THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1961.
A MELODY OF EXPERIENCES WITH NO HISTORY
HONG KONG OFFICE EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION
by OSBERT LANCASTER
FIRST ANNUAL EXHIBITION
HOEA
CAT CANCE CONFEMINA
October 17th to 21st, 1961
10 am. to 7.30 p.m.
"No, stiranda, нof fom afraid that for reasons which may not be obvious from your point of view, the #fovement
sanctioning long trousers for Boy Scouts only 7"
PENINSULA HOTEL BALLROOM
(光珠海公司
A Gift of Inspereshabite Astor
Remendimit, e
JEWELLERY CO.
Wonderful
Man
Diamonds, Jadës, Real
earls, and all,
s.of Precious Stones Bldg: 71 Queen's Rd; C
150, 23151, 32023, 20727.:
CHAMPAGNE RESTAURANT
Presents Nightly
NIGHTCLUB
& UAR
The Famous Classic Acrobatic-Adagio Ballet From Bolshoi Ballet of Russio
THE ROMANOFF DUO
The First Russian Artists ever to appear
In Hongkong Nightclubs!
1 show: 10.15 p.m.
16 Kimberley Rd., Kowloon.
AIDA HARLING
Henkalionul & Corvenome Vanter From W. Germeny
Will
GIORGIO DE GIORGI
Internationally Famas Tenor
From Greece
1 low: 11.43 b.m.
Plug-
THE ARI KANG SHOW
10 Star Performers of International Fame
1 show: 1.00 1.331,
Tel. 60001, 67000
«El-darthig, we can't all
be stoleni"
"Why don't they demcow cats?!"
Artix-
"""Could you spare a common sixpence for a common cup of coffee, wir?"
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Test and Measuring
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Semi-Conductors (Transistors)
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208 209, BANK OF EAST ASÍA BUILDING. HONG KONG
TEL: 26218.
THE CHINESE AND
By
Armando Moreno G.
THERE he was born and there he will die. Time never hangs heavy on his hands nor does he sigh or grieve for fleeting pleasures which he will never enjoy.
He, like all the Chinese, makes little of ad- versity, bitterness and death. In his sampan of yesterday and tomorrow he calmly drags out his wandering over the waters in a life of frustration with no immediate hopes or rancour to come.
Placidly unhappy with that non-tonfő¥ming But, for that very reason, the placidity which comes from Chinese in his sampan Is not a life that asks for nothing signs of life, nor in the harsh Interested in the tragic dimen- and has hopes in no-one. He contours of the world. has no wish to go anywhere nor to reach any
definite place.
All he wants is to be there in his old sampan, melancholy and improvident without passing privileges-for these known to him.
are
un-
INDIFFERENCE
He concentrates on his own narrow area, his tiny vital space of aca and sky and wherever the strength of his muscles take him as his fists close over the rough oars.
But even then, his fe holds less ingredients and less wor- ries than that of other men who must always be on the move.
His passions, if he has any, must inevitably clash with the emptiness of his existence, be- tween sea and sky, plank and plant and the ancient sides of bis sampan.
LOVES
What we call civilisation with Its complicated apparatus of in-
HIS
SAMPAN
harsh flavour of centuries.
They Esten to the allent steps. of generation after generation, their only narrow world, day after day and night after night,
have a double background of ond difficulties as though they must have taken sudden refuge
were in paradise.
In many a place without khow- history and philosophy, and a
Out there, not far off comes ing how other people of his own a sampan, bobbing along with race fared there. the lazy steps of a tired old man. The man and woman row There they will live in the lazily while the children lend old shell of their coracle until tiny hands, one of them hum- one day, any day, the voices of ring a mournful melody, learnt their parents begin to fade. so one knows not where.
that new and more vigorous He must have travelled for voices may be heard between round these neighbouring coasts, the ancient planks of the on his blind and silent way. He sampau.
A man and a woman, in each sampan, struggle with their five or more children for life and against life with Its abstractions
The
land
Well,
of
why not?'
Tokyo.
tea
Tokyo's bars, cabareta, rooms and coffee shops out-
THE camera laden tourist looks puzzled, shine anything else for sheer THE
"Why?" he asked his young Japanese
guide. not?"
ingenuity,
One slick operator in a Tokyo suburb bought some old buses
From his first movement, as soon as he uttered his first cry, he has been soaked in salt water which he will carry with him to his death in his body und In his blood. He tusea every- thing he is, his poverty, his troubles, hia Indliterence, his calm, in the immensity of the open sea. the wide torrential hibitions holds no interest for rivers.
the Chinese in his sampon as it He sails
the aun of had no interest for his grand- millenary. and eternai Chinn, father or grandmother
who with no burgeonings of illusion ved and died there too. or flashes of hope. What does He has his allent loves sa have appears confused until it is fur- he care for the constant fancy of the poets who sing to distant ther expinined that the CGT olher men and other races, for balconies. For him there is no the fames of his erratic course
struction is such thing as illustrious ranks, railway station over the furrows of the seu
nor humble glebe but his peace- vanish in the ashes of his own existence.
The answer comes quickly-"Why and turned them into mobile
"But they are putting up a building in middle of the road," the tourist protested,
FEUDAL
"No" the guide cortects nut putting one up but put- The tourist ing une down."
an
By STEVE
bars, parked at strategle points. Flence any drunk stilli i spruk-
the ing condition can request the
services of the chauffeur driven bus and be "poured" out on his cloor-step, and why not?
Konishi Hotel has an entire top floor revolving smoothly on rviler bearings so the customer can't complain of not getting a fair view whle dining. Like
its all big cities Tokyo baa pidgeons, but here they are put Surprised but full of praise to work.
the couri Newspapers uke them regu-~
undergrond DUNLEAVY
ful existence with no anxieties guide that the Japanese when He lo further lold by his nor torturing hopes.
There is a people of pressing building underground structures for the girl's action
first. above the decided to dismiss the case and larly for cartier services for up appetites. Because they wish Fet them up
let the young lad Have his country communications. Coun- It, there he is on the moving ground and then kink them.
Is as much needed bike. The girl hay try grocers
found have also shop-window of the waves: the Why? the answer
The plly returned to peddling her them men's best friend when it The Chinese and his sampan sardines and the other fish Practical as it is simplo, live with China, her history and among the convolutions of the sub poll in Japan la Foft and own one. Well, why not?
comes to delivering orders. brilliant GO a very legends. His tennetty and quiet sea among the white foam and muddy. indifference are an integral part the dark green of the salt water. Japanese engineer hit on of him as they are intimately
On the sea and in the sea heiden of zinking big buildings bound up with the turbulent has withdrawn and concen-into the ground. China of today and the China trated everything that he
The new
the
basement was com-
It is somelling which comes fancies, his despair and hopes. menced at ground level.
SURVIVAL
make the
Crowl
unique
pubile
Millionaire shipowners gice- fully rub their hands about getting a 100,000 tonner bulit within 150 days. Yol the sabic man probably fumes in rage when he is told that he can't get a duplicate key out for his car in under a week... Tour ruchs as to why is as good as nilue.
Who cán explain why jockeys
Most Japanese think it's not of the Annexes
were advisable to be on time for an Hotel of yesterday and are lost th the and is of him, his brain and turbid Imperial trappings of
his
because it shows 1olerant
flesh feudal heart,
toasted by built on this principle. The four #ppointment
they are too anxious. However winda and suns, Ida illusions and storeyed ages.
on the other hand Japan's rail- ways run on split second in- mysteriously, from beyond, from
As it grow is own weight ing-comething "that is far, far away. to settle in a
enused it to eattle. Riven period of the dite of a
Hydraulic anywhere in the world, race or on the pulse of a people
pampa helped by drawing away
Mout expresses have which it as it were a symbol of
And to him as to those who the mud from underneath, and
months
ears pro- carry penalty weights in their 17 telephones. Slerping the Chinese character and its first lives in that sampah of his in less than 18
vide night attire.
uwn vest Instead of the eps- patience and is as though one which is his today and will be-storey building was erected.
lemary saddle bag? Maybe it's fung
To a stranger li's one of the And the Japanese aak "Why kindheas to animals. a handful
of centuries orig to his children tomorrow.
in successive inheritance, death many oddities that into the air of eternity.
not?" when
Prince And why on moot race tracks does not matter: for death, to country of Japan so fascinating. Akihito R ordinary train do long distance races go onti- ali Chiness is d "Salute to life," kou ask "why?" and the pollie
And Int desplie his royal clockwise and sprints, clock- Bhedline, whet ons "gões | Japanoso, reply is "why, not?” Opbringing. It appeñes that wise. Well, why not?, down and ainics into the river,"
the Japaritre have now
Tokyo Es But old and decrepit though to wash away all traces of the
the only place relleved themselves It may be, ils sempat la his world the sampan will repre-
of the where you can take anbrellas Milit formality that wan ad af railway stations from spécial life and the lie of his whole sent survival for him like a part
A schoolgirl from the south of
mach part of their lives ṛteks without baking permis- fully, his Inheritance and his of his body or something of his Japan recently renched the enly fortune. For it in a melody blood.
for centuries, hearts of the local when n
slot. lt's up to the borrOWER of experiences with no history,
ib return the umbrelló, Now [young thief slolo, her bicycle. The Rampan of China is
The people enjoy themselves slations have mara, umbrellas from which, ifite an endlos primitive way of le, but with
The neighirurg rillex to it their bars (hots of than they started with, dirke, apting desolation and its own peculiar philosophy. ¡gether and bought het a new them) caborvid and uputt
bike to compensate for her lor, fleks. In their wars, In their Some stations even give the
baths-
andriem,
VITAŬ
*
use-of
fred prams to mothers with babies,
In Japanicae inns you're given
in the mounting the ever alert homes and in thor police had caught the turf and particularly their bath IL There is amongst those who brought him to court. The old would sybeat to a Bowcomer just about everything you need live in them, a kind of in-bike whe returned, to the girl. thm id Japantse spend half Ile and hie are gradually describable seat for He with the However on the day of their life for the bins, or hold for the night-that is except for bient up, like a candle gutlet- excliinst trembling of the water-
a towel which they soil..... cours ease the girl appeared ene say outside the bath,
But often, however when the Kindn ing in an old candlestick, wijk which turgid forth from the
leaves hit is, glyon., a Hö now Ccaires, in a ufo will spring fit, the double udetalhess
new bike in the thief bbcntian
Thia le because the Japanese momento of his stay.nicely nu pevaraming shemt, slotte with of ashigot and botiričom Dis worries of the meald of tas The sainpans which plalith "he obviously tizeded and or do Meir Washing outalde the wrapped towel,
he the, uncertainty of their way arose the waters of ·wod[dn't have aldim bath and the bath is only used
fur. #ooking in...why xoi?
Well, why not? Chind, like a Legion of neits,
day brid tumbrrow.
!
tient who was going to give her
*
1