Kashmir in the aftermath of Partition – Part 1
The issue of Kashmir and its attendant bloodshed, like Palestine, will not be resolved soon. Kashmir is a bloody legacy of the British. In his…
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The Liao-Shen campaign of 1948—Part 1
Manchuria was where Chiang Kai-shek lost China to Mao. Thereafter, Mao swept south below the Yangtze to destroy the Nationalist armies south of the river.…
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The Babas—Part 2
Their origins Victor Purcell’s The Chinese in Malaya, published in 1948, did not say that the Babas and Nyonyas were from a mixed Chinese-Malay parentage.…
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The Babas—Part 1
Their origins The origins of the Babas are obscure and contentious, according to Felix Chia, author of The Babas. He says the first-generation Babas are…
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Embracing Defeat
The title is striking. It seizes your attention. “Embrace” means to take up readily or gladly, like “embrace a cause.” In the book “Embracing Defeat”…
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Matsuo Basho and The Three Kingdoms
Below is a note I sent on Christmas Day, 25 Dec 2011, to my lawyers from Mount Fuji, Japan, while on tour. Merry Christmas from…
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China and Japan – Part 1
Emperor Hirohito’s surrender speech, delivered on August 15, 1945, over the radio, was in classical Japanese that was heavily influenced by classical Chinese, especially in…
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Buddhism in China – Part 2
During and post-Mao Under Mao, all religions, including Buddhism, were regarded as “feudal superstitions.” After Mao died, Deng Xiaoping allowed the restoration of religious sites…
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Buddhism in China – Part 1
Post-Western Encroachments Faced with the threat of the British and French taking territory by force, making China strong became a major concern of the Qing court…
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Majie – Part 4
The origins of Majie The phenomenon of women in Kwangtung who chose not to marry and sailed to Malaya to work as amahs has its…
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