There's something magical about Tibet.

There is something unique about Tibet. Whether it is its culture, potential mineral resources, political movement, religion, its recent riot that rocked the world, tourism, Dalai Lama or maybe just its luxurious railway, Tibet always grabs the headline in one news or another.

I was thinking about Tibet yesterday when I missed the bus stop I was suppose to alight, ended had to walk 20 minutes back to my destination at Siping Road. Told you, there's something about Tibet that makes one obsessive or just pure OOh-Ahh about Tibet.

When I heard about Tibet again, It was on a BBC Broadcast. What caught my attention was an interview with Yangrui from CCTV with BBC. It was the first time I came to understand why it's so difficult to accept the dry humour of the Brits. It's filled with sarcasm, and in the right mind, any Brit can seriously make you rather shameful and embarrass at the wrong time and wrong place. Yangrui, a perhaps politically cheerful, and hopes the best for his mother land journalist, was playing too much Tai-chi with the BBC fat lady. Fat lady asked what's on Tibet, maybe due to bad traffic in the air and lots of noises, Rui replies back in regard to Taiwan and Chen Shui Bian, when he should know that the program was specifically based on the current situation in Tibet. After Bishing and Boshing around, Rui's final answer to the situation in Tibet was "I don't know". It was rather hilarious, the issue covered by the BBC on China, as they managed to find all sorts or personals to talk over the phone globally, only to be given remarks that makes one wanna hide in the closet. Poor Mitch, our dear American friend in China, who grumbled and whined about the poor traffic, the poor conditions in China, the poor pollution that can possibly clogged any Olympians, only to be replied Hey look! It's not just China, its as bad in any city around the world, even American ones or something like that.



And seriously, there's something magical about Tibet. When news broke out there's something happening in Tibet again, everybody points their finger to China again. Maybe because history was always a karma. What you did once, will always come back to you, so everyone suspected China to be the accused and Tibet the victim again(1959 March 10). We see clips released by CCTV, and clips released by foreigners in Tibet, without realising the full picture of what was going on.



Surprisingly, as more information was collected, we eventually found out that perhaps the Free Tibet movement was too collaborated to be the Accused's verdict. In various of the world, China embassies were targeted and attacked spontaneously within the same period of time. And Tadah! The killings in Lhasa was done by the locals targetting Han Chinese and their properties. Now now, we have to scratch our heads now as foreigners who listens to CNN and BBC too much. Why in the first do we doubt the PRC? Why did we never frown upon the Tibet in the first place? Told you, there's something magical about Tibet. Hoho.

Nah, CNN and BBC just suck actually. They can go join Hollywood or Bollywood if they want to.

There's something magical about Tibet. Maybe our dear Dalai googled something on Cultural Genocide and found this:

Cultural genocide is subtler than physical genocide -- its tools are less obvious. So now China can extend its dilution of Tibetan culture into cyberspace with expert assistance. Google has agreed to filter out every aspect of Tibetan life that the Chinese government finds offensive, leaving only propaganda, misrepresentations, and outright lies about Tibet and Tibetans. It's amazing. The Tibetan people spent thousands of years developing their history and culture, and Google managed to make it disappear in little more than a year with only a few algorithms.

But should China really face charges? Or perhaps Dalai cannot see any possible changes for his beloved Tibet this lfietime?

One thing for sure, China holds a iron fist in regard to the developments in Tibet. The comfortable housing program brought forth last year, was another chagrined moment for Tibetians. But we cannot oppose the efforts the PRC tries to improve the situation in Tibet.

This dog is one of the most expensive dogs in China right now. 1 Million RMB?


Railroad to Tibet here in China is comfortable and full of scenic landscapes?

This Thiongster Mineral Water is expensive as Evian.

We can say that every action the PRC do is to improve the sitaution in Tibet. It's a magical place! The only problem PRC is facing is somehow like what USA is facing on the Afs problem. Afs chases out the Sovs, but left Afs so bad a rubble place to live in the Afs have the Talis to disturb us eventually. PRC does it the other way round. PRC does no such thing though. Its just something of what the PRC chants so much about nowadays. Intangible heritage. You go chant so much and preech so much about it, but it's so hard to impose it down especially when Tibet do not belong to Tibet, so how to determine something of value when something of value is determined by someone else?

There's something magical about Tibet. Still, the actions carried out in Tibet is shameful. The actions carried out all over the world by Tibetians are shameful. And our Dalai should start using Baidu.com instead of Google, that way the PRC will maybe give a chance for a change and talk to him.

Public Baths of Budapest

I am amazed when I came across an article in regard to Budapest. Nope, its not about the socialist society, neither is it about the beautiful bridge that out lasted history or hardened times. Its public baths!

Before I read this article, my only knowledge of public baths exist only in India and Rome. I never expect that perhaps other countries or civilization might also smile upon it. The Romans might have started it 2000 years ago, when they were delighted to find hot mineral spring hot waters springing in abundance from the banks of the River Danube, The Knights of St. John used the miedicinal waters in baths to cure the sick. The Turks bring back the glory of public bath culture. However, Hungary has palaces for baths, something we can only marvel upon.

"Never in the field of human bathing was so much offered to so many for so little to return" might a Churchillian mayor say to promote Budapest. I say its rather so. The people who uses it, a culture mix with the architecture, the time locked within a practice, is something very unique for Hungarians. And for travellers, it is a rather good way to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Talking of which, its gonna be really Shiiok to go in this period. The only thing is, China dun have palaces and public baths together. And my previous encounters with public baths in China, gloomy and rather not appetizing. :/

source: Images from google images

Gay Blogs in China - Yculblog

In trying to find more readings on Gay culture, I continue to browse through the blogs in YculBlog. Here are more blogs in relation to Gay community here, this are the authors to the blogs they own:

COCO
猫猫
死 地
marc
狗狗
左转右转
joeyzf
疯一样的男子


The problem for most readers who are Not from China is that these blogs are written in Chinese. You might not understand what's written. There should be more people out there. Just my mandrin is no good and I cannot source them out. Please note that these blogs are for you to understand them. You should not criticise as everyone has the right to choose any paths in their life.

We all choose to live the style of life we want. Some of us spent crazy hours rushing datelines in work. Some choose a more carefree style of Living. Some of them might have double personalities in order to hide things the society deemed as controversial. But as the african belief in Ubuntu goes, "Do good, Have Love, Have compassion, make the world better", everyone has and equal right in every day's life.

Gay Culture in China

I got bored today, woke up and decide to do some understanding of tagging. I started off with knowing what are the popular tags within this YculBlog.com blogsite i used. What caught my attention was a couple of tags in relation to Gay culture here in China. Everything begins with a tag: gay

So what did I find out? Lots of articles written by gay community here. No, they seem to have a lack of ability for concealment. They perhaps would prefer to be disclosed out. Out of the closet out of the cabinet. A term in the gay community to be let known. Though this is a virtual world in which perhaps bloggers use a different name from their real world, many of their articles actually talks about real life, what's happening in the worl revolving around them.

Sad to say, a couple of them perhaps felt that they are born in a body which does not belong to them. Castrato is one of them. There is an air of immortality in his post. He feels a need to push on in life, enjoy life to the fullest, perhaps one day changing the world around him. There is still perhaps a very typical mindset of Asian values in his beliefs: take care of parents, get rich, take of his love ones, but there is a tinge of air in which he hopes there are changes. A common value in gay community who wish to be accepted in the society. From his blog, I feel that there is a very big lust factor involving around sex, some concepts can be rather gruesome to the normal people. People who maybe have the urge to understand can read him blog at well.

Intangible Cultural Heritage - A new prospect for preservation of cultures in China?

Intangible Cultural Heritage is a new word in China. With it, it brought about a lot of awareness among the Chinese. We can understand it by saying such cultures are usually formless, and do not have a stationary position like buildings and relics. Rather, such cultures usually exists amidst the crowds in the forms of folklore, craftmanship, beliefs, practices, dances and performances.

China has deemed a couple of such practices into Intangible Cultural Heritage areas: beijing opera and Kun-qu, folk arts like those of bamboo carvings from Jiaoding, drum performances from Shaanxi, tea drinking practices and many more. It become a much awared activity when one visits perhaps a Beijing Opera and go woo ah and say "LOOK! This is China's Intangible Cultural Heritage!" Yes, more people have become aware of such. The Chinese are proud of what they have, took pride in it, start to respect, and many become more prone to protect such treasures.

What I like to point out is that are such treasures more important, or the name Intangible Cultural Heritage that made them important? What if let say traditional paper cutting is not protected at all, will people be so much concerned in preserving this form of fork art running in the society? Will people just say, "eh no point, will not earn money, nobody wish to upkeep such traditions, let's do something that will earn more money..".. Such thoughts make me wonder which is more important, the branding or really the tradition.

Of course, for those old practioners and loyalists to any specific form of art, they are at their tip top happiness. The grandma who goes to her weekly Beijing Opera chuckles happily to herself, knowing that what she enjoy will never disappear. Sweet way to gain awareness, she says.

Florence - A town of Artisans

Dimly Lit workshops, dusty studios and narrow alleyways lie in the shadow of the Palazzo Pitti, an other-world Florence that travellers rarely see. For centuries in Oltrarno, tiny artisan businesses have been turning out first-class articles - from woven textiles to shoes of the finest leather.

There is a saying in Oltrarno. Every door opens into a craftman's workshop here. If you every need a tool or some service, all you need is to go maybe a few buildings further down.

The streets south of Arno have always been the home of craftsmen, since the 12th century. Its population bloomed when Florence city's Roman buildings no longer offered sufficient living space. Oltrarno, comprising San Frediano, Santo Spirito, and San Nicolo, became a small town in its own right, an area where newly rich merchants found the space to build gaudy palaces while artisans could go about their normal trade.

After all, Florence's well-to-do citizens needed furnitures, stucco, silverware, fabrics and frescoes. A close network of small family businesses arose that could produce anything that was need in cultivated Renaissance life and later centuries - from porcerlain and fabrics to a complete church altar.

Many artisans pass their businesses generation to generation. There are a few who made fame only recently, settlers from other cities and town. Florence offers a vibrant unique sensation in the preservation of cultures tangibly. Many of such beauties were exported to regions in Asia, London and Paris.

The Heart Never Lies

A smile, an ambrace, a sympathetic look: there are many sides to ubuntu. This humanist African philosophy is all about connections between people and explains what it means to be human.

Family. According to ubuntu, a person only becomes a person through other people. Thought, speech, considerations for others: These are all primarily learned in the family.

Ubuntu is everywhere: It is a philosophy that has to do with being "friendly, hospitable, generous, gentle, caring and compassionate...being someone who will use their strengths on behalf of others - the weak and the poor and the ill - and not take advantage of anyone," says South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu.


This African philosophy sees all people as being dependent on each other. They don't like being alone and are happiest as part of a community or group, here like a Water Splashing Festival to celebrate New Year in China by Dai People

People with ubuntu are generous and open and respect others. The individualism and competition so prevalent in daily life puts this philosophy to the test not least because many people consider each other as rivals. Lovers have it easier in this regard: young and old, married or not.

Ubuntu comes from the heart. The word originates from the African Zulus. It means humanity, compassion and public spirit, and stands for a way of life worth striving for.

Ubuntu believes that all people are connected by a universal bond. To degrade another is to degrade oneself, to love another is to love oneself.

"People with ubuntu are approachable and welcoming, their attitude is kindly and well-disposed," writes the South African archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu in his introduction to ME WE: Love, Humanity and Us, a book of Vivid, close-up portrayals of human relationships.

"They are not threatened by the goodness in others because their own esteem and self-worth is generated by knowing they belong to a greater whole.

Friendship, not hostility, compassion, not ignorance, forgiveness instead of revenge: Similarities with ubuntu can be found in many religions and philosophies, but everyday social pressures constantly put it to the test.

Desmond Tutu is convinced that by following the principles of ubuntu, people will be able to learn to resolve serious conflicts like South Africa's apartheid, which was only overcome by the power of recouncilation.

In order to regain dignity and humanity, he says, the victims have to recognise these qualities in their former oppressors.

"The solitary, isolated human being is a contradiction in terms," writes Tutu. "Because we need one another, our natural tendency is to be cooperative and helpful. If this were not true we would have died out as a species a long time ago, consumed by our own violence and hate."

Photo of the Day

As I woke up and have a looka looka around the web, I found this photo online. Not much, but this photo is well cropped, lots of informations and emotions involved when one looks at it. You can see a young woman and her children of 4 perhaps escaping from something dangerous or not safe. They must have been in some form of fearful experience in which we as viewers can only guess what had happened.

Such pictures are plentiful in our Asian societies. There is no proper means of ensuring everyone has their equal rights to safety, education and escape from poverty. Even if there is, one can never measure and predict Mother Nature at well. Floods and Earthquakes, Famine and Droughts are still unfortunately the worst enemies of Man in some part of the World.

Yuan Shi-Kai and Warlord Politics I

After the establishment of the Republic; War of the Warlords

Yuan Shi-Kai lead to voluntary acceptance of the Republic by the Manchurians. He pledged his support to the repubic as the "Best Form of State", leading to the end of the Imperial administraion and monarchial system. Reasons that allowed him to come into power even though he was just a provincial president, was because he carries out the proper steps in ensuring China become Republic. Many view Sun Yet-Sen as an idealist and impractical. Yuan also controlled a vast military power in Northen China.

Power in which a prime minister hold, Yuan as provincial president do not control:
- take charge of political affairs- served as commander-in-chief of army and navy
- authorised to appoint ministers and diplomatic envoys
- entitled to declare war, negotiate peace, sign treaties
- Check were necessary by Senate's approval, curbing Yuan's full control in power

Yuan's Conflicts with the Revolutionaries
- Location of the Capital. Nanking or Beijing
- Sharing Power with the Cabinet(Tang Shaoyi, China's 1st Prime Minister, leading to the resignation of Tang Shaoyi in June 1912
- Torn between Legislations; supportors do not support Yuan, view him as a Tyrant
- Revolution Alliance absorbed four other political groups and reorganised as the National Party(GuoMingDang)
- Sun still supreme leader; de facto leader Song Jiaren
- Assasination of Song Jiaren by Yuan Shi-Kai
- 125 Million Dollars Loan for re-organisation of military power and authority control, borrowed from 5 powers consortium
- Yuan's action lead and resulted to the 2nd Revolution in 1913

Yuan's gradual step to dismantle the constitutional structure
- Forced the Parliament to elect him as President in Oct 1913
- Endorsed the dissolvement of National Party in Jan 1914
- arrested National Party Members in Beijing- Extended presidential term to 10 years, made president renewable by re-election with limit and have personal right to nominate his succesor in Dec 1914
- Engaged foreign advisors on governmental affairs (Frank Goodnow)
- Became the Emperor of China in December 1915

Yuan as Emperor
- Approved majority of 21 damands by Japan for specials rights in China; sign agreement with Russia in relation to Mongolia; Britain in Tibet
- His ambition brought forth the wrath of many to fall upon him
- The National Protection Army led by Cai Er ignited the National Protection Movement against Yuan (Yun Nan)
- Guizhou also cried out for independence soon after
- Military Affairs council formed by various council provinces against him
- Deserted by his Henchmen and overcome with shame and anxiety, Yuan suddenly died on June 6, 1916
- Yuan's Dynasty only lasted for 82 Days

related books:
China: Its History and Culture (4th Edition) (Paperback)
The Rise of Modern China (Paperback)
China's Republic (New Approaches to Asian History) (Hardcover)
China and the Origins of the Pacific War, 1931-41 (Paperback)

Bai Han Lou - Tibetan-Catholic Community in Isolation

In Baihanlou, an isolated village in the Nu River Valley, located in the northwest corner of Yunnan Province, lies an isolated Tibetan-Catholic community and their long, lasting blend og religions. It is interesting to note that how this Tibetan-Catholic community has survive for so long unmolested. One could only wonder if this was a miracle worked by means unknown.

During the 1800s, French missionaries came and converted a small part of the pop in Tibet to Christianity. Baihanlou is a beautiful mountain village nestled in the foothills of the Tibetan plateau. At night, one can hear the river faintly in the distance. In this part of the world, nature and people seem uninterrupted.

Entering the centre of the village, a 130-year-old Catholic Church stood stark white from the back and sides, but the front is Chinese Pagoda style with a wooden winged tips on either side of the building darkly painted in blues and fadings reds. The Entire Village is involved in the church from birth till death - when they are not farming for their livelihood, they are praying in unison. When they are not praying, they are farming.

Entering the humble church, bare wood beams make up the basic structure of the interior. Three exposed light bulbs provides all the light needed. On the left hand side of the church are pictures of Jesus carrying his cross with Roman soldiers whipping him, to the right there are three large windows facing west. Each pillar of wood extends from the floor to the ceiling and has various carvings, some inscriptions read, "We will follow you Jesus." At the front of the church is a small and humble altar, decorated with artificial flowers in bright reds and pinks, beside it is a life-size marble statute of Virgin Mary.

Attending mass, one can notice directly how devoted the villagers are. Prayers continue almost uninterrupted, as if a perfect routine is already in place. The minister doesn't speak to or direct his flock in any way. Their prayers are in their bones, from the small children to the weather-beaten faces of the elderly, the community moves and prays together as one. They do not participate in the Vatican's strict Catholicism, but rather their own religion that part of the this community's traditions that has been passed on for generations - it is their way of life.

The villagers called themselves Catholic, but as they sit and kneel in prayer, there is nothing typically Catholic about them. The chanting, or praying, is deeply moving and incredibly unique and is combined with a small head bobbing. Every once in a while there is prostration where everyone kneels and touches their head to the ground. There are hints of Buddhism, Islam and Catholicism all wrapped up into one single mass.

And then suddenly, it all stopped.

In an orderly manner, everyone rises from the low wooden benches and exits the church. No words have been exchanged, the community seems to live in silence after they are through chanting their prayers.

A small, poor Tibetan community chanting Catholic prayers before and after a long day of farming. How had Catholicism lasted so long in such an isolated environment? But that was just it, isolation is the answer.


reading materials:
China's Catholics: Tragedy and Hope in an Emerging Civil Society
Religion and Biography in China and Tibet

The New Seven Wonders of the World

The New Seven Wonders of the World was announced on 07.07.07 at Portugal. Concurrently, Live Earth was broad casted in various places such as Shanghai, Tokyo, London,etc.

The Wonders were chosen through an Internet voting system. You can say it's voted by the people. However, many people around the world does not have access to the Internet, thus making the voting system unfair. The new selection of the wonders remains an issue of controversial values. Rumors said that people were paid to cast votes. Whatever it is, its still worth celebrating. We just hope that these new wonders can withstand time and the strains cause by tourism in which such monuments will be worn down faster, and polluted by the foils of man.

Egypt's Pyramids is the only survivor of the past Wonders listed.

Wah, lucky those ugly modern monuments did not get inside the choice. Or else even more controversy man!


Great Wall of China, China
The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.



Taj Mahal, India
This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.



Petra, Jordan
On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.


The Colosseum, Rome
This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.


Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.


Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru
In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.



Ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, Mexico.

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.

China nod for Asian heritage perspective

If most people do not know, UNESCO formed their guidelines to approved their World Heritage lists based on their committee members mainly constituted of European countries. Most of such guidelines were formed straight after the 2 World Wars which devastated our heritage globally, making us lose many valuable treasure Man created in thier History make civalization.

Recently, China and Malaysia raises issues in concern to the guidelines whether Asian countries should follow the same methods follow by the western counterparts. As beliefs and values defers countries to countries, regions to regions, some of the Chapters and guidelines offered by UNESCO might not be catered to the needs of Asian countries. Facing such issues, Japan raises their voices in accordance to the meaning of authencity and wrote the Declaration of Authentication in Nara Chapter as a guideline. It raises certain issues in which heritage can be intangible, and preservation of building in accordance to what it is does not mean as much as the intangible factor in which spirit, values, culture, customs might hold the foundation to the foundation of what A national of ethinic value might believe in. This is due to their belief that their Shinto Temple can be rebuilt, but their beliefs go beyond just a simple Architecture in form.

The Kiwis believes that their heritage site should be left to nature, in which if the nature deems their houses should be decayed and return to Mother Nature, so be it. This is a code of conduct and respect to the nature in which they deeply believed in.

Poland was razed and destroyed during the world war. However, their city made it into the World Heritage Site as well because it goes beyond physical form, but the outreach of their fighting spirit and strong National Identity to the world.

Still, we must take note that nothing is simple, and daily we are facing loss in heritage all over the world, whether it is the last ethinic race, the last form of communication and culture, or the last folk song known in a region. Time is the essence in preventing further loss. But we all have our own limitations in how much we can do.

If there should be further implications and chapters added into the guidelines, and if it is for a good cause, I feel it will always be beneficial to the world globally. After all, everything is about preseving our own uniqueness and not be tainted too much by the effects of globalisation.

However, we must always consider backwards: are all this done for commercial purposes, political purposes? How many times a site enlisted falls into bad management? How many times it all fall back into an empty pit in which so much more were lost due to the enlistment? I welcome all comments in relation to this topic. You can leave comments and ways of contact in which we can further discuss this.

Let's hope what Malaysia is doing is not solely because they want to promote Malaysia Tourism Year 2007.

source: the star

KUALA LUMPUR: China supports Malaysia’s stand that Asian countries be assessed according to their own criteria for Unesco's Heritage Cities listing.

China’s Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng said Unesco should look at the Asian perspective when according such status, based on the specific environmental, historical, geographical locations and the nature of cultural heritages of the countries in Asia.

Sun, who headed a delegation that paid a courtesy call on Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim at the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex here on Friday, said Asian countries, which shared many similarities, should work together to ensure that Unesco accepts the suggestion by Malaysia.

On Thursday, Dr Rais had raised Malaysia's proposal to China for Asia to have its own version of “Unesco” to accord such status but the matter has yet to be decided as the Eastern Ministers of Culture have not met.

Dr Rais said there should be specific criteria for Asian countries, and that it was not right for Unesco to compare Asia to the Western nations.

“Our suggestion will be handed over to Unesco soon. It is important to give them an idea on how differently Asian countries look at artefacts or heritage sites, compared to European and other non-Asian countries.

“If there is a benchmark set for Asian countries, we will have more heritage sites,” he told reporters after receiving the Chinese delegation.

Dr Rais said he discussed training programmes related to culture and heritage with Sun, adding that China had vast experience in the conservation of buildings, cultural and heritage artefacts.

Culture on display at open house

source: the star

KUCHING: Sarawak’s ethnic communities celebrated the Gawai Dayak Open House last night with a colourful show of traditional cultures.

Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu lasses and warriors in full regalia welcomed Sarawak Governor Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and state ministers at the State Indoor Stadium here.

Among the highlights was a 30-strong Kelabit bamboo band from the Baram region in northern Sarawak.

Cultural troupes which took to the stage with their traditional dances included a group of elderly Bidayuh women from the remote village of Kampung Semban in Ulu Padawan near here.

Red carpet welcome: Tun Abang Muhammad (centre), his wife Toh Puan Norkiah and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu (left) being greeted by Bidayuh dancers in Kuching last night.

They wore distinctive metal coils on their arms and legs, a decorative element of their traditional costume unique to their village.

There was also a musical dance-drama and a parade of beauty contestants, known as “Kumang”, in three categories – Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu.

A joke that shows the characteristics of 3 nationalities.

An american, a French and a Chinese was trapped in a desert
Along the way, they stumbled upon a lamp in which a genie appeared and grant them 3 wishes

The American asked for lots of money, and lots of money and asked to be sent back to America. Wish was granted.
The French asked for lots of pretty women, lots of pretty women and to go back to Franch. Wish granted.
The Chinese asked for lots of er-guo-tou(chinese spirit), ask for more spirit again, and feeling lonely he wished that the American and French to come back to the desert to drink with him. Wish granted.

So the American and the French were back in the desert. They were pissed to the core.

Along the way, the trio stumbled upon a beer bottle, in which another genie with lesser command of magical power appeared. He can grant them 2 wishes.

The same thing happened again.
The American asked for lots of money, and asked to be sent back to America. Wish was granted.
The French asked for lots of pretty women, and to go back to Franch. Wish granted.
The Chinese asked for lots of er-guo-tou(chinese spirit), and feeling lonely he wished that the American and French to come back to the desert to drink with him. Wish granted.

The American and the French popped back into the desert and felt freaking pissed off with the Chinese.

So they walked in the desert. Along the way, they stumbled upon a zippo lighter in which one more genie appeared. He could only grant them the trio one wish each.

The French and the American asked the Chinese to make the wish first, fearing they will be called back again.

Guess what the Chinese wished for?

"Hmm, I drank enough and I am contented. I have nothing to wish for. You can leave now, Mr. Genie."