Ryu2.mind

Add one more thing to what I've done so far in China: joined in a internationally-covered protest. Yes, it was against US (and most other countries') embassy recommendation -- but, boy, it's a story to tell the kids! =)

I'm sure most of you already know the background and motivation behind these protests, so I won't repeat here; go to your favorite international news source for more info.

Anyhow before I go on, I have a feeling this topic might spawn some heated comments/debate, so this entry is to serve as a disclaimer and an explanation on my stance; please read this first.

Japan is a country near and dear to my heart. I have a good number of Japanese and Japanese-American friends, some of which read this blog. I own a significant amount of Japanese consumer electronics, camera equipment and video game hardware/software. I know some Japanese (barely enough to survive in Japan, if even that, but I do want to get better), have visited Japan on several occassions, and hope to have many more chances to do so. Heck, I even worked for a Japanese company for the better part of a year.

My "participation" (insofar as only walking along and snapping pictures can be termed as such) was motivated not by my (non-existent) anti-Japanese sentiment, but solely by curiosity -- curiosity to see what a rare government-condoned protest here is like, and on a higher level, a desire to see the Chinese mass psyche in action. For me, seeing people do what they did that morning and afternoon gave an insight into what makes the groupthink here tick and how it fuels behavior -- much more so than reading any book or newspaper.

Having said that, do I personally have misgivings with what the Japanese are teaching their kids in history classes? Yes, I most certainly do.

But likewise, I have similar personal beefs with both the American and Chinese governments, because heaven knows that they are far from blameless when it comes to 'sweeping things under the rug' as far as their public history is concerned. Really, any government on Earth and run by human beings is guilty -- from Vanatu to the Vatican -- for we all have our own agendas to promote, after all.

Furthermore, I realize a government and the governed are different things, so my views on the policies and actions of the {Japanese/Chinese/American...} government is not going to affect my love for things from {Japanese/Chinese/American...} culture nor my friendships with those from said country or ethnicity.

Therefore, if it were just up to me, I'm not going to get so worked up about this particular issue (nor the other ones, eg Diaoyutai/WW2 reparations/UN security council membership) and Japan specifically that I take to the streets, let alone boycott Japanese goods or trash Japanese property. But TIC, so I just wanted to see how the Chinese act, and see I certainly did.

Anyhow, that's my two yen, jiao, or cents -- take your pick -- about the political aspects of this protest.

Narrative and pictures coming up next...