The Year of The Rat

While I wait for a Democrat to take more money out of my check, weaken my military, redefine Marriage, and continue the onslaught on the Zygote population; or a Republican to pretend that hunters may need assualt rifles and handguns to bag a trophy buck, (humans more often hunt humans with such weapons), and to plan the next government to topple or to believe that moving students from one school to another in some way improves the education system, and while Republican suits shutter over McCain and Huckabee bringing ruin to the Red Ranch, and Bill Clinton rustles through old closets trying to find his Black card and Black shoe polish for his cheeks, plenty of things have been rumbling through my mind.

So it is Black History Month, I guess I am suppose to be excited about that, especially since I will be teaching a course on The Black Experience next week, assuming that students will actually sign up for the course. I have spent many years running away from Black History, for a couple of reasons the largest being how it has always been fed to me with a notion that if I do not know these facts I am nothing. If the MLK's birthday slips my mind, somehow I am being disrespectful or if I do jump at the chance to learn about Harriet Tubman I am not Black enough and a disgrace to the culture. I understand such stories are suppose to give young brothers like me hope that I can achieve great things in a society that seems to know more about my color's failures than success; however, I've always had a mother to give me that encouragement; others aren't so blessed. During college, it came to my attention that all of my life (I know it is funny when a 24-year-old uses such a phrase) I have never been taught Black culture, but only dates, names, and places. When You study World War I, you study the ways in which it affected WWII and what was learn because of the two wars. At least in my education, when you study Black History you learn names what they did, where they did it, and how they died, and magicly you are suppose to gather something of substance from such a vague list of information. Perhaps I am strange, because some do get alot out of it, I need more. I treat Black History like I treat Church. If you expect me to enjoy a "God is Good all the time sermon" telling me what Christians already assume then you are wasting your time, I need more. Giving me a list of Black accomplishments doesn't make my face shine, I am proud, but uninterested; I need depth. I have rambled to ask the question: how do I teach facts and substance in eight classes? Moreover, how do I teach substance when I have not been taught substance? We will find out in the coming weeks.



Lets talk about health. While I write this I am sick, which is the second time on this trip. The first time earlier in the school year I was very fatigue, somewhat similar to my sickness in Cambine, Mozambigue yet here I am able to walk without worry of falling over. Now, I have the same fatigue very slightly, and stomach issues as well. Since my landing in Asia, I have lost 11 pounds due to the lack of Southern grease and American additives and other junk we lace our food with. I will be fine tomorrow. My spiritual health is intact, I just finished reading a wornderful book called I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Athiest by Normal L Geisler and Frank Turek. The book claims that it takes much more faith to be an athiest than a Christian, and ultimately more faith to believe in any other religion other than Christianity. It uses scientific research, logic, philosopical discussion to prove its points. With compelling evidence it reveals evolution as a broken theory and basically debunks all other faiths as truth. It was a really fantastic read. I also read The Alchemist, which was wonderful, and I am trying to sift through Surprised By Joy and The Abolition of Man both CS Lewis works, and I am about to start reading A Lesson before Dying by Earnest Gaines.

I want to be Liberated, free from what you see,

detached from the damage that my words,

my run-a-muck conclusion, and the skin color

illusion have on my character, what my heart

meant to say before my intellect got carried away.

Can I be carried away by free winds, not man made

oscillating fans. I want to liberated before captivity

consumes and dooms me. Set me free old truth,
and do it in my youth; not in the golden years when few

lend me their ears, arrogant, know it all young folks.

I want to be liberated, end the lease to the liar living

inside of me whispering apprehension, self-suspiscion

all within me, taking too lightly my potential. I want

to be liberated from secular sentiment, the morality

and animalistic freedom predicament. I want to be
free.

Writing is on and off here. The above passage is the first stanza in a new poem I am writing, but I stand stuck at the moment. Writing here is interesting. It doesn't come too easily, but when it does it is usually good, or at least something I like. Trust me, I have written tons of things I don't like, but I keep them as a reminder of my writing's development. My journaling has come to a standstill, but I am trying to get back to it. As for writing down my thoughts, that is sometimes promising and other times I just can't find the words. Poetry is strictly on inspired bases only. In the past, I could just make a poem out of my everyday thoughts, but not here. Perhaps that is good. My significant other has challenged me to write a Fiction work, which I have started on and it has proven to be a great challenge that I am enjoying.





As some of you may know, it is The Year of The Rat. Chinese New Year in Mainland has been affected by severe snow storms and a transportation gridlock because of it. Many of the students from central and northern China didn't even attempt to go home. In Hong Kong, there isn't any snow, but there is a chill factor that I did not expect. For the first part of the cold season I was reminded of the 93 snowstorm where my family were freezing in our powerless Pratt City home for days. Obviously, there is not any heat in the dorms so I broke down about a week ago and bought a small heater for about $25 USD. Despite its size, it makes my room very toastie.



There were plenty of feastvities in Hong Kong celebrating Chinese New Year. I only attended the parade which was smaller than I expected, but still interesting since I don't think I have ever seen a parade in person. Here are some pictures from the show.





I hope all the pictures have made you smile. They are just from around Hong Kong during the break. Here are some more.




Well, I hope this blog makes up for the last one, and brings a little cheer, laughter and careful thought into your lives. My mother's Birthday is in a week or so (FEB 22) and I hope that it is a great day, I think she is turning 30 or something close to it. I wish I could spend it with you mama. Until I blog again, be cool friends.