), I thought you might enjoy this message from my friend, Robert Hunt.

Gail

Dear Friends,

First. I arrived safely in Kuala Lumpur. Yet it was a little strange taking off for a flight along the same route as a plane shot down half a day earlier by Vladamir Putin’s buddies in Eastern Ukraine. Well maybe they aren’t such good friends any more. Maybe he’ll take them off his list for Christmas gifts like surface to air missiles. 

And Kuala Lumpur is safe. For all those asking that I “be safe.” 

Indeed KL is quite safe and entirely normal, despite what you may read in the news. I arrived at the very nice international airport. Made my way without problems to the excellent high speed train to the city (US $10.00). In an hour from landing I was being picked up outside the station at KL Sentral, which is a newish transportation hub close to downtown. And in another hour of fighting mad traffic had showered and was having dinner at an outdoor restaurant that served many excellent things. (I don’t want to make you suffer by describing my meals. Let’s just say that half the coffee shops in KL can put a better meal on the table than the best Chinese restaurants in Dallas. For a fraction of the cost.)

So why might one think that KL isn’t safe. Well perhaps because such news as comes from Malaysia is about Muslim religious extremists who pretty regularly spew out hate filled speech about Christians and Jews. Malaysia has the unique distinction of having no known Jewish population but having the highest rate of anti-semitism of all Muslim nations in the world. 

But the reality is that these Muslim extremists, who have a lot of public forums and are well embedded in certain parts of the government, don’t actually have much power and have even less popular support. The result is that thus far they haven’t been a public safety issue. A few attacks (no significant property damage) on Christian churches. Small Hindu shrines torn down under the guise of enforcing zoning laws. But that is about all (for now, he adds ominously.)  For now most Malay Muslims have your back. After the first church attack Muslims themselves organized to form human shields around churches that had been targeted.)

That said, Malaysia’s Islamist establishment possesses a combination of vast ignorance and petty meanness that continually leads to senseless harm and a good deal of Muslim self-humiliation (not that they will recognize it). I’ll give an example of each. 

Petty meanness and senseless harm in the fact that a few times a year, at a Christian, Buddhist, or Hindu funeral, the Islamic religious authorities will show up, grab the casket, and haul it away for an “Islamic” burial based on a claim that the person had sometime in the past converted to Islam. The fact that they imagine that God approves of this activity, and so should their fellow Muslims, indicates the complete bankruptcy of their religious sensibilities. But at least (I know, damning with faint praise) they don’t blow up churches and slaughter their fellow Muslims like their compatriots in Nigeria and Iraq. 

Anyway since I don’t plan on being buried in Malaysia I’m not potential fodder for that particular violation of human dignity. 

Vast ignorance. In late May Malaysia’s health minister announced that, in a routine test to determine if Cadbury’s chocolates were made from only halal (Islamically acceptable) products, indications of “pork DNA” was found. Immediately the Islamist groups piled on the demand that Cadbury’s be boycotted and shut down. Then they went further. Religious leaders announced that anyone who ate the infected chocolate would permanently have pork DNA in their system, and could never go to heaven. Little children who ate chocolate were doomed to spend the afterlife as little pigs in hell. And on and on. It wasn’t in the faintest way related to any kind of Islamic teaching. Indeed it was so ludicrously stupid that local Islamic authorities tried to quell the flood of utter, complete, lunacy. 

Pause – let us consider. If anyone who has eaten pork will go to hell and be reborn there as a pig, then of course all the Chinese are doomed. But wait. Remember the Islamic authorities stealing all those bodies for an “Islamic burial.” Yeah, why bother since all that pork DNA from before their conversion has doomed them to hell? And why bother with the multi-billion dollar effort to convert the Chinese to Islam? 

Anyway, in the end it was all bogus. They wasn't anything in the chocolate at all. Absolutely no conclusive evidence from the first tests. And the second tests (carried out by the Islamic authorities) found nothing at all. BUT the Muslim Consumer Association still stands by its call for a boycott. “We still have a lot of questions.” 

Of course Cadbury has suffered a little economically. But there is also a back story. Like the fact that certain Malaysian government officials have a large financial interest in a huge new Hersey’s factory being built in Malaysia. Hmmmmm. They wouldn’t benefit if Cadbury’s was run out of business would they? 

But, back to the main point. This hardly endangers the tourist to Malaysia, or even Malaysia’s booming economy. It just illustrates what happens when ignorance and religious bigotry find a way to get wedged into the machinery of government. The losers in this were primarily innocent Muslims made to fear for their own salvation and that of their children. And Muslims who find it offensive to their faith that their supposed leaders run around stealing caskets from bereaved families. 

So. Malaysia is safe. Unlike the Middle East and Afghanistan the Islamists haven’t been given rocket launchers and submachine guns to play with. Just an ever gullible press and a lot of helplessly pious believers. 

Which is why without hesitation I went out this morning for a 4 hour walk in the jungle to set the trail for a race next Monday. I regret I won’t be there for it, since in the roughly 7 miles it is assured that the runners will find mosquitos, swamp water, thorn covered leaves, vines to trip on, leeches, and the odd hornet. But this race, called a “Hash” is considered fun only if you arrive at the end wet, bleeding, and exhausted. A good end to a working day. 

Then a three hour academic meeting, (you really don’t want to know) over tea and deep friend anchovies with onions and chilis. Then home, then dinner (Chicken rice with big slabs of roast pork).

So dear friends. I am keeping safe.

Cheers,

Robert

Dr. Robert Hunt

Director of Global Theological Education

Director of the Center for Evangelism and Missional Church Studies

Southern Methodist University

P.O. Box 750133

Dallas, TX 75275-0133

Office: 303C Selecman

Phone +1 214 768 1374

Email: roberth@smu.edu

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.” anon.

"Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty." Mark Twain

Gil's An interesting childhood

Gil O. Email 9/11/2014 1:33 PM

    Almost always when someone finds out that I grew up in India, one of their first comments is to say what an interesting childhood I must have had.  I expect all of you have had the same experience.  I used to say that their childhood’s seemed pretty exotic to me too but this comment never seemed to make much of an impression.  I’ve been thinking about all this again because a friend of 40 years mentioned my unusual childhood yet again and because an 18 year old granddaughter has just gone off to college which is, of course, a huge deal for her.  I think her childhood is as hard for me to imagine as mine is for her.  What is it like to live your whole childhood in one town without leaving home except for a few summer camps that lasted two weeks or less?  She’s just an hour away from home at Sacramento State and will be seeing her parents often during the school year.  My parents furlough coincided with my freshman year in college but after that they went back to India and I didn’t see them for several years. 

    I remember when I applied for a security clearance when I was in the army and I had to list every address I had ever lived at.  This meant four listings for most years - our village, than boarding at Woodstock, a house on the hillside when my mother came up and then back to boarding.  I also had to list every place outside the US that I had visited.  I had to attach additional sheets to the form to have room for everything.  To my surprise my security clearance was approved before that of any of my classmates.  I’ve always wondered if the FBI just decided I couldn’t be making all of this stuff up and just rubber stamped my clearance. 

    My granddaughter has no doubt about where her home is but it was a confusing business for me.  My parents often talked about “going home” which for them meant the US which was much more foreign to me than India was.  Going Down Day felt more like going home than anything else when I was growing up but much more of my childhood was spent in Mussoorie than on the plains.  As an adult I’ve had two extraordinary experiences of going home.  One was our 1982 reunion in Tennessee when I found myself back in the culture I grew up in for the first time in 23 years.  The other was my trip to India in 1987, the only time I’ve been back.  When I got up that first morning in Delhi and went outside I felt like I’d awoken from a 28 year dream and was back where I belonged.  As my trip went on, however, I realized that while India felt like home in a geographic sense all the people that I felt most at home with were in the US.  I now call Mussoorie my hometown but where I really grew up was in the missionary subculture that was neither India nor America but an amalgam of both.  I’ve lived in Eugene now far longer than I ever lived in India and it has become home but a part of me will always remain in that “interesting” childhood in India.

Gil

Gil's Geoffrey C. Ward | Ken Burns America

From Gil O. Emailed 9/20/2014 1:46 AM   

Martha and I have been enjoying the newest Ken Burns PBS series on the Roosevelts - Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor, and I became curious about Geoffrey Ward who wrote the script and apparently also wrote most of Ken Burns other projects such as his series on the Civil War.  When I looked him up on the internet I was stunned to find out that his childhood was spent in Chicago and in New Delhi!  Ward was born in November 1940 and so is a contemporary of ours but as far as I know was never a student at Woodstock.  I haven’t been able to find out what his parents did in India but I did discover that he has written a book about his great grandfather Ferdinand Ward (whose parents were missionaries to India from 1837 to 1846) who was a famous swindler.  Geoffrey Ward has also written three books on India and its fauna. 
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/about-the-filmmakers/geoffrey-ward

Gil

Who is Petrushka 59?

Petrushka 59 for the purpose of this blog is the mascot for the Class of 1959, Woodstock School, Landour, Mussoorie, India.  She/he became our Class59 icon during the last of years of our high school - she/he was the skeleton of a cow's head, unearthed in the local debris.

This blog is a place where class members may add posts and photos, or
make comments on any topic. It is an open forum for class members.


Let you know what you think, what should be here, how 'open' it should be.



What would you like to add to it?

Here's Petrushka being carried in procession at the end of the 1957 Sports Day. (or is it 1958?)

Bruce S designed the Petrushka icon above for the cover of our annual school year book, The Whispering Pine,  for 1959. 

--Philip Mc