Reading Prompts 6

Confucianism and the Shaping of Chinese Culture [Prompt 14]
1. The movie showed the struggles of a family in semi-rural china during and post Chinese civil war. Before and after the war, and onset of communism the father was always the head of the family. Before they enjoyed a leisurely life, sorta, were they had a name and respect because of the name. After Mao took power they were still respected but because they earned it, because they had to earn this respect form their peers and government the importance of saving face was amplified. Along with this there was the need to work harder as well.
2. The Chinese life philosophy is take it as it come and keep going, make it through and you will have succeeded. the title is the most direct expression of the philosophy
3. The philosophy is that the whole point of life is to live.
4. I think that yin and yang is very much related to movements in life, and i think the movie shows it. When ever something terrible happened in the movie they family sort of waited, or found the good counter part. For example even though the daughter was mute, she still got married. Or that they lost a son, and not only was the dept of a guilty friend repaid, but they gained a son-in-law who respected them.

Excursion to Chinatown [Prompt 15]
Chinatown was like a bubble of sorts, it was like walking in to a Chinese neighborhood that was transplanted to Oahu. I can see how when the Chinese immigrants came to Hawaii, being completely unfamiliar with the society or it language, would choose to surround themselves with like minded people. At the same time I find it amazing and odd that it still remains that way today, and not just in Hawaii. I grew up near Chinatown in Houston, and it is just as 'bubble-ish'. In Chinatown the street signs are in Chinese and English, the people speak Chinese with English as a second language, etc. the most important difference between Chinatown and the rest of and US state is that they sell things there that no one but the occupants need. In this I'm referring to odd poultry, we have all seen it, and the apothecaries that sell herbal remedies.

Food and Meals as a Cultural Experience [Prompt 16]
the Chinese restaurant was less scary than I anticipated, and i was sort of let down in that respect. I was glad to to be surprised with some strange bug in my food instead of chicken. Most of the people at my table ordered what i would consider safe dishes, meaning ones that we had heard of or eaten before in the Americanized Chinese restaurants that exist on the mainland. the food was served 'family style' on large plates set int he middle of the table for everyone to share. We were given only chopsticks, with no hope of metal utensils for the chopstick impaired (pour Paul!).