From history, I know of Spain warring with England for colonies. But it is with this book I learn of the difference between pirating and privateering.
Crichton writes interesting books based on scientific theories. I well remember how impressed I was with The Andromeda Strain. This is the first of his that I read that is historical. A lot of research and imagination must have been through to result in such a piece of work. Somehow I felt a little disappointed with Pirate Latitudes.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
(197) Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck
According to The New Yorker, this is the first novel Buck concerned herself with Chinese of wealth.
I am glad that I did not read it when I was younger. I suppose even ten years ago I might not have understood what she was trying to convey. It is ironic that the priest Andre was considered a heretic by his church in Italy. Yet he housed, brought food and love to orphan girls and he fed and cared for those who could not help themselves. With that good work, no religion and culture would condemn. Compared to him, the traditional missionary Little Sister Hsia was insignificant. It is not that I want to belittle one who left behind her loved ones, country and everything to proclaim the gospel. She gave her entire life up for the love of her God and she was sincere in heart. One preached with words while the other with deeds. Of course deeds outshone words alone!
What Buck portrayed was pre-communist China. I am sure little remain in the China of today. After decades of shared poverty, the gap between the have and the have-not in China widened again. Not being much read in history, I can't tell whether the gap today or seventy years ago was wider. I only know that my ancestors escaped to South East Asia to find a living. Around that time hundreds of thousands left China for many parts of the world. On my father side, his clan spent years clearing virgin jungle to plant rubber trees. On my mother side, my grand parents tapped rubber trees as daily waged labourers. Now, I hear of Chinese nationals robbing restaurants at knife points in the cities. We see China dolls in the big cities as well as tiny towns. I have known a few families and marriages being broken by the wealth seeking Chinese females. At the other extreme, I also have close friends who work in companies and factories owned by Chinese nationals.
I am glad that I did not read it when I was younger. I suppose even ten years ago I might not have understood what she was trying to convey. It is ironic that the priest Andre was considered a heretic by his church in Italy. Yet he housed, brought food and love to orphan girls and he fed and cared for those who could not help themselves. With that good work, no religion and culture would condemn. Compared to him, the traditional missionary Little Sister Hsia was insignificant. It is not that I want to belittle one who left behind her loved ones, country and everything to proclaim the gospel. She gave her entire life up for the love of her God and she was sincere in heart. One preached with words while the other with deeds. Of course deeds outshone words alone!
What Buck portrayed was pre-communist China. I am sure little remain in the China of today. After decades of shared poverty, the gap between the have and the have-not in China widened again. Not being much read in history, I can't tell whether the gap today or seventy years ago was wider. I only know that my ancestors escaped to South East Asia to find a living. Around that time hundreds of thousands left China for many parts of the world. On my father side, his clan spent years clearing virgin jungle to plant rubber trees. On my mother side, my grand parents tapped rubber trees as daily waged labourers. Now, I hear of Chinese nationals robbing restaurants at knife points in the cities. We see China dolls in the big cities as well as tiny towns. I have known a few families and marriages being broken by the wealth seeking Chinese females. At the other extreme, I also have close friends who work in companies and factories owned by Chinese nationals.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
(196) Book of Souls by Glenn Cooper
This is a sequel to Library of the Dead. In the second book we see more about how one book of records written by the mysterious monks was passed from one hand to another through the generations.
It was smart of Cooper to link a son of the owner of the book to John Calvin the reformist. Then a plague brought the same son to Nostradamus who wrote the books of predictions. Later another descendant even brought in the young William Shakespeare who was supposed to write a sonnet as a clue to help find hidden letters.
As I read of how the young agent Nancy fell for her partner, Will, even though he was old enough to be her father. Will has been through two marriages and numerous girl friends. Well, Nancy didn't mind and neither did her parents. In contrast to that, my neighbour who is a young fifty year old divorcee was not an acceptable choice as a wife to her boy friend. They have been together more than six years but his mother could not accept her because she has married before. I think of her boy friend who is 48 as a man without back bone. If he loses her, it would have been his own fault. It is futile to fight for equal rights for women because in things like marriage and remarriage, men are often more equal than women.
It was smart of Cooper to link a son of the owner of the book to John Calvin the reformist. Then a plague brought the same son to Nostradamus who wrote the books of predictions. Later another descendant even brought in the young William Shakespeare who was supposed to write a sonnet as a clue to help find hidden letters.
As I read of how the young agent Nancy fell for her partner, Will, even though he was old enough to be her father. Will has been through two marriages and numerous girl friends. Well, Nancy didn't mind and neither did her parents. In contrast to that, my neighbour who is a young fifty year old divorcee was not an acceptable choice as a wife to her boy friend. They have been together more than six years but his mother could not accept her because she has married before. I think of her boy friend who is 48 as a man without back bone. If he loses her, it would have been his own fault. It is futile to fight for equal rights for women because in things like marriage and remarriage, men are often more equal than women.
Monday, January 14, 2013
(195) Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper
I enjoyed reading this book as I did Da Vinci Code, knowing that it is a work of fiction. My son Kenneth said that he would not pay for this book. In any case we borrowed it from his cousin, therefore it did not cost us a cent to obtain it.
From my fairy tales days as a mum borrowing books for my young children, I have come across the superstition of a seventh son of a seventh son being a wizard. Well! I haven't some across one, have you? With very small families in our cities, it is difficult to find a seventh child, let alone a seventh son! The idea of the monastery management forcing young girls under their care to be impregnated so that they can gather more scribes to document the birth and death data of the world is frightening!
As such, information like that belong to God. Would the forces of darkness be able to access such data? I choose to think that only God the Father alone knows when the end of the world is. It cannot be 2027 as recorded in any novel.
From my fairy tales days as a mum borrowing books for my young children, I have come across the superstition of a seventh son of a seventh son being a wizard. Well! I haven't some across one, have you? With very small families in our cities, it is difficult to find a seventh child, let alone a seventh son! The idea of the monastery management forcing young girls under their care to be impregnated so that they can gather more scribes to document the birth and death data of the world is frightening!
As such, information like that belong to God. Would the forces of darkness be able to access such data? I choose to think that only God the Father alone knows when the end of the world is. It cannot be 2027 as recorded in any novel.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
(194) A rocking vehicle
The other day I drove along a busy road and found a parking lot near McDonald and Hong Kong
Bank. There was an empty lot on my left and then there was a blue Toyota parked next to it. Since Michael wanted to look for a book for his sister, I decided to wait in the car.
Where I was then was near an intersection with heavy traffic. Once people going straight stopped because of a red light, those who wish to turn left have to queue and wait. Off the periphery of my sight, I noticed the blue Toyota shaking. Well, perhaps a parent was waiting inside with two active kids! Next I heard a soft hoot. Looking all around, there was no reason for anyone to hoot at others. I followed the progress of two teenage girls with skirt and shorts that could not be any shorter along the road. There went a slightly louder hoot, this time I know it came from the blue Toyota. I saw arms flinging through the tinted window. The car began to rock again.
Oh! There must be two reckless individuals necking in a parked car in a very public place at six o'clock in the evening. Since sunset occurs at almost eight this time of year, it was bright day light then. Michael came back without buying anything. We drove off. He said that the risky behavior is called dogging in UK. Usually those involved are young people looking for thrills. Sex is blase, multiple partners are the norm, orgies may be old play... Yet these people are not up to the level of performing for the web cam. They choose a place where they might be challenged. All the more exciting if one of them is of the Muslim faith: any moment the religious police could come calling and they would be charged in a religious court. Perhaps they are exhibitionists! We were in a suburb, no where near any campuses. It is likely that those two are working folks. I was shocked and yet it was funny to imagine how uncomfortable they must be performing gymnastics in the limited space the two front seats offer.
Bank. There was an empty lot on my left and then there was a blue Toyota parked next to it. Since Michael wanted to look for a book for his sister, I decided to wait in the car.
Where I was then was near an intersection with heavy traffic. Once people going straight stopped because of a red light, those who wish to turn left have to queue and wait. Off the periphery of my sight, I noticed the blue Toyota shaking. Well, perhaps a parent was waiting inside with two active kids! Next I heard a soft hoot. Looking all around, there was no reason for anyone to hoot at others. I followed the progress of two teenage girls with skirt and shorts that could not be any shorter along the road. There went a slightly louder hoot, this time I know it came from the blue Toyota. I saw arms flinging through the tinted window. The car began to rock again.
Oh! There must be two reckless individuals necking in a parked car in a very public place at six o'clock in the evening. Since sunset occurs at almost eight this time of year, it was bright day light then. Michael came back without buying anything. We drove off. He said that the risky behavior is called dogging in UK. Usually those involved are young people looking for thrills. Sex is blase, multiple partners are the norm, orgies may be old play... Yet these people are not up to the level of performing for the web cam. They choose a place where they might be challenged. All the more exciting if one of them is of the Muslim faith: any moment the religious police could come calling and they would be charged in a religious court. Perhaps they are exhibitionists! We were in a suburb, no where near any campuses. It is likely that those two are working folks. I was shocked and yet it was funny to imagine how uncomfortable they must be performing gymnastics in the limited space the two front seats offer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)