From Æsop's fables:
Every man, according to ancient legend, is born into the world with two bags on his neck: a small bag in front filled with his neighbor's faults, and a large back in back filled with his own faults. Hence it is that men are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are blind to their own failings.
Here end the words of Æsop. However, I think there is plenty more to be said on the subject:
1. Consider the size of the bags as described in the fable. The small one is the bag in front, the large one over the back. Though the faults of others are the ones we immediately notice, it is our own shortcomings that are much more noticeable to any observer.
2. The position of the bags. The neck is not a very wise joint to entrust your weight to, particularly that of two bags. Whenever we become aware of a flaw, it weighs us down.
3. The cleansing from error. Of course, this consistent weight would be painful, and the simple solution is to clean out the bags. Our neighbor's bag is beyond our control, but we are free to empty ours at any time, replacing our shortcomings with success.
4. Though not visible to us, our own bag is painfully obvious toward all observers. We should recognize that toward observers, we do not look perfect, and should accept it.
That is all. Enjoy your super fable.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Things I've learned at The Chinese Camp
Cool stories make ample bedtime material.
All water does not taste the same.
There are no benefits without cost.
Just because somebody shares similar interests does not mean they are likable.
I don't care of people are witty enough to make good jokes, but I do care whether they understand mine.
Self-government, in many respects, beats executive power small-scale.
Willing to participate in something stupid changes the way you look at the world a great deal.
A little alone time is necessary to prevent becoming a wangsty emotional wreck.
You produce a much better performance if the writing is your own.
Sometimes, the best friendships are formed by acting stupid in front of each other.
Sometimes, it takes an outside observer to see you're acting really stupid.
Established friendships sometimes get in the way of new ones
Pterodactyl screamo either makes people laugh uncontrollably or convinces them of your insanity.
Getting jealous about something you don't care about is stupid.
Resigning yourself to fate is stupid and makes people not like you.
People get taller.
Trying to remain prideful in a situation where you are bound to look stupid is the epitome of conceit.
I'm really good at making up pick-up lines
You will adopt mannerisms of the people you surround yourself by.
Don't fall for who you imagine somebody to be. Fall for who they are. The results are much more interesting.
Fall asleep with something important on your mind. It'll still be there in the morning.
Chinese.
All water does not taste the same.
There are no benefits without cost.
Just because somebody shares similar interests does not mean they are likable.
I don't care of people are witty enough to make good jokes, but I do care whether they understand mine.
Self-government, in many respects, beats executive power small-scale.
Willing to participate in something stupid changes the way you look at the world a great deal.
A little alone time is necessary to prevent becoming a wangsty emotional wreck.
You produce a much better performance if the writing is your own.
Sometimes, the best friendships are formed by acting stupid in front of each other.
Sometimes, it takes an outside observer to see you're acting really stupid.
Established friendships sometimes get in the way of new ones
Pterodactyl screamo either makes people laugh uncontrollably or convinces them of your insanity.
Getting jealous about something you don't care about is stupid.
Resigning yourself to fate is stupid and makes people not like you.
People get taller.
Trying to remain prideful in a situation where you are bound to look stupid is the epitome of conceit.
I'm really good at making up pick-up lines
You will adopt mannerisms of the people you surround yourself by.
Don't fall for who you imagine somebody to be. Fall for who they are. The results are much more interesting.
Fall asleep with something important on your mind. It'll still be there in the morning.
Chinese.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
In Utah
I've spent the last three days in the town of Bountiful, Utah. Here, I have, as I always do, spent most of my time as an observer. Social practices in Utah are far different than what I have come to know as "Normal" life. Shall I list the ways?
In Utah, first and foremost, there are no major cliques. Of course, there are still sports groups, which remain hostile to most outsiders, but as a whole, there is one social group. In Normal,
Washington, closed circles of friends make up most of the population of Normal High School.
On the flip side of the coin, most people in Utah are completely unaware of how similar they really are. I marveled this week at political jokes being made with gusto, the thought that I may be a democrat never entering into their minds. Although Normal is in a very liberal State, it's refreshing to have people who don't automatically always agree with me. Debate is my fuel. I'm not comfortable when all opinions are in line, because it means one side of the argument, even when a valid point is made, is perpetually ignored.
More to come soon. Have an adventure.
In Utah, first and foremost, there are no major cliques. Of course, there are still sports groups, which remain hostile to most outsiders, but as a whole, there is one social group. In Normal,
Washington, closed circles of friends make up most of the population of Normal High School.
On the flip side of the coin, most people in Utah are completely unaware of how similar they really are. I marveled this week at political jokes being made with gusto, the thought that I may be a democrat never entering into their minds. Although Normal is in a very liberal State, it's refreshing to have people who don't automatically always agree with me. Debate is my fuel. I'm not comfortable when all opinions are in line, because it means one side of the argument, even when a valid point is made, is perpetually ignored.
More to come soon. Have an adventure.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Some Thoughts
It's been 9 days since I updated this puppy. Whoa. Time to get back into it. I suppose I should finish where I left off.
China was fun. And hot. You never really can understand how great your hometown is until you've spent a while far away from it. Over all ten days of the trip, the moment that felt the best was the one where I stepped off a plane into non-humid, temperate Spokane. It felt incredibly refreshing to be back to where the air was breathable, the water was drinkable, and the language was intelligible.
Back on the home front, life has been uneventful, just whittling away the time until I return to STARTALK, undoubtably the highlight of my summer.
Meanwhile, all of my dear peers have just escaped the bonds of another year of high school. It seems like only yesterday that graduation seemed like an uncontainable, far-off goal. Now, it can't come soon enough. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't catch senioritis, but now I find myself embracing it. Quite frankly, I'm bored with school. As underclassmen, we were always told that Junior year would be the most difficult, the most grueling. It wasn't. Now that I've spent the last couple of years getting organized, I have come to the same conclusion that I did as a second-grader: school isn't that hard. It's dreary, though.
A horrible side-effect of meeting amazing people is realizing how average the rest of the world is by comparison. I'm not talking intellectually, either, heaven knows some of the most amazing people I've met have unremarkable intelligence. I'm talking about people with depth, people who you can talk with,
and, through the badinage, stumble onto some deep thought or truth. 98% of the students I know fall nowhere close to this. There is a distinct superficiality to their words, and it's painful to be surrounded by. The gossip-obsessed cheerleader, the nerd who only discusses the latest video game, the stoner, the concerned valedictorian. They are all equal offenders. Being out for the summer is a welcome break.
That's all for now. Hopefully, you can expect more updates in the future. Peace out.
China was fun. And hot. You never really can understand how great your hometown is until you've spent a while far away from it. Over all ten days of the trip, the moment that felt the best was the one where I stepped off a plane into non-humid, temperate Spokane. It felt incredibly refreshing to be back to where the air was breathable, the water was drinkable, and the language was intelligible.
Back on the home front, life has been uneventful, just whittling away the time until I return to STARTALK, undoubtably the highlight of my summer.
Meanwhile, all of my dear peers have just escaped the bonds of another year of high school. It seems like only yesterday that graduation seemed like an uncontainable, far-off goal. Now, it can't come soon enough. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't catch senioritis, but now I find myself embracing it. Quite frankly, I'm bored with school. As underclassmen, we were always told that Junior year would be the most difficult, the most grueling. It wasn't. Now that I've spent the last couple of years getting organized, I have come to the same conclusion that I did as a second-grader: school isn't that hard. It's dreary, though.
A horrible side-effect of meeting amazing people is realizing how average the rest of the world is by comparison. I'm not talking intellectually, either, heaven knows some of the most amazing people I've met have unremarkable intelligence. I'm talking about people with depth, people who you can talk with,
and, through the badinage, stumble onto some deep thought or truth. 98% of the students I know fall nowhere close to this. There is a distinct superficiality to their words, and it's painful to be surrounded by. The gossip-obsessed cheerleader, the nerd who only discusses the latest video game, the stoner, the concerned valedictorian. They are all equal offenders. Being out for the summer is a welcome break.
That's all for now. Hopefully, you can expect more updates in the future. Peace out.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Coincidences
Someone on the other side must have been rolling an unholy amount of natural twenties, because fairly improbable things have been happening left and right today. These things include:
Seeing a blue sky over Beijing (P=.03)
Sharing a train car with a Chinese man who was reading The Bible (P=.0003) (edit: met another Christian Chinese man (P=.0000009)
Running into the one person in the world I knew who would presently be in China (P=.0000000003)
Need proof on that last one?
Check in tomorrow.
Seeing a blue sky over Beijing (P=.03)
Sharing a train car with a Chinese man who was reading The Bible (P=.0003) (edit: met another Christian Chinese man (P=.0000009)
Running into the one person in the world I knew who would presently be in China (P=.0000000003)
Need proof on that last one?
Check in tomorrow.
Location:西安，中国
Thursday, June 7, 2012
A Post About Something Mundane
Walls, walls, walls.
China is full of them. Today, I hiked one of them. The Okay Wall of China. Sure, it's really big, and I understand what attracts people toward it, but now, it's just a really long hike. To me, it's not the wall itself that is impressive, but the psyche behind it. Emperor Qin, he guy who built the wall, was a bit of a crazy guy. The audacious implications he sent with such a wall were huge. It is quite the hostile and belligerent motion to think yourself important enough for such a wall.
Of course, walls have a long and proud history in China as an open message toward others to keep out of their business. Those familiar in passing with the history of Beijing and Avatar: the Last Airbender, should have no trouble drawing the parallels between the forbidden city and Ba Sing Se. Up until 1911, Beijing was divided up into several rings, at the center of which was the imperial palace. Outside the wall, the wealthy merchants and government officials lived. Outside that wall, the middle class, and beyond, the commoners. For anybody who thinks America has large disparities between social classes, we've got nothing on Imperial China.
Although these walls went down over 100 years ago, their proud tradition still stands. As we arrived in Bejing, many of the streets we drove past also had walls. When we took an evening stroll by these same walls, we had a chance to look behind them. It became evident that we had driven in on the nice roads of the city. Behind was another world, filled with old tenements and one-man bike repair shops. There was a certain charm to this view. As I've said before, Beijing is Vegas, San Fransisco, New York. We were presented with the material face of the city. With a little searching, we caught glimpses of the city's soul.
I may not have Internet access for the next several days. Stay classy, readers.
China is full of them. Today, I hiked one of them. The Okay Wall of China. Sure, it's really big, and I understand what attracts people toward it, but now, it's just a really long hike. To me, it's not the wall itself that is impressive, but the psyche behind it. Emperor Qin, he guy who built the wall, was a bit of a crazy guy. The audacious implications he sent with such a wall were huge. It is quite the hostile and belligerent motion to think yourself important enough for such a wall.
Of course, walls have a long and proud history in China as an open message toward others to keep out of their business. Those familiar in passing with the history of Beijing and Avatar: the Last Airbender, should have no trouble drawing the parallels between the forbidden city and Ba Sing Se. Up until 1911, Beijing was divided up into several rings, at the center of which was the imperial palace. Outside the wall, the wealthy merchants and government officials lived. Outside that wall, the middle class, and beyond, the commoners. For anybody who thinks America has large disparities between social classes, we've got nothing on Imperial China.
Although these walls went down over 100 years ago, their proud tradition still stands. As we arrived in Bejing, many of the streets we drove past also had walls. When we took an evening stroll by these same walls, we had a chance to look behind them. It became evident that we had driven in on the nice roads of the city. Behind was another world, filled with old tenements and one-man bike repair shops. There was a certain charm to this view. As I've said before, Beijing is Vegas, San Fransisco, New York. We were presented with the material face of the city. With a little searching, we caught glimpses of the city's soul.
I may not have Internet access for the next several days. Stay classy, readers.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Thoughts From Beijing
After a grueling 34-hour day, being in China is finally a reality. As we drove in, walked around, and mingled with the locals, I recognized a great deal of things.
Essential to understanding Beijing is realizing its status as a tourist city. As I rode in, parallels between Vegas and LA kept becoming evident. You can see parts of the city that are very clearly designed to be tourist traps. In addition, the sort of people who call Beijing their hometown tend to be very similar. The materialism that has permeated the city is clearly seen with the outrageous styles many locals are sporting.
Our first hour in, we went down to Pearl market, an amusing mix of a mall and open market. Instead of the store having one cashier per department, there were several stalls built next to one another, each trading virtually the same wares, Although haggling sounded easy at first, and it felt easy, until you realize you got ripped off. The folks running the stalls are very, very good. Their analysis begins the moment you come into their domain. They follow your eyes, trying to see how much you'd be willing to give up for the item. Their only strategic fault is how they will approach you, unsolicited. The moment that THEY are the ones offering the price, they allow the buyer control over how "interested" they are in buying it. Unfortunately, this is not often taken advantage of, something of which I, too, am guilty.
I don't have time to write about the ride in, the alleys, or the walls now, but they will definitely be covered in the next few posts. Stay classy, readers.
Essential to understanding Beijing is realizing its status as a tourist city. As I rode in, parallels between Vegas and LA kept becoming evident. You can see parts of the city that are very clearly designed to be tourist traps. In addition, the sort of people who call Beijing their hometown tend to be very similar. The materialism that has permeated the city is clearly seen with the outrageous styles many locals are sporting.
Our first hour in, we went down to Pearl market, an amusing mix of a mall and open market. Instead of the store having one cashier per department, there were several stalls built next to one another, each trading virtually the same wares, Although haggling sounded easy at first, and it felt easy, until you realize you got ripped off. The folks running the stalls are very, very good. Their analysis begins the moment you come into their domain. They follow your eyes, trying to see how much you'd be willing to give up for the item. Their only strategic fault is how they will approach you, unsolicited. The moment that THEY are the ones offering the price, they allow the buyer control over how "interested" they are in buying it. Unfortunately, this is not often taken advantage of, something of which I, too, am guilty.
I don't have time to write about the ride in, the alleys, or the walls now, but they will definitely be covered in the next few posts. Stay classy, readers.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
The First Post
Hey. It's me. Eli. Starting a blog again. The rationale behind starting this one is that it'll give me a medium to commune my adventures in China through, but who knows? I might be able to keep this one alive after the first three posts. Should you choose to return, expect to find not rants about what I did that day, but rather, observations and thoughts on said events, and perhaps lengthy discourses discussing such things.
Well, let's begin. Time for an adventure.
Well, let's begin. Time for an adventure.
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