October 10, 2010 by Adam.

Today is Double Ten, the celebration of the 1911 rebellion led by Sun Yat-Sen which overthrew the Manchurian Empire and established the Republic of China, based on Democratic principles,  allied with and heavily influenced by the United States of America. Of course the history is quite complex but this is the basic meta-narrative I learned while attending Kwong Kow Chinese School in the 1990’s. Back then the celebration began with a very large parade from Chinatown to Boston City Hall in which even the major streets were closed off.

The Kuomintang  fought a civil war with the Communists while simultaneously fighting with the occupying Japanese forces during World War II. The war with the Japanese weakened the Kuomintang enough that the Communists were able to win the war and the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan where Double Ten is still celebrated as the national holiday.

Chinese Americans from say Guangdong, are often Kuomintang supporters or perhaps some really old men used to be Kuomintang soldiers. They come to celebrate Sun Yat-Sen and the idea of Chinese Democracy. In fact when I went to Taiwan as part of the Kwong Kow Dulcimer band, we were shown a video in which Taiwan (R.O.C.) should its territory as including the mainland. Of course we knew that the mainland was under control of the Communists and was the People’s Republic of China. (P.R.O.C) Even at that time, when it was pretty obvious that the Republic of China would not be able to launch an attack (perhaps supported by U.S. troops) to retake the mainland, and that such an action would be impossible, it was nevertheless still part of the rhetoric.

A few years later (after 1997), the rhetoric in the American media became whether China would “re-take” Taiwan.

The thing is, most overseas Chinese who are from mainland China, consider Taiwan as part of China.

My in-laws many past roommates, and many Taiwanese do not agree with this.My Father in-law told me he once met a young Chinese man in an elevator who asked him where he was from.

He replied, “Taiwan.” A lot of shouting ensued and my 60 something year old father in law yelled “I’m not F-ing Chinese” When listening to this story I was very quiet. As far as I am concerned I am American of half Chinese Ethnicity. Though I think my grandfather was a Kuomintang Official in Guangzhou, so what? This is not even my argument, let alone my battle or whatever.

Anyway, past years, when Chen Shui-bian was in power (he is now locked up for corruption) there was some yelling at City Hall among old men. “Raise up the Kuomintang flag all the way!” “Beat down the Toi Yue!” This were responses to speeches by DPP representatives who believed that Taiwan is in fact separate from China.

Now I will never argue with my past roommates or my in Laws over this, and if one day my son decides to be a Taiwanese separatist in College or something, I will support him, but Chen Shui-bian’s argument for Taiwan not being part of China, is based on a treaty that essentially says that Taiwan is a territory of the United States of America.

The current President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-Jeou (who went to Harvard Law and has some other ties to Massachusetts) is part of the Kuomintang party. He says his focus is not to separate, rejoin, but to work together with the mainland to make money. That seems like a more reasonable approach from my American perspective.

The celebration today was much smaller than the old days when Taiwan would pay around $10,000 (or so I have heard) for this parade in Boston. Chen Shui-bian got rid of the payment to overseas offices to put on these celebrations. Nevertheless, the celebration was quite nice. Several lion dance troupes were there, Gung Ho, Wah Lum, Wongs Association, Shaolin Hung Gar, and us, Woo Ching White Crane. I didn’t catch the names of the dance troupes but  they did a fantastic job dancing the aboriginal dances of Taiwan.

It was a nice day and a laid back and friendly environment.

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October 10, 2010 by Adam.

Walking around with my son strapped to me can be a hassle, but I usually don’t have a problem with people. People usually smile and are quite friendly with my son. The only problem I have is with owners of large dogs perhaps. If my son is on the grass I will pick him up or if he is in a stroller I will keep my distance. Some owners of large dogs don’t like that I am implying that their dog is unfriendly and will argue with me that there dog is quite friendly and that I am being ridiculous. Also, I have heard that my face is naturally angry looking and so maybe they are offended by this too. However, I feel that I am not bothering them or their dog and I have the right and perhaps the responsibility to put distance and my body between my 1 year old and a friendly animal that has teeth and is large enough to eat my child.

Th thing is, when I walk around without my son, sometimes I get in trouble with people. Usually these people are crazy, but I know that my face and its naturally angry expression, coupled perhaps with my near sightedness which makes me squint at things I am trying to read, or people I am trying to determine if I recognize, makes people feel that it is necessary to give me trouble.

And now, the first crazy man.

I was walking to teach a Kung Fu class for children at the CCBA. I noticed a man staring at me very hard. I thought ” Do I know this man?” In fact his face did look familiar. He looked like someone who had visited the Kung Fu School before. Perhaps he recognized me too. I wasn’t sure. I will clarify right now that the man was Caucasian.

I walked up the steps and he was pushing a metal dolly on the street. He had now stopped walking and was standing there staring at me about twenty feet away or so.

I turned around and sad “Hi.” in the way I usually say hi to Chinese parents and grandparents who I think I recognize from having taught their kids. Schoolteachers are in this category as well.

“Hi nuth’n.” came the response.

“Oh I though maybe you were looking at me because you recognized me or something.” I said. I felt the tension but I made efforts to smooth it over.

” Yeah well…” the man twitched and getsured, “You were looking at me!”

“Oh I see,” I said. I wanted to just end this and go upstairs to the class I was now late for. But his anger was annoying me.

“Don’t bother me alright!” he yelled “You think you are a tough guy! You aren’t a tough guy so play tough guy somewhere else not here!. I’ve got  this right here!” he yelled and slammed the metal dolly onto the ground now.

“Oh you are right” I said, “I am not a tough guy. Do you have some sort of problem with me though?” I was calm but I won’t say my adrenaline was not pumping now. And now I will say this. Sometimes there is something bad about practicing too much Kung Fu. For instance if you practice Salsa dancing all the time, if the situation is right and a woman wants to salsa dance, it will be difficult for you to turn her down. This is okay as long as you aren’t married to someone who is jealous. The same is true of other intimate activities. Maybe the woman is married, or too young for you, but there is that temptation even if you know that you will decline.

Now if you practice Kung Fu all the time and someone is willing to fight with you, it is the same. It can be difficult to turn down, even if that person is crazy and may not be right in the head, you just see a body that is strong and possibly able to fight, perhaps that person is a martial artist. You will want to try even if you know you shouldn’t.

I thought about how he was sort of threatening me with a metal dolly, but he wasn’t attacking me. I would have to go over to him and attack him. What would people say if they saw that? I would be in the wrong. I couldn’t justify fighting him. He continued yelling at me saying “If you want to have a problem I’m standing right here!”

If he was just crazy, then this was a misunderstanding. He also had a twitch and a cross eyed look that didn’t quite look right.

I asked him, “Did somebody pay you to come after me or something?” Now perhaps I sound crazy. But he had been staring at me, and I still think this was the same person who had been in the school before. But I could be wrong.

I forget how he responded but I wanted to know what he was doing there with the dolly. I.e. did he just happen to be there or was he looking for me. In fact, he did seem to be looking for me, and his anger did seem to be  made up or at least out of place. Was this an act or was he just slightly off balance upstairs? Was I being paranoid? He sure was annoying me.

“So… what are you doing here anyway?” I asked.

“What is he doing here?” He nodded at nobody.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What is  Kong Tzu doing here?” he yelled Kong Tzu said be mindful of your words. You should be mindful of your words pal.”

I now realized he was referring to the statue of Kong Zhi (Confucious). Kong Tzu perhaps being a bastardization of Kong Zhi and either Lao Tzu (Dao te Ching author) or Sun Tzu (Art of War author) mistakes aside, he obviously new something of Chinese Culture and who the statue was supposed to be of. This makes me think even more that he had been at the school before and was someone who I recognized. The normal response to my initial “Hi.” though should have been a similar greeting if he remembered me or wasn’t here to start trouble. Anyway, somehow I went upstairs allowing him to have the last word and of course implying that I was not man enough to face him.

Part of me is still feeling as if I should have fought him, but to run across the street and attack him also seemed ridiculous, illegal, and would make me the crazier one.

I start teaching the kids class with Meditation and stretching.

Enter crazy man number two.

An old man this one was, also Caucasian.

He began by asking then demanding something in writing from  my Si Hing who was treating a patient. He was demanding something regarding his knee and then and only then would he be willing to take classes here. My Si Hing had seen him before and it was only after this old man started insulting my Si Hing and our Kung Fu based on his having been a Japanese Samurai Warrior in his last three past incarnations did I realize that he was a little off.

I got up from stretching and asked him to leave.  I told him he was not welcome in the room if he was disrespectful to our instructors.  He said he was leaving but was still standing in the door way now spewing more insults which were beginning to turn obscene and he was making threats at this point too. He was saying all sorts of things which I won’t repeat and many of which I don’t remember. But I didn’t exactly feel threatened because he was an old man. But he was becoming a hassle.

“What are you going to do?” He said  almost out the door, “Hit me?”

“No but I will call the police.”

“Oh yeah right.” he said

I moved forward and was able in a quick motion to shut the door before he could catch it.

“You @%@%#@%” he said, “I’m going to call the police!”

Guess what. I called the police. And actually I would like feed back from other people on what I should have done.

Yes I could “handle” the old man. But what are the legalities of that.

Anyway, he returned later and said, “The police are on their way. You can deal with them when they get here.”

“I know. I called them.”

“Yeah right” he said.

I had opened the door again thinking he had gone.

“Please step back so I can close the door. He did. And I closed it. So he wasn’t physically belligerent. (In the past I have dealt with a drunk who wandered into the old school and pulled out a knife. Guess what? Also an old white man.)

The police arrived and I did talk to them. I did feel silly because this old guy wasn’t a threat, but I didn’t want to put my hands on him. What if I did? I felt that the police sort of thought I should have handled it myself and the guy had left right as the police showed up. (Apparently he ranted and raved downstairs as well.) But if I handle it am I protected by law?

Anyway, at this point I realize it was a good thing I didn’t decide and escalate the first crazy guy situation until it came to blows. If I had, when the old crazy guy situation came up, I would have no credibility as a sane person.

Ever since Our school moved from Tai Tung, I haven’t had to deal with many crazy people. At Tai Tung, we were on the first floor and I slept there often with the door open because the elderly person that slept there couldn’t breath without the door open. So I would deal with anyone that came in, all night long. I realize this lack of sleep and dealing with crazy people made me harder and perhaps age faster. Dealing with these two crazy guys brought all that back.

I guess that’s why I’m writing this at midnight instead of sleeping.

Tomorrow we celebrate Double Ten at City Hall so time to sleep.

-Adam

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