S. and I are now comfortably ensconced in the Jade Suite of the MV Yangzi Explorer with the intention of cruising the four hundred miles or so between Yichang (population circa four million) and Chongqing (population seven million). Yichang I’m sure you’ve never heard of, but Chongqing you may know as Chunking which it used to be before the Chicoms started tinkering with the names of their towns. I also remember Chunking as the only Chinese food ever to cross our family table. It was the name brand of the boxed chow mein that my mom got at the local grocery. Let’s deal with the name thing first. When the first missionaries arrived in the area about five...
The words in the title of this blog are inscribed on the facade of the National Archives in Washington, DC, but actually they are a corruption of the Bard’s words in The Tempest Act II, Scene I wherein he wrote “ whereof what’s past is just prologue of what’s to come, that is, the future”. If China’s past is just prologue of it’s future, we’re in trouble; but I don’t think so. What I’m going to say is not likely to square with any history you’ve read about China, if you’ve ever read any. China’s history, it’s prologue, if you will, is really pretty simple. It, like Caesar said of Gaul, can be divided into three parts. First, there is the dynastic part. ...
In 1850 it took three to six months to sail from the US to China. In 1937 the Pan Am Clipper Transpacific service could get you to China in five to seven days. On October the 9th, 2010 we made it from Dallas to Beijing (Peking) door to door in twenty hours. At that trajectory, how long will it take in another generation or two? Hell, I’m still trying to figure out how the international date line thing works, and I have to refer to my iPhone to calculate if it’s 11:00 am in New York, what time is it in Shanghai. Suffice it to say, good old AA got us there in fine fettle even though for the fourth consecutive international flight, we had ground delays caused...
Those of us of a certain age will recall the popular travel guides of some years ago that touted “See Europe on $$$$ per Day”. The fill in the blank number that I remember ranged from $20.00 to $200.00. These books were largely responsible for the flood of American tourists that roamed through Europe from the 60’s onward seeking to immerse themselves in European culture. The reality is that most of those that followed the proscriptions of such “How To” books became acquainted with small dingy hotel rooms, wine that tasted like paint thinner, and that particular brand of European body odor, but, nevertheless, returned home happy and knowing more than when...
Ok, I’ll admit it. When S. made her desire known to go to Venice on our European jaunt, my first reaction was a giant groan. First of all, I’ve been there, done that, and secondly, it’s really a white bread kind of place to go. At best, a really old European Disneyland for adults. Gimme a break….gondolas. Tourists coming out of the old wazoo. What a way to spend a few precious days when we could have been in Slovenia or some place really interesting. But I was wrong. Well, not completely wrong. It is, more or less, a Disneyland for adults, but a very fine one, and one with significant history and culture. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you a...
After 30 years in the world of big business, Gary “retired” to pursue long ignored interests. While continuing his involvement in the corporate world by serving as a director of several public companies, he has, among other things, traveled the world in pursuit of the perfect bird photograph, served national and local charities as a director and donor, developed a personal web site as a platform for his writing on subjects of personal interest, and, occasionally, taken time to smell the roses.
Gary and his wife Sandra, shuttle between their condo in Dallas and their farm in Fannin county, Texas where they indulge themselves in organic gardening, long walks and entertaining friends and family.
