If YOU, a Farang, had been Compelled to be Born into an Asian culture: Which Asian Culture would you have Chosen for your Unborn-Self of Yesteryear?

[GammaGlobulin]

My Dear Friends,

 

(Just one more Sunday-morning Topic; Free food for thought during your Brunch with Friends, this fine November 20th)

 

This is not an idle question which, like you, I have not often asked myself.  We often compare our Farang Lives to Asian Lives, and consider the pluses and minuses, sometimes feeling thankful, but, in my case, often feeling regret.

 

Of course, the term Farang does not denote or define any specific culture. However, I am just using the term farang, loosely, to refer to what I call members of Farang Land, meaning lands of the West, such as those where white dudes are predominant, or have been, until the recent browning of places like North America and the UK.

 

But I do not mean to become sidetracked by demographics here, because this is not the topic.

 

The TOPIC is:

 

If, for some reason, you were compelled to return to the womb, and if said womb were, for the purposes of this thought experiment, someplace in Asia, then what culture in Asia might your preference be?

 

And, for purposes of this thought experiment, let’s assume that, no matter which culture you choose, then you would be born into an upper-middle class socioeconomic group, in any given culture you chose. The upper-middle class is defined by higher status members of the middle class, and so you would have easy access to tertiary education, and so please do not worry about this point.

 

Let’s further suppose that you could choose your point in history, and that you would not need to be born into a time in history of great upheaval, such as the Cultural Revolution; because we are only considering culture, rather than eventful times of great political and cultural change.

 

Not to Confuse Things here:

 

Let us just assume that you were choosing a time of stability in any given culture, then which culture would you opt for?

 

Also, for our purposes, let Asia mean all of Asia, from East Asia to Southeastern Asia, and including Central Asia, not to mention South Asia and Western Asia.

 

Where would you choose to be born, and why???

 

====

 

I am not sure about you, but I would choose to have been born in East Asia, in China, and in Beijing, if I had to choose a different culture for myself. There are so many reasons why. 

 

I do not wish to further muddle up the main question of this topic. And therefore I will not yet provide you the many reasons I would prefer to have been born in Beijing or Hong Kong, if I had not been blessed to be born where I was born, so many years ago.

 

I apologize for the mind-bendingly complex  grammar here, but this is just due to the very nature of the English language.  I just mean that this Post might have been clearer than would have been the case if this Topic were not more focused on what might have been.  Who does not love double negatives, anyway?

 

So, anyway, if you had to choose another culture, an Asian culture, to be born in, then what might it have been?

 

Best regards,

GammaRays G

 

Wishing everybody here happy brunching, this Sunday morning.

 

Note:  If you are not now a Farang, then feel free to participate in this thought experiment by choosing a different cultural group in Asia for your former self in which to be born, as if you were compelled to do so by the vagaries of Nature and at the whim of Zeus.  Why do you choose this alternative culture? Do you long to be, culturally speaking, somebody else?

 

Note Two:  Come to think of it, I probably would not choose to become Madame Butterfly in Kyoto. 

 

 

Rather, I would choose to be born in a major Walled City in China, perhaps Xian City, probably Beijing, when the walls were newly built. I would love that.  What about you?

 

 

 

 

Or, maybe I would choose to be born a Terracotta Man, but before Reagan's rule...

 

 

Final Note:  Just a few years ago, it seemed so easy to find almost any photo you wanted, especially great historical images, many in black and white, which made history come alive, on Google Images search.  Why has this changed so radically, so recently, during the past few years.  These days, the photos of China, the wonderful historic black and white photos of China, taken a hundred years ago, are no longer easily available on Google.  What has happened?  Why are these important photos no longer easily searchable on Google?

 

It's almost as if history is being lost, on Google, as we speak.

 

Of course, if you have access to library privileges at a decent university library such as Cornell, Yale, Princeton, or Oxford, then you can still easily search an amazing amount of images from a century ago.  Cornell is big on China, for example.  However, if you are only using Google Search, then much seems to be behind some sort of wall.  So much is not unavailable.  Is it morally correct to keep these images hidden from the masses?  How much longer must we wait to have these images freely available in the Commons?

 

What IS the commons?

Do young people, today, even know?

The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of society!

Nobody should be able to control our history and cultural heritage, including important photographic images of our collective past.

Really, things are just getting too crazy on the internet, in recent years.

 

Have a nice brunch!

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Just a short note about my Final Note, above:

 

Truly, it is becoming more and more difficult to search and separate the wheat from the chaff on Google Image search. If you want to find anything of historical value on Google Image search, then....Good Luck.

 

But, one surmises that Google no longer cares, because, presumably, Google's purpose now is not what it once was. Google's search is to sell stuff, and not to find stuff of import.

 

It might have been nice to upload, on this thread, some beautiful images of China's walled cities, images in black and white.  But, how to find one on Google, these days?

 

Here is just part of a handscroll, for example.

But, there are many, many handscrolls which were easy to find on Google years ago, but just too difficult to find, these days.

 

Here is one example, for example:  

 

Obviously, our history cannot be entrusted to Google.

And, this should have been obvious from the very beginning, of course, if one had not been wearing rose-tinted glasses.

 

 

So, anyway:  I would have loved to have been born Chinese, in this day and age, in the exact place painted here in this handscroll.

 

If only one could be born twice, and could live twice, then I would have chosen to be born twice at different times and different places in China.  Maybe thrice, would have been even better.

 

 

 

 

[Hummin]

A wealthy nomad in Mongolia out on my horse hunting, what else in life can beat that? Great strong brave culture.

[Celsius]

I would like to remain unborn

[GammaGlobulin]

4 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I would like to remain unborn

Yes! 

I agree, wholeheartedly. 

 

But what if you were compelled to be born, against your will, then what? 

 

Which Asian culture would you find least objectionable to be born into? 

 

I love Chinese culture, so it's a no-brainer for me to decide. 

 

I would choose a city, hundreds of years ago, in China, with high walls, flags, and palenquins, and tea houses. 

 

I would just lie around all day reading Hong Lou Meng, counting my concubines. 

 

 

[spidermike007]

Such a rich topic. I can see you put alot of time into this. 

 

Perhaps 1970's Japan. Great culture, food, and amazing women. 

 

India in the 11th to 12th century. Said to be extremely prosperous, with a vibrant culture. Prior to the Mongol and well prior to the British invasions, and national robberies. 

 

Bali in the mid 1950's. They soon gained independence from the Dutch, and it must have been a paradise. Was there in the mid 1980's and it was exquisite. Now? Not the same place at all. 

[CharlieH]

Shogan or Samurai ! 

[Ralf001]

Yakuza.

[Boomer6969]

Sherpa. 

[VinnieK]

When you say Asia, you mean the whole continent (from Turkey eastwards) or just the eastern parts?

[Jingthing]

Tel Aviv

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Jingthing

[thaibeachlovers]

Chinese, but only as the child of someone destined to become a billionaire.

[RayWright]

Singapore, aka The Little Red Dot.

Founding Nation of the WTO (World Toilet Organisation), with World Toilet Day celebrated annually on 19th November. (Don't forget to flush a public toilet after use, otherwise you'll be fined.

.

 

[Hummin]

5 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Sherpa. 

One on my list to, but being taken advantage by of rich spoiled wannabee climbers, no thank you, and also for very little fame, while they spend millions achieving something they really did not do by themselves. 

[Boomer6969]

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

One on my list to, but being taken advantage by of rich spoiled wannabee climbers, no thank you, and also for very little fame, while they spend millions achieving something they really did not do by themselves. 

14 Peaks

[GammaGlobulin]

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

One on my list to, but being taken advantage by of rich spoiled wannabee climbers, no thank you, and also for very little fame, while they spend millions achieving something they really did not do by themselves. 

I think he meant that he would have preferred to have been born into the group of 16,000 Sherpas that have settled in New York City. 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

5 hours ago, VinnieK said:

When you say Asia, you mean the whole continent (from Turkey eastwards) or just the eastern parts?

All of Asia, but not all of Eurasia. 

Think of Asia as being a subset of Eurasia. 

[Sparktrader]

Thai culture Koh Samui 1965. Living there from 1965 to 2000 be a dream.

[Hummin]

Just now, Sparktrader said:

Thai culture Koh Samui 1965. Living there from 1965 to 2000 be a dream.

I have problem to imagine living in a paradise, when daily life is the paradise. Hard work with challenges appeals more to me, and then go holiday.

 

I can agree Krabi before tourism also seems great, but that's just on the picture

[Doctor Tom]

Good question, Nepalese would be my choice, with Sherpa/ Gurkha sub culture.  A marvelous people in an amazing country. .  

Edited November 20, 2022 by Doctor Tom

[Sparktrader]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I have problem to imagine living in a paradise, when daily life is the paradise. Hard work with challenges appeals more to me, and then go holiday.

 

I can agree Krabi before tourism also seems great, but that's just on the picture

Krabi is nice. Im going back next year.

[GammaGlobulin]

9 minutes ago, Sparktrader said:

Thai culture Koh Samui 1965. Living there from 1965 to 2000 be a dream.

You mean to say that you would prefer to have been born on Koh Samui in 1965? 

 

Why? 

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[Sparktrader]

Just now, GammaGlobulin said:

You mean to say that you would have preferred to have been born on Koh Samui in 1965? 

 

Why? 

Yes paradise. 

[1FinickyOne]

11 hours ago, Celsius said:

I would like to remain unborn

but who could be so lucky? One in a million maybe.

[homeseeker]

Thai is best:

Meditate under a tree all day, in between sleeping, eating and breeding:

 

Thats the life!

Edited November 20, 2022 by homeseeker

[VinnieK]

Oman in the 70s. ????

[John Drake]

Tang China

 

Shanghai in the 1930s

 

Japan in the 1980s

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, homeseeker said:

Thai is best:

Meditate under a tree all day, in between sleeping, eating and breeding:

 

Thats the life!

Some is best at watching the rice grows! Happy life

[Lucky Bones]

TLDNR. Too Long Did Not Read.....but I think Jackie Chan culture is the short answer.????????

Edited November 20, 2022 by Lucky Bones

[Hummin]

49 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

Oman in the 70s. ????

Oman is the only middle east country I liked and could spend some time, and also think as a local, I could have great potential as well. But still to little personal freedom official speaking.