Ch. 3: 刀斷刃，人斷腸 (Link)

"他們的笑聲，傅紅雪好像根本沒有聽見。他臉上還是全無表情，慢慢地鑽過柵欄，拖著沉重的腳步，一步步往前。他身上的衣服不知何時又已濕透。紫衫少年的笑聲突然一起停頓——也不知是誰，首先看到了地上的腳印，然後就沒有人還能笑得出。因為大家都已發現，他每走一步，地上就留下一個很深的腳印，就像是刀刻出來一般的腳印。"

Translation:
Their laughter didn't appear to be heard by Fu Hongxue at all. His face expressionless, he slowly worked his way through the gap in the gate, dragging his heavy foot, going forward step by step. His clothes appeared damp again. The group of youngsters in purple robes suddenly stopped laughing--it's not known who was the first, but someone saw the footprint left on the ground, and no one could bring himself to laugh after that; because everyone discovered it then, that there was left on the ground a deep-set footprint as if it were carved by a sabre.

I remember when I was younger, I saw the series made by TVB where Hugo Ng played Fu Hongxue. This is one of the most memorable scenes, if not THE most memorable scene for me. And now, reading it in the original text, it's even more powerful! =D

The Bordertown Wanderer: Ch 2 (link)

So far, very little has happened. Some of the major characters, however, have been introduced. Ma Fongling 馬芳鈴 has appeared, and she is a friend of Xiao Bieli 蕭別離, the owner of the tavern. Yie Kai 葉開 is described as a very poor man, whose clothes are tattered and very smelly. The sole of his shoe has worn out, exposing his skin. The skin has swollen due to all the walking he's done, and instead of criticizing the shoes, he criticizes his own feet. He's very funny, but he's also very wise.

Right now, at the end of chapter 2, Yie Kai is traveling in a carriage to the Ma estate to meet the owner, Ma Kongqun 馬空群. Suddenly, Yie Kai hears someone chanting an ominous song that goes like this:
"The sky's a-flutter, the earth's a-flutter, the eyes bleed and the moon is dim. Once you've entered the Ma Estate, swords will clash and men will die. The sky's a-flutter, the earth's a-flutter. Tears like blood, men will die. Once you've entered the Ma Estate, there is no going back."

"天皇皇，地皇皇。眼流血，月無光。一入萬馬堂，刀斷刃，人斷腸！天皇，地皇皇。淚如血，人斷腸。一入萬馬堂，休想回故鄉。"

***EDIT***
Ch. 6 誰是埋刀人 Who Owns the Hidden Sabre?

無論誰只要鼻樑擊碎，頭就會發暈，眼睛就會被自己鼻子裡標出來的血封住，就很
難再有閃避還擊的機會。

No matter whoever is standing close enough, if he struck you on the nose, the force of the blow would fracture the bone and the victim will start to feel faint. Next, the eyes will glaze over with the blood that bleeds from internally. There is no hope of avoiding the strike or to respond to the attack.

邊城浪子 - 序: 紅雪 (Link)

The prologue to The Bordertown Wanderer by Gu Long 古龍 introduces one of the main characters, Fu Hongxue. He is a young man who is assigned the mission of avenging his father's murder of 18 years ago. His mother gives him a black sabre that is covered with red snow. This is where I find it very hard to accept the imagery, as morbidly beautiful as it is. The reason is because Gu Long describes the snow as a powder that has been sitting on the blade of the sabre for the past 18 years. Now, when the old lady unleashes the sabre, the red snow powder actually falls to the ground.

I've grown up with the Canadian winter for almost 30 years, and as far as I know, snow melts. It does not turn into a solid powder form. I'm wondering how this is possible? I'm going to ask the experts at WuxiaMania for their explanation.

Other than the snow turning into powder part, I really like the rest of the descriptions. The language is very descriptive, but not figurative. This is the main difference between Gu Long and Jin Yong that I notice so far. I kind of like it that the language is so simple. The images are clearer and more vivid.

***EDIT***
I asked some experts at WuxiaSociety.com about this, and they helped me to figure out the answer. The red powder that the old lady called red snow, which she also sprinkled on Fu Hongxue, is just red powder. She's pretending it's snow, as is he. It's symbolic, and by having the red powder sprinkled on him, Fu Hongxue is symbolically bound to the murder mystery.

It is important to note that when Gu Long wrote, he wrote with Mandarin in mind, not Cantonese. In Mandarin, hong xue is a homonym of red snow and red blood. So, figuratively speaking, she described to the young man how snow was coloured red by the blood of the massacre. And when she sprinkled the red snow onto Fu Hongxue, it's as if she was splashing red blood on him.

So, I now see how the red powder works as a symbolic object to bind the young man to the murder mystery. Thus, he becomes responsible for having to solve the mystery and avenge his father and all the other members of his family who were massacred 18 years ago.

講不出聲 Speechless

講不出聲 (溏心風暴主題曲)

主唱: 關菊英
作曲: 鄧智偉
填詞: 張美賢

誰人無得到一切的渴求
誰人無攻於心計的理由
平凡人生 天真過後
要怎麼走

如何從委曲中再相信人
誰無狂想 不可告人
難忘時光 必須散席 留下我

*快樂時 抱著時
那是至死不渝朋友
決裂時 你為何以為再拖一會
還有時候

即是多風光都要清醒
有幾多掌聲也是孤清
你只可聽到我大笑聲
哭泣 也未放聲

講不出聲 講不出聲
任由自己 半夜驚醒
我只不過偶爾受了驚
於是 才遺忘本性*

李克勤 - 無言感激 情情塔塔演唱會 2002

In this clip from Hacken Lee's concert from 2002, he talks about the lessons he's learned since his 1995 concert, where only 40% of the seats were filled each night. Since then, he's worked really hard at other jobs that have nothing to do with singing, hoping that one day, he'll get a second chance at having a concert and that this time, there won't be any empty seats left over. On the last night of this concert series, it was a sold out show. Here, Hacken Lee sings Alan Tam's "Words Cannot Convey My Gratitude." He dedicates this song to all the members of his audience, saying that now, he truly understands how it really feels to not have the words to convey the amount of gratitude he feels towards them.

My Newest Guitar Guy Crush

Here's a video of Chi-Ning, from the band 929. He's performing the song titled "Looks Like Stars". I really like this song, but what I love are the guitar riffs, especially the one at the very beginning.

Previous posts on the Darfur Crisis in Sudan. LINK

Last Thursday, I watched this documentary titled Darfur: On Our Watch. I found it very frustrating as I watched the how this war has been going on for almost 8 years, and yet so little has been done about it. The UN, which has been having countless meetings about Darfur all this time, has been able to produce very little work towards bringing the conflict to a close. The major reason up until 2006 was the role China has to play in the decision-making process.

According to the documentary, China has invested a lot into the oil industry in the Sudan. The Sudanese government gets payment for the oil, while the Chinese gov't sends engineers and developers to go to the Sudan to excavate oil. More importantly, the Chinese gov't supplies weapons and arms to the Sudanese military (who in turn supply weapons and arms to militias like the Janjaweed). This is why China has opposed UN efforts - however weak they were - to intervene in the Darfur Crisis.

Another roadblock, and this is a major one, is the definition of genocide. Some claim that what is happening in Darfur is genocide, while others are saying it's tribal warfare. The definition is this: "The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group." From what I've read, the beginnings of the conflict may have been motivated by the animosity between tribal interests. However, at this juncture, when you have one group who consider themselves to be Arabs slaughtering and raping people who consider themselves to be Africans, then it is one ethnic group against another. Then, it is genocide.

At the end of this documentary, I got this message, and perhaps it's a confirmation rather than a declaration: Help hasn't been given to the people of Darfur because they are black. If they were white or if they looked European, member countries of the UN would not have had such a hard time deciding on how to act. They would have acted a lot sooner to put a stop to it. For example, Kosovo in the former Yugoslavia. The US acted very quickly. The US got a lot of support very quickly. This time, it was not as easy and I do believe that skin colour has a huge role to play in stalling the decision-making process. The result is that over hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, raped, maimed and displaced since 2002 when the conflict erupted.

What annoys me is that this issue has not be discussed very much, if at all, in the Chinese media.



http://www.answers.com/genocide?cat=biz-fin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21143-2004Dec22.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3613953.stm

New English College Pathway Curriculum

Yesterday, I went to a workshop organized by the TDSB on the new grade 11 and 12 English College prep programs. It was lead by instructional leaders Valerie Fraser and Rachel Cook, held at The Highbrook Learning Centre.

The morning session focussed on the new curriculum documents themselves, and what the highlights are from each of the four strands: Oral & Listening, Lit. Studies & Reading, Writing and Media Literacy. The important point gathered from this activity is that the new curriculum is a lot more flexible as far as choice of texts and types of assignments are concerned. The stress now is on how the material is taught, the delivery. Simply, the stress is on skills building to improve literacy. The skills that the new curriculum targets as being important are the listening skills and the media literacy skills. How do we teach this? The answer is using metacognitive strategies. We teach students how to listen by making them aware of how they listen. This goes with writing, reading and media literacy as well.

The afternoon session focussed on metacognition and how it can be used in the classroom to enhance students' skills acquisition. Namely, we could use anticipation guides before, during and after reading or listening to text.

Does this make me feel more knowledgeable about the 12C English course? Nope. I feel like I want to start prepping it right away.

Some of My Fave Novels

I'm going to talk about some of my favourite novels that are set in the Canadian farming country.

1. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Plot: Mr. and Mrs. Morrison die in a car accident, leaving behind four children. Luke is the oldest of all at 18, and Matt is second at 17, Kate at 7 and Bo at 2. One part of the story is partly about how they survive on their own. The other part of the story is about Kate and how she lives through adulthood living inside a bubble, and how she comes to realize this truth.
Setting: Crow Lake, a fictional town in northern Ontario located north of North Bay. It's very north, but not as north as Sioux Lookout ;)
Canadian Farming Country: I loved the descriptions about all the living things living in the pond near the children's home. The road that connects the town, Crow Lake, to the rest of the world southward is also a memorable image because Kate describes it as a one-way street. It doesn't allow you to travel northward because nobody ever had the desire to any further north than they already were.
Online Review: I think this is a lovely
REVIEW, one of the best I've read about a book I really like (and there are hardly any)

2. Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
Plot: I don't remember much of the plot, and I have a feeling there wasn't much of a plot at all. The story was riveting all the same because there is a mystery death of a young town-girl to solve. Beth Weekes, 15, is the narrator.
Setting: Rural British Columbia. For some reason, I remembered it being set in the prairies, but after researching it on the net, it's confirmed to be BC.
Canadian Farming Country: What I love about the setting is not just the descriptions of the field, but rather the descriptions of what people have to do to make a living on the farm. There is work to be done in the field, and work to be done in the barns and in the home. It's so different from living in the city, which is probably what attracts me to these stories.

3. The Winter Helen Dropped By by W.P. Kinsella
Plot: A young boy befriends a Sioux woman, and a very moving friendship develops.
Setting: Manitoba or Saskatchewan, I can't remember.
Canadian Farming Country: Don't remember much except for a river that is described according to the seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall. A lot of action takes place on or near the river. I guess it's the metaphorical boundary between childhood and adulthood. If you stay within the boundary, life still seems like a fantasy, and the dangers that threaten the idyllic life of a child is merely a threat.

Exporting Generic AIDS Drugs to Rwanda

Click HERE to read my previous post on this topic, written approximately one year ago.

Now, CTV News has reported that Canada is going to be the first country to export generic anti-retroviral drugs to a developing country: Rwanda. Apotex is the name of the company that manufactures the drug, and its name is called Apo TriAvir. Canada is able to do this for the following reasons:

1) Rwanda is unable to manufacture this drug on their own.
2) Rwanda has invoked the "compulsory license" which allows it to import a generic version of a drug, after negotiations have been made with the pharmaceutical company that holds the patent for that drug. This means that some compensation must be paid to the pharmaceutical company.

What's the Catch?

I dunno. The news article doesn't say, but I do wonder how much money Rwanda had to pay to the pharmceutical companies that hold the patent in order to import generic drugs from Canada?

And, when AIDS patients become resistant to the current TriAvir drugs, how will they get to import the next drug? Will this whole process have to be repeated again? How much harder will it be when that time comes to invoke the compulsory license? What road blocks will pharmaceuticals have created by then to further prevent these things from happening?

方皓玟 歡迎光臨 "Welcome"

Go here for lyrics

This is my new favourite singer/songwriter out of Hong Kong. Her name is Charmaine Fong, and this is a song she wrote herself. She's usually a lyricist, but as you will see from the video if you play it, she's a very talented songwriter as well. I first came across this song in the music video version, where the singing is a studio cut. I started to wonder if she could actually sing this live, and here it is. She's just as good. I'm really impressed. I hope she becomes more well-known in HK.

拖字闕 - 王浩信/方皓玟

Charmaine Fong and Vincent Wong

New Electoral System Referendum (click)

Comparison Notes

First Past the Post (FPP) versus Mixed Member Porportional System (MMP)
107 electoral districts and 107 seats versus 90 electoral districts and 129 seats
FPP - you vote for a candidate for one electoral district
MMP - 90 seats are for the Local members, who are the equivalent to the current candidates we vote for in the current FPP system.
- Then there are 39 seats for the List Members. This is what sets the MMP system apart from the FPP system.

List Members
Before an election, each party puts forward a list of members they want to get seats for in the FPP system. If people give 19 of the 39 seats for List Members to Party A, then Party A gets 19 more seats in addition to the FPP vote. If Party B gets 50 votes in the FPP vote, and Party A gets 20 votes, then Party B would win even if it got only 10 votes in the List Member vote. Why? Because the overall total for Party B is 60 votes, whereas Party A only gets 39 votes in total.

What are we voting on?
We are not only voting on a candidate who represents us at the Provincial Legislature. We're also voting for a party. Sometimes, the person you think is the best candidate may not be of the party that you prefer to have running the government. So, in the MMP system, you get to voice both requests. One for the candidate who would best represent you, as well as the party whose policies are most in line with your values.

Since the List Member is selected by the political party and not by us, the public, then how can we make sure that this List Member candidate will work for us? We will have to contact this candidate and convey our wishes to them. This sounds like more work that I have to do to reach a person who isn't necessarily chosen to work for me. So, I'm wondering if this is an effective way for me to make my voice heard?

FAQ Page
Noteworthy is " Can I see an example of how the proposed Mixed Member Proportional System would work?" This question will show you links to the Citizen's Assembly report, where they paint hypothetical scenarios of what might happen, and what implications that would have if we did adopt an MMP system.

Spa Comparisons

The spas I'm going to compare are Summerhill Spa, Concepts Spa and In Beauty Spa.

Hot Stone Therapy
Summerhill................60min for $90
Concepts..................60min for $110
Beauty....................55min for $120

Reflexology Massage
Summerhill................45min for $55 (Includes hot oil treatment)
Concepts..................45min for $60
Beauty....................55min for $80....$65.25 for 45min

RMT Registered Massage Therapy
Summerhill................60min for $85
Concepts..................60min for $80
Beauty....................55min for $85

Basic Facials
Summerhill................45min for $40....$53.40 for 60min
Concepts..................60min for $75
Beauty....................60min for $75

Advanced Facials
Summerhill................75min for $80
Concepts..................75min for $90
Beauty....................75min for $95

Eyebrow Waxing
Summerhill................15min for $15
Concepts........................... $17
Beauty...................(tweezing) $20-25

Pedicure
Summerhill................50min for $40
Concepts..................60min for $48
Beauty............................. $45

Manicure
Summerhill................40min for $30
Concepts..................30min for $25
Beauty............................. $25

Hot Stone Pedicure
Summerhill................70min for $75
Concepts..................75min for $75
Beauty.................... none

Summerhill Spa
154 Cumberland Street
Toronto M5R 1A8
phone 416-924-0531
fax 416-924-7309
welcome@summerhillspa.com

CONCEPTS SALON & SPA
20 Bloor Street Eest
(Hudson’s Bay Centre)
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3B8
Tel: 416.928.6845
Fax: 416.928.0489
conceptdayspasalon@bellnet.ca

In Beauty Spa @ Commerce Gate
Commerce Gate
Unit 12-16, 505 HWY 7 East,
Thornhill, ON. L3T 7T1
Canada
Tel: 905-7629099 / 905-7629199

I have been to Summerhill and In Beauty spas. The facials I got at each location were different, so it's hard to compare how well the facials were done. Judging by other factors, I prefer Summerhill. Summerhill's decor is very homey, making me feel truly relaxed. The music is calming, and the way they position you on the bed is much more comfortable. During the facial, the aestheticians put a pillow underneath my knees, which allows my body to lie in a natural and relaxing position. During the pedicure, I also lay on a bed, with a triangular pillow underneath my knees. I was so comfortable I fell asleep. In Beauty, however, has small rooms that resemble doctor's examining rooms. The bed is very narrow and so you feel cramped, not relaxed.

My best friend has been to Concepts Spa (Hudson's Bay Co.) and she said they dim the lights to create a relaxing atmosphere. I don't know what their decor looks like, though, and it's hard to find pictures on the internet.

Planning for Winter Country Trip

Dates (pending): Thursday, December 27th, 2007 to Tuesday, January 1st, 2008.
Location: Winter country resort, i.e. Blue Mountain


Resources:
- Blue Mountain Brochures Homepage
- BM Resort Map
- BM Shopping and Dining Guide
To receive further information on any of these events, please call Blue Mountain at 705-445-0231


Lodging:
BM Lodging Brochure
Main Village accomodations:
2 Bedroom + kitchen = $2881.45
1 Bedroom + kitchen = $2202.15

Other buildings including the Chateau Ridge and Rivergrass condos are the same price at the moment.


Activities:
- Main activities page for Blue Mountain
This link will give you very detailed infomation on skiing and snowboarding
- Cross Country Skiing
- Snowshoeing and Caving
We can visit the caves by snow-shoeing. This is a very strenuous exercise for people who have never snow-shoed before.
- Snow-free Caving
If we have a terrible winter without snow, we can still go and visit the scenic caves.
- Spa
We will have to call and check for availability and specials as the date nears. For now, you can view what services they offer, and decide for yourself which style of spa you would like. The Scandinavian Spa is very suitable for men as well as women.
- My Touch, Your Spa
Google Map
- Utopia Spa Salon
Google Map
- Kalola Boutique and Spa
Google Map
- Shopping in the Village
We can just walk around and do some shopping as we recuperate from all this strenuous activity.
- Nightlife and Dining
A list of places


Pricing for Skiing and Snowboarding:
- Beginner lesson and equipment = $54 daytime - Includes 90 min group lesson and lift rides
- For $59, you could have a private lesson for 4 friends. You get more attention from the instructor and will learn better as a result.
- Tubing = $4/ride, $22/8 rides - for when we're too tired to ski or snowboard


Special New Year's Eve Activities:
New Year's at Blue Mountain
a) Special Dinner Gala
b) Adult Party Package - $ are not yet available for A and B.
c) Dec. 30 - Othere is a Torch light parade in the village. We should find some reviews of it to see if it's worthwhile.


Neighboring Businesses

Supermarket at Collingwood Plaza
Loblaws
A&P Supermarket - This one is closest to the resort
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=276+Jozo+Weider+Blvd.,+Collingwood&daddr=Hwy+26+%26+High+St.,+Collingwood,&sll=44.501831,-80.254869&sspn=0.029017,0.079651&ie=UTF8&ll=44.498954,-80.270491&spn=0.029018,0.079651&z=14&om=1

Itinerary:
T.B.D.

Hacken's Lee's New Hit: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

花落誰家
作詞: 林若寧 作曲: Eric Kwok 編曲: Eric Kwok

鐵塔以下青翠山嶺
化作了石油站
鐵塔以上一對鸚鵡
也要各自逃難
鐵塔以下都市璀璨
根本不懂感嘆
花瓣吹散 誰在乎誰著眼

聽說發達只有興建
蓋夠八十層吧
聽說過活只有改變
變到再沒童話
聽說進步黑臉琵鷺
儘管犧牲一下
牠一張臉 已給你記憶風化

當櫻花迫於遷往悄靜月球
天高海闊珍惜不夠
雛菊都給安葬以後
換到繁榮誰來內疚
只許燈飾普照地球
不許花園開墾幾畝
鮮花死了 至感慨愛得不夠

這個四月相對乾燥
吻到有裂痕吧
這個八月天氣很冷
再見快樂炎夏
聖誕晚上感到炎熱
儘管燈飾優雅
當天飄雪你可會有些牽掛

當櫻花迫於遷往悄靜月球
天高海闊珍惜不夠
雛菊都給安葬以後
換到繁榮誰來內疚
只許燈飾普照地球
不許花園開墾幾畝
鮮花死了 至感慨愛得不夠

當櫻花迫於遷往悄靜月球
天高海闊珍惜不夠
繽紛煙花閃照過後
望見層層浮雲漸厚
開採山丘斬去木頭
花開花落不可拯救
儘管擁有 怕一切變得罕有
即使擁吻 怕空氣已不足夠

Going Green

In recent years, a lot of awareness has been raised for eco-friendly lifestyle choices. This ranges from buying organic produce to buying hybrid cars. Let's face it, though. Both of those items are very expensive, much more expensive than the regular environmentally and bodily harmful versions. I live in an area that doesn't have those supermarkets that sell organic produce. As for the car, well, I'll have to get myself a full driver's license before I'll buy a car. Hopefully by that time, I'll be able to afford it!

For now, what I can do is to start by using eco-friendly cleaning solvents around the home. My mom and I have decided that once we finish using up these store-brand cleaners, we'll stop buying them and instead, we'll mix our own cleaning solvents. To do this, I started some research on the internet to find recipes for mixing these eco-friendly cleaning solvents. Here are some websites:

The Grassroots Store
I've been to the location on the Danforth, and I know that there is another location on Bloor St. They have a wide range of pre-mixed powders that you can use to create your own cleaning solvents. You should bring your own containers in which to hold the powders. They also have eco=friendly soaps and shampoos for showering and bathing.

Green Technology: the Environmentally Friendly Solution
This article, written by Lana Christian, is very informative as it explains in ordinary English what is wrong with the store-brand products we use in our homes and offices, and then it gives you alternative suggestions to making or buying products that are more eco-friendly. I love the way she ended her article:
"Everything we do impacts the environment. What matters is how big a footprint we leave on it. We need to look through "green lenses" to minimize that footprint. It starts with you."

Laundry--Ugh!!!
Call me weird, but I would rather clean a bathroom than to do laundry. I don't know why. I love clean clothes; I just don't like doing the work to make them clean. I should be shot for saying this because in our modern age, we are so lucky to have these high-tech washers and dryers that make doing laundry so much easier than it was back in our grandparents' days. For those of you who love doing laundry and would like to help reduce the harm inflicted on the environment, here is an article that gives you some basic tips. It talks about how to choose eco-friendly products in the stores. Unfortunately, if you want to read more of the article, you'll have to sign up.

CBC's Article
It's by the CBC. Enough said, just read it.

Vinegar--Ew!!!
I absolutely hate vinegar. The only types of vinegar I'll have is the red ones you use in Chinese restaurants when you eat seafood, and some brands of salt and vinegar chips. The thing is, I'm going to have to learn to accept--not love--vinegar. Vinegar is like the magic ingredient--not as magical as baking soda, of course--to making an effective and environmentally harmless cleaning solvent. Becareful, though, because it's not always bodily harmless. So, read your recipes very carefully and don't experiment with mixing different ingredients unless you've done your research before hand. This page has a gazillion recipe ideas, but don't get carried away.

An Abstract for Annie B. Bond's book
Read the article, and if you like what you see, buy the book.

Vietnam War: Prior to the War

Interesting facts I didn't know before:
- American "operatives" working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) had been stationed all over Vietnam during WWII. Their job was to monitor the movement of Japanese troops, helping the Japanese resistance groups and rescuing pilots who had been shot down in the Vietnam.
- American operatives and the Vietnamese worked closely with one another
- Franklin D. Roosevelt had wanted to "liberate" the Indochinese nations from colonial rule after WWII. To him, France and other countries like Britain, had been exploiting the people and the resources of that region for far too long. It was time to put an end to the suffering and exploitation endured by the Indochinese under the French colonialists.
- Indochina refers to: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. During the period prior to the Vietnam War, Indochina was a region colonially controlled by France. Currently, it is known as South-east Asia.
- Winston Churchill, PM of England, disapproved of FDR's plans to dismantle the French colonial empire in Indochina for fear that FDR will want to dismantle Britain's colonnial empire as well.

Truth:
Based on the stories told to me by my parents, the French presence in Vietnam was not all that negative. The French introduced new foods, and they helped to build more modern infrastructure, as well as religious institutions. For example, the French introduced the baguette, a French bread roll. It became so popular in Vietnam that even today, Vietnamese people still eat the French baguette with their own style of Vietnamese deli meats. The French also built modern hospitals, with foreign-trained doctors, using French medicine. For a lot of the infectious diseases that appeared at that time, having modernly equipped hospitals and French medicines helped a great deal. Lastly, the French presence introduced Roman Catholicism into Vietnam. It is important to note that the French colonialists did not force the Catholic faith onto the Vietnamese, and instead they were actually allowed to continue practicing their own religions, such as Buddhism. From there, they went on to build schools that were run by nuns and priests. My aunt, L.M., attended school in one of the Convents in North Vietnam early on in her education. Therefore, in my family, the previous generation had only positive things to say about the French colonialists.

What I would like to know more about:
- Where did each side of the families of both parents grow up? Did their experience with the French colonialists change as they migrated to other parts of Vietnam?
- How much did the French control the education system? How much was left to the Vietnamese to administer on their own?
- Historically, what is known about the French "invasion" and later, their occupation of Vietnam?

Sources:
Indochina @ Wikipedia
The Vietnam War for Dummies

Lady Jane Grey, 1537-1554

"Many Englishmen also expressed concern that Mary favoured for herself a Spanish marriage which might bring in Spanish nobles to rule England in place of Northumberland and his colleagues. Northumberland arranged for his son Lord Guilford Dudley to marry the Protestant (and anti-Catholic) Jane, hoping through him to gain control over his new daughter-in-law and the reins of England."

"At the time of Edward's death, without Edward's will (which had dubious legal standing, since it ran contrary to the Third Succession Act), the crown would have passed, under the terms of the Third Succession Act and of Henry VIII's will, to Mary and her male (not female) heirs [...]Jane thus did not feature in the line of succession prior to the last draft of Edward's will of June 1553. Only in the last draft did Edward finally include Jane Grey as his heir presumptive, knowing the line of succession included no Protestant-born male children."

"There is little recorded of the doings of Jane as Queen from the 11th through the 13th, most likely a result of illness. Jane herself thought she was being poisoned by the Duchess of Northumberland (her husband's mother), but there was no evidence this really occurred."

"On the 14th, Dudley led a troop of 600 with him, carrying an odd assortment of weapons that had been acquired at the day before. Crowds pressed to watch the men leave, but none bid them God Speed."

"The people started to revolt, crying for Mary to be made Queen. Jane ordered the gates to the tower locked and the keys brought to her."

"Gratefully Jane rose and stepped down, embracing her father as she wept. After a time she finally asked, "Can I go home?" This poor innocent girl actually thought it might be that simple. But alas it was not to be."

"Within only nine days, the people of England had overwhelmingly declared their support for Mary, [...] Mary had Jane and her husband imprisoned in the Gentleman Gaoler's apartments at the Tower of London for high treason, although their lives were initially spared."

"The Protestant rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt in late January 1554, [plus] Jane's father (the Duke of Suffolk) and other nobles joined the rebellion, calling for Jane's restoration as Queen." This lead to the pressure that Mary should execute Jane in order to stamp out any other revolters' dreams of restoring a Protestant ruler.

"Jane was then taken out to Tower Green, inside the Tower of London, for a private execution. With few exceptions, private executions applied to royalty alone; Jane's private execution occurred on the orders of Queen Mary, as a gesture of respect for her cousin."

At her death, she read the psalm "Miserere mei deus," pardoned the executioner, and tied the handkerchief around her eyes. Unable to see where the block was, she reached out for it and felt nothing, then started to panic, saying "What shall I do? Where is it?" Someone close by guided her hands to the block, and when she lay herself upon it, she said her last words: "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!" Then she was executed.



Sources:
EnglishHistory.net
LadyJaneGrey.org
Lady Jane Grey @ Wikipedia

Why Are People So Captivated by the Alchemical Wedding?

The (Al)Chemical Wedding Of Christian Rosenkreuz
- edited and published by Johann Valentin Andreae
- the 3rd Rosicrucian "Manifesto", published in 1459
- Describes a journey over seven days, in which Rosenkreuz is invited to marry a husband and a bride inside a castle of miracles.
- Chemical developed from the ancient science of alchemy, which believed in the "Sacred Marriage."


The Rosicrucian Order
- Formed by a group of German protestants during the early 17th century.
- Philosophy is stated in three manifestos: Fama Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis, Confessio Fraternitatis, and The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz
- Tells of the journeys of Rosenkreuz, who travelled into the Middle East and learned Islamic philosophy
- Different groups have 3 interpretations of these writings: they are either true stories, parables, or they are writings by Francis Bacon, who used C. Rosenkreuz as a pseudonym.
- Some have even concluded that the Rosicrucian Order was a hoax or prank because its origins are so nebulous and the origins of the so-called "manifestos" so mysterious.
- aims to unify ideas in science, art, philosophy, politics and religion


Sources:
Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz @ Wikipedia
Order of the Grail.com
Rosicrucianism @ Wikipedia