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Ian's blog

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Permalink : http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Posted by Ian , Reader : 797 , 15:26:56  
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The Chinese are well known for their hard work, no task is too daunting. But when work is finished they know how to rest The Chinese are a sociable people, they enjoy a visit to a local swimming pool with their friends. The Chinese are famed for their ability to combine the best of the old with the best of the new. They export many delightful products to other countries. Above all else they will greet strangers with with cheerful words such as this sign.

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comment 61 ChristySweet date : 15/11/2009 time : 16.56 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/ChristySweet

In July visited the Great Wall near Beijing, there was not one bird to be heard within hundreds of forested acres. I got on a cruise ship in Tianjin. 4 thousand people arriving to board and ONE e x ray machine with a staff of 5 , none of whom could be bothered to get off their ass and assist in getting the bags through. We sat and watched the man, " watching" the X ray , he barely looked at it. At one point the embarkation lobby became so crowded that people coming down the escalator couldn't get off it and a woman had the skin on her outer thigh sheared off. The Chinese thought that was real funny. Easy to see where Thailand gets it's work ethic. MONKEYS !!

comment 60 Ian date : 09/11/2009 time : 12.17 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Panya, as it is my blog I have no objections if it wanders off track Britain has always been pulled in three directions, the Commonwealth, Europe and America. After the war we had a close trading relationship with our Commonwealth partners which benefited all. From West Indian sugar to New Zealand butter and Australian lamb. When we joined the European common market we had to sever these free trade deals with the Commonwealth and instead look to European common agricultural policy. This was out first mistake. Next with the creation of the Euro it was proposed that the Pound should join. America opposed this move as a Euro which incorporated the Pound would create a strong competitor for the dollar. We gave in to American pressure, this was our second mistake. Having joined the EU is was silly not to go the whole way. Now we are out on a limb, divorced from Commonwealth benefits, cramped by EU regulations and tied to a progressively weakening dollar. Like Abhisit, most of our senior politicians went to Oxford, and like Abhisit they can only see the present rather than the future effects of their decisions.

comment 59 panya date : 08/11/2009 time : 21.10 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Having spent a while on the UKIP website, I think they look quite interesting, they have a wide range of policies, and the withdrawal from the EU is curious. They certainly seem to have established themselves and their membership is growing. More consideration is due. Thank you R&W and Ian for the recommendation. What would any of the Thai political parties put on their websites, I wonder?

comment 58 redandwhitestripes date : 08/11/2009 time : 20.27 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/reallifethailand

Panya, I have a lot of time for UKIP and similar parties. The BNP have a great number of faults yet the same people who make them out to be pure evil are the same who gloss over our murderous rape of Iraq.

comment 57 panya date : 08/11/2009 time : 16.50 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Ian Not at all long-winded. Whilst I knew of the changes in education policy from some friends who teach in England, I didn't know about the civil defence being dismantled. How very short-sighted, who could possibly have been stupid enough to waste such a practical network. That interesting, and of course, the less people participate, the less they care. Your occupation must have been stimulating, while it lasted, and explains much about your blogging too. But after that, how can you still be a one-finger typist? Sorry I diverted your blog from China, but points of genuine interest are few and far between these days.

comment 56 Ian date : 07/11/2009 time : 23.43 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Panya, to be honest I know little about the UKIP (Independence party). Their basic manifesto is the complete withdrawal of the UK from the EU. http://www.ukip.org/ As I do not think this would be a good move I have not looked further. 30 years ago I was still a teacher, I was responsible for 3 departments and also chaired a national curriculum development team. During my spare time I was also a Scientific Advisor to the Home office (MI6) on civil defense. I was also briefly a local MP standing as an independent (nothing to do with the UKIP ) So I was quite well placed to witness the decline in democracy. I won't bore you with the details unless you are really interested, but the gradual erosion of a teacher's freedom of choice in both subject matter and manner of teaching became alarming. Many senior teachers opposed this trend and eventually gave up and like myself took early retirement. The civil defence structure was dismantled on the grounds it was no longer relevant as the cold war had ended. They conveniently forgot that we had a trained volunteer force to handle civilian emergencies, from floods to motorway pileups. What were coordinated teams of Police, Fire, Ambulance and rescue workers were disbanded. Basically the opportunity for ordinary people to get involved at a volunteer level had been removed. Instead obscure government agencies moved in. People take an interest in their nation when they can contribute, whether it be the St John's ambulance corp, the Red Cross, the Royal observer Corp, Civil defence, Neighbourhood councils, etc. Remove them, replace them with centralised government agencies and people lose interest. When people lose interest democracy declines. Sorry, that was more long winded than I intended

comment 55 panya date : 07/11/2009 time : 19.54 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Ian C54 Last time I was briefly in London, I of course listened intently to people on the tubes/buses, and was struck how their current affairs conversations not only seemed to feature few but the party leaders, but how grim the assessments made and conclusions reached were. As you say, there was serious disillusionment, but without there seeming to be any hope of new solution. It was rather a 'resigned to accept their lot' feeling. I remember there always being the extremes who were hoped to shake things up, the Heseltines, Tony Benns and such. Who are the Independence party? Are they bright young sparks with novel and radical ideas, or are they the new breed yet to discard their aged masks? How can they rejuvenate what is clearly moving towards a police state? I think I am more cynical of the democracy you once mentioned was more prevalent 30 years ago. Was it actually more democratic, or was there better disguise to the machinations of the British political and social elite? You're right about the weird people here - you never know when you'll be mentioned or get your head bitten off, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to find a quiet haven for comment

comment 54 Ian date : 07/11/2009 time : 18.24 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Panya 53. I think Thatcher was just one aspect, Reagan, Clinton, Bush were equally cult figures, the same with the French, German and Italian leaders. Now it is not "The American government says....." , it is "Obama says .....". Nationalities have been subsumed into personalities, democracy is limping along on one leg. In Britain the party leaders are moving further and further from their grass roots, the people are disillusioned and the turnout at elections steadily falls. We actually need parties like the BNP, the Independence party, etc just to bring back public debate and involvement in politics. Western politics is becoming monolithic, apart from minor details there is nothing to choose between the major parties. We need an injection of both extreme right and extreme left into politics to clear the cobwebs. Thailand is in a similar mess, politics at the top is based on sandikar (my thanks to ND for explaining this). It doesn't matter if you are Red or Yellow or Blue, your leaders are all at the top of the sandikar league, they all are on the same team. I vaguely remember that post about Thaksin and Gates, I wonder if I would still think the same now? That's another thing, I change my mind often as situations change, here you get accused of being two faced if you do so. Weird people in these blogs

comment 53 panya date : 07/11/2009 time : 15.48 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Ian Thanks for explaining that, it makes sense. My ten years in London was largely during Thatcher's time, so I know little of the others you mention, other than what I read, and the parties do seem to have become a personality club, but didn't Thatcher rather start that with her autocratic stance? Your hair-splitting is quite right; I assumed you meant a CG image courtesy if the Photoshop 'liquid' and 'smudge' tools. Talking of computers, I read an old blog of yours earlier, a loose comparison between Thaksin and Bill Gates. There were some astute observations in it, and some funny comments too. .

comment 52 Ian date : 07/11/2009 time : 15.07 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Panya 51. "Keep yer hair on Pop!" Your admonition comes several years too late, at least for the central landing zone. Political Britain is similar to Thailand, it has become a cult of personalities rather than policies. People stopped being Conservatives and becamer Thatcherites or later Blairites rather than Socialists. Brown is simply a nonentity, he is aptly named. Nick Griffin I thoroughly despise he is an obnoxious man, but his party is a convenient peg to hang my hat on in order to express my disgust at the immigration policies of the major parties. Just splitting hairs but is not a painting a made up image?

comment 51 panya date : 07/11/2009 time : 14.44 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Keep yer hair on Pop! I just wondered if you had changed your mind. First a Socialist, then a Tory, then BNP. I wondered what had made you reconsider. Phew..... just trying to have a chat. As it seems so important to you, I am of mixed ethnicity, hold a disputed nationality, and exercise opinions which are aired by differing party's MPs, so I do not consider them affiliations, as I tried to explain to your confused colleague from Norway. My avatar is not a made-up image, it is a section of a Bridget Riley painting. And I don't throw stones, nor do I make noises. That may well be the side-effects of your medication.

comment 50 Ian date : 07/11/2009 time : 09.48 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Panya 49. I said that if a BNP candidate was available in my district I would vote for them, not in the expectation that they would win but as a protest vote against the current government policy on immigration. You have never declared your ethnicity, nationality or political affiliations, you prefer to lurk behind a made up name and image in order to safely snipe at some and give support to others. To me therefore you are just a poltergeist in the system, a minor irritant that throws stones and makes noises

comment 49 panya date : 07/11/2009 time : 08.28 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Ian C48 Didn't you blog a few months ago that you were considering voting for the BNP? I remember being rather surprised. .

comment 48 Ian date : 06/11/2009 time : 19.29 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Noonin 47. I started life as a Socialist, then as I became increasingly aware of the abuses of the Welfare State became a Conservative. However the Conservatives lost the plot and New Labour looked attractive briefly. British Politics is now in the doldrums, no party appeals to me and I have not voted in the last two general Elections.

comment 47 noonin date : 06/11/2009 time : 18.52 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/noonin

Comment 46 I thought Ian was (past tense) a socialist! At the time he was a teacher and educating!

comment 46 happyjack date : 06/11/2009 time : 06.19

Most posters had a Socialist Education,where denegrating any good was the Norm

comment 45 Ian date : 05/11/2009 time : 22.36 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Panya, 44. You disappoint me, only a "tendency", that is a very mild insult for a change. Actually your first full sentence makes little sense to me. It is a mistake to think that the British ruled all of India, The British colonial administration did not directly rule all of "India". There were several different political arrangements in existence: Provinces were ruled directly and the Princely States (625 of them) with varying legal arrangements, like paramountcy.

comment 44 panya date : 05/11/2009 time : 18.51 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Ian C43 A reward? I know you have a tendency towards being supercilious, but I'm not sure anyone saw India as a children's playground. The anti-British sentiment stirred by Gandhi and augmented by Chandra Bose's I.N.A. had made the situation untenable such that British force to control Indian people would have been unjustifiable after the atrocities of the war, as well as unrealistic in terms of manpower. And of course your point about being impoverished made the issue of independence of immediate concern, leading to the ill-planned, ill-executed and over-hasty partition. .

comment 43 Ian date : 05/11/2009 time : 10.46 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

R&W. I think two factors were involved with India, firstly it was a reward for their support in WW2, secondly we were too impoverished after this war to continue our presence there. Then in 1956 the American supported closure of the Suez canal effectively terminated our influence in Asia.

comment 42 happyjack date : 05/11/2009 time : 09.23

Can i answer my own Question..I remember hearing Michael Foot tfor the First time on T.V.Not realiseing he was an M.P.,i thought he was one of the New Wave comedians,so i turned him off.

comment 41 happyjack date : 05/11/2009 time : 09.17

Why have Winnies been replaced by Ninnies

comment 40 redandwhitestripes date : 04/11/2009 time : 20.45 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/reallifethailand

C39 is true. He was bitterly opposed to the handover of India and with good reason. We scurried out unprepared, leaving a massacre and a seemingly eternal border dispute behind us that still threatens to create an international conflict at any moment. Perhaps history will repeat itself - this time in Iraq - before too long?

comment 39 happyjack date : 04/11/2009 time : 15.16

Dear Old Winston wouldnt have given it back,nor would they have asked.

comment 38 Ian date : 04/11/2009 time : 14.12 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Peacefulness, if you want a discussion on the hand over of Hongkong, this blog is not really the place. If you cannot create a blog of your own, I will be happy to create one for you. If you think I might be biased then I'm sure Piset or ND would be happy to do the same.

comment 37 peacefulness date : 04/11/2009 time : 13.45 nationmultimedia.com

comment30/31 lack of knowledge..............that is why i posted my knowledgeable comments about hongkong........china.......chou enlai and nixon.

comment 36 Ian date : 04/11/2009 time : 13.23 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Peacefulness, comments depicting the ikon of another blogger will also be deleted. If you want to have a war with yuri then write your own blogs, don't pollute mine. This started as a humorous blog, it seems that you don't know what humour is, that explains a lot.

comment 35 peacefulness date : 04/11/2009 time : 10.57 nationmultimedia.com

pics,, hkg flag and prc flag easy reading ......... treaty of nanking (unequal) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Nanking Transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_sovereignty_of_Hong_Kong

comment 34 peacefulness date : 04/11/2009 time : 10.50

British Representatives at the Royal Armed Forces' pics, Beating Retreat Ceremony. Left-to-right: Robin Cook, Cherie Blair, The Prince of Wales (in his dress uniform as a Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy) and Chris Patten; Tony Blair can just be seen on the right-hand side

comment 33 Ian date : 04/11/2009 time : 09.31 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Peacefulness, as long as you continue to post comments which are filled with obscenities, I will continue to delete them. Post a comment using decent English and it will remain. It is your choice.

comment 32 happyjack date : 04/11/2009 time : 06.25

When i started out,i leased a piece of Land from a Relative for my first Factory at a Peppercorn Lease for 15 Years.He was a Farmer,so after i had to return the Land as Found,it was only a Pre Fab,so no prob,perhaps the British should have done the same in Honkers.

comment 31 Ian date : 03/11/2009 time : 18.07 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

comment 30. Yes, we could, both sides wanted a deal. Unfortunately the British team ignored their HK Chinese advisors, and Patton went for a deal that would have been seen by the Chinese as a loss of face. By the time the misunderstanding was realised, it was too late and China had to go through with her demands.

comment 30 redandwhitestripes date : 03/11/2009 time : 17.09 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/reallifethailand

Ian, couldn't we have reached a deal with the Chinese? Maybe they wanted it back so badly that no deal could be made. I'm just annoyed we let such an asset (the last real asset to The Empire) slip away.

comment 29 redandwhitestripes date : 03/11/2009 time : 17.08 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/reallifethailand

Nooin, sometimes when I type comments I get distracted or disturbed. Sometimes this has the side effect of mixing up my tenses or typing a homophone of the real word I wanted. Obviously I'm well aware of the difference and usage of past perfect tense and present perfect tense, it's just matter of focus. If you have children, you will know what I mean.

comment 28 happyjack date : 03/11/2009 time : 17.00

Al,that Train would be covered in Gaffiti on Burnley Station,An American Import,created by Piccaso.Im Away,shes moaning.

comment 27 happyjack date : 03/11/2009 time : 16.55

Yes, this is a good blog, the imagination runs riot,so what if it came from Burnley,they own all the Take Aways there,in fact it would brighten up Burnley a few Opium Dens.Datamation could be a Resident Comedian, and Pipe Filler.

comment 26 happyjack date : 03/11/2009 time : 16.45

Inscruitable little buggers those Brits.where did they Import it into China from.? Burnley..,they were all Druggies before Maradona i thought

comment 25 Al date : 03/11/2009 time : 16.23 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/albert

Would you like to see only picture like that (above)? Wouldn't this be boring? Humour is a hard thing. Particularly between different cultures (and, of course, between man and woman). It requires a kind of mutual understanding not based on words. May be that's why here it is so deadly serious.... Why not laughing about these pictures? They are not one-sided – nobody was telling that 'this is China'. Why exhuming dead bodies? Isn't it strange to turn something humorous into something serious again?

comment 24 Ian date : 03/11/2009 time : 13.45 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

This blog would seem a good way of sorting out those with a sense of humour from those determined to take offence. It is now clear Dalmasian lacks a sense of humour.

comment 23 Dalmasian date : 03/11/2009 time : 12.13 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/dalmasian

The photos presented here about China are simply too one-sided and derisive of the country and its people. There are many other photos on China that are much more representative of China than the ones presented here. I could go on the Internet and download a ton of them if I want to. Ian, why don't you show some of the photos where the Brits imported Opium into China and force the vice on the Chinese people, and when the Chinese government resisted the evil Brits started the Opium War that led to the annexation of Hong Kong. That should really show how "good" and "kind hearted" the Brits really are! As Dirty Harry would say, go ahead, make my day! -- Dalmasian

comment 22 notdisappointed date : 03/11/2009 time : 12.06

Al and Ali, That was Dick trying to be both diplomatic and funny at the same time. Keep it up Ian; it suits you. Now only inane idiots and fools can criticize you.

comment 21 panya date : 03/11/2009 time : 08.36 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/diversion

Ian - What a great blog, abundant in caustic humor! I think it shows what a wag you really are! Moby C2 - I used to laugh seeing Chris Patten as an MP for Bath. Geddit? Piset C10 - Hilarious! Noonin C17 - Alien C18 - And China Unicom have just launched the iPhone for over $1000, without wi-fi !! ...... But when you think about Tiananmen, human rights, shark's fins, tiger's penises, monkey's brains, industrial pollution, environmental abuse, UN vetoes, Burma's junta, etc etc, they are not really so funny after all.

comment 20 netnapit date : 03/11/2009 time : 07.38 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/netnapit

I saw four of these pictures before! Haven't seen the one of the cactus though. That one's funny. I admire the guy on the chain for his balance.

comment 19 happyjack date : 03/11/2009 time : 07.18

Strange i was expecting some exasperating Espresso this morning.He must be to Pissed. .That little Man looks a bit like him,sort of Benny Hillish,

comment 18 Alien date : 02/11/2009 time : 22.48 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/alien

Moby Dick - did you used to be a diplomat in a past life? Just wondering.

comment 17 noonin date : 02/11/2009 time : 22.37 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/noonin

simple!

comment 16 Al date : 02/11/2009 time : 22.31 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/albert

Mobydick, this is really a humorous and light hearted presentation. There is no taunting intention in it. I could do the same with some aspects in Germany. For me the pictures show also: China is a country with intense dynamics - in all parts of the society in a spirit of optimism.

comment 15 Ian date : 02/11/2009 time : 21.46 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

noonin, but he is an English teacher, not a teacher of English, as was I What are you? A simple answer will suffice

comment 14 noonin date : 02/11/2009 time : 21.25 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/noonin

If we have made Comment 9 A good English teacher should never have (had) made such an error.

comment 13 Ian date : 02/11/2009 time : 20.49 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

R&W, 9. Unfortunately we could not have kept it it was dependent on the mainland for its water supply.

comment 12 Piset date : 02/11/2009 time : 20.39 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mahwatthai Piset

My apology for the double clicks. Please delete one of them. C 10 is a language joke along with the picture for the cultural revolution era. The word "cong" means "Forward Rush" and also means "Flush" It came at the era when many were unwilling to take little effort of flushing the toilet after they got through using it.

comment 11 Piset date : 02/11/2009 time : 20.33 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mahwatthai Piset

Notice the mobile phone near the man's left foot!

comment 10 Piset date : 02/11/2009 time : 20.31 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/mahwatthai Piset

Nice humor and nice picture Here's a few more.

comment 9 redandwhitestripes date : 02/11/2009 time : 20.03 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/reallifethailand

Good bit of fun, Ian :-) Personally, I'm gutted that we agreed to "lease" HK for just 99 years. If we have made it part of the empire on a full time basis, it could still be a massive asset to us.

comment 8 Ian date : 02/11/2009 time : 19.47 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

It seems that for some people even a non political humorous blog will get attacked. Mouldydick, this is a light hearted blog, anymore stupid comments from you and this dying ox will stamp on them...capiche!

comment 7 Mobydick date : 02/11/2009 time : 19.33

Ian, I won't attack a dying ox. Just let the nature take its course.

comment 6 Ian date : 02/11/2009 time : 18.22 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Mouldydick, I really have no idea what you are talking about, I think you are attempting to attack me, if so you have failed as you make no sense.

comment 5 happyjack date : 02/11/2009 time : 17.38

Mouldydick,is the Sir Les Patterson of Asia;

comment 4 Mobydick date : 02/11/2009 time : 16.45

Ian, You can laugh at whatever you like but don't feel sad for anyone but yourself. I feel happy for a rising sun but I never feel sad for a falling sun. What goes up,must come down.There is nothing to be sad of.

comment 3 Ian date : 02/11/2009 time : 16.16 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Moby, are you suggesting that it is ok for me to have a laugh at England but not China. If so I feel sad for you. Some of my closest friends are Chinese, I have enjoyed every visit I have made to China.

comment 2 Mobydick date : 02/11/2009 time : 16.08

When I read the term "Xenophobia" on your former blog ,I thought : "Does Ian mean Sinophobia". On 30 June 1997,when I saw the last British Governor of Hong Kong,Chris Patten, stood in rains and tears infront of the lowering Union Jack,I just laughted all the way.

comment 1 GGrass date : 02/11/2009 time : 15.44 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/GGrass

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