After 1845, when the United States annexed Texas, Santa Anna continued to claim that Texas was still a province of Mexico. He refused to recognize the secession and ignored the decisive victories by the predominantly American Texicans in 1836. His attitude eventually led to war.

Early on September 12, 1847 the Americans began an artillery barrage against the Castle that continued throughout the day and resumed at dawn the next day.  After the artillery bombardment ceased, General Winfield Scott ordered his troops to charge the Castle.

A storming party led by forty Marines was followed by a brigade of volunteers. For a time the detachment stalled while they waited for ladders to arrive and for reinforcements held up by heavy Mexican artillery. When the ladders finally arrived, the first wave of Americans ascended the walls led by the Marines. George Pickett (later famous for “Pickett’s Charge” at Gettysburg) was the first over the wall. Several American Generals and other officers were wounded as they led their men over the walls before the Marines were finally able to raise the U.S. Flag over the castle.

During the battle a Mexican army cadet wrapped himself in the Mexican flag and jumped from the extremely high wall to prevent the seizure of the Mexican flag by the Americans.  From a very safe distance, General Santa Anna (yes, the same Santa Anna who captured the Alamo in 1836) watched his army troops melt away in defeat.

The Battle for Chapultepec Castle was marked with extreme bravery and sacrifice by soldiers on both sides, many who were just cadets and volunteers. This was just one of several great battles fought during The Mexican–American War, now an almost obscure conflict between the United States and Mexico (1846-48).

At the end of the Mexican-American War, the United States forced the Mexican government, under the terms of the “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,” to give up the Mexican territories of Alta California (now the state of California) and Santa Fe de Nuevo México (parts of west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Nevada). The Rio Grande became the official boundary between Texas and Mexico. Mexico was forced to forever drop all claims to Texas and California and all of the land between them.

Thus the southern boundaries of the United States of America were set and secured, guaranteeing peace between the the two North American nations for generations to come.

Of course, that was not the case then -- nor is it now.

In 1914, the United States occupied the Mexican port of Veracruz for six months due to a misunderstanding between Mexican guard troops and some U.S. soldiers who had been sent to protect American citizens living there. This incident was one of several diplomatic problems between the two countries related to the Mexican Revolution that was going on at the time.

In response to that misunderstanding, known as the “Tampico Affair,” President Woodrow Wilson ordered the U.S. Navy to occupy both the city and port of Veracruz. When Wilson received an alert that a German delivery of weapons to Mexican rebels was due to arrive there, he ordered the port’s customs office be seized and the weapons confiscated.

In 1913, Mexican rebel armies overthrew the Mexican government during a coup d’état. Wilson refused to recognize the rebels as the legitimate government of Mexico and embargoed all arms shipments to them. Unofficially, Wilson supported what little remained of the Constitutional Army of the previous elected government of Mexico.

It turned out that the arms shipment to Mexico actually originated at the Remington Arms Company in the United States. Remington’s guns and ammunition were shipped first to Hamburg, Germany, and then on to Mexico, an attempt by the company to effectively skirt around the American arms embargo.

Three years later on March 9, 1916, General Pancho Villa ordered nearly five hundred Mexican members of his revolutionary group who were armed to the teeth with American guns and ammunition, to go across the border and attack Columbus, New Mexico. Villa felt the raid was justified because of the American government’s recognition of his enemies, the Carranza regime, and also for the loss of many of his soldiers due to defective bullets that he’d purchased from the United States.

On May 15th, Villa attacked Glen Springs, Texas. One civilian was killed and three American soldiers were wounded. On June 15th, “bandits” (thought to really be Villa soldiers) killed four soldiers at San Ygnacio, Texas. On July 31st, one American soldier and a customs inspector were killed at a Rio Grande border crossing. In each of these incidents all weapons and ammunition used by the Mexican soldiers and bandits were manufactured by esteemed American companies like Winchester, Remington, and Smith & Wesson.

Now, nearly one hundred years later, we are facing another border war with Mexico, presumably not against the legitimate military, but against the warlords of the Mexican drug cartels.

Unlike the brave, dedicated Mexican soldiers and cadets who fought during the Battle of Chapultepec, the armies of these criminal cartels are made up of desperate men. Their only objective is to make huge amounts of money by controlling the flow of illegal drugs and weapons across the North American continent.

President Barack Obama recently met with President Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa of Mexico to try and find a unified way for our countries to defeat the drug cartels. Calderon promised to work with Obama to find a way to stop the flow of illegal drugs and weapons across the border, committing national army and guard troops, local and national police forces, and millions of pesos toward the effort.

Both Obama and Calderon have admitted that the United States bears a heavy responsibility for the successes of the drug trade. Most of the buyers of illegal drugs are Americans. Just as it was when our soldiers and Marines fought the Mexican rebel army at Vera Cruz and against Pancho Villa -- all who were equipped with American made rifles, pistols and ammunition -- the weapons and sophisticated military devices being used by drug cartel soldiers and enforcers are made in U.S. factories, sold by U.S. arms dealers, and then smuggled into Mexico.

American made guns support the drug cartels in Mexico…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNNRwIKgweM

We find ourselves fighting the Mexican-American War all over again on several fronts. Our borders are like sieves, allowing illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America access to all of our country, but especially the southwestern states. Mexican Mafia gangs made up of both citizens and illegal aliens of Mexican descent control entire neighborhoods in some of our largest cities. They easily travel between the two countries carrying drugs and weapons.

The Mexican Mafia controls large groups of prison inmates on both sides of the border -- and in some cases even the prisons themselves. Teenagers are recruited or drafted into area gangs to act as soldiers, enforcers and drug dealers in neighborhoods of our largest cities. The sad truth is that these gangs have also spread their poison out into the smaller towns and rural areas that were previously untouched by crime and the drug trade.

While the primary focus of our political leaders is on Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, these small armies that owe their existence to the Mexican drug cartels are spreading throughout our country. We tend to worry about a few dozen Muslim terrorists sneaking weapons into our country, while thousands of well armed Mexican gang members and drug cartel enforcers are already living in the hearts of our cities, ready to rise up against the civilian authorities at a moment’s notice if and when they are given the order by cartel leaders.

Like Al-Qaeda and Muslim extremist terrorists, these cartel members are vicious, uncaring, and very dangerous. They are willing to kill police officers, government officials, news reporters, and even innocent civilians. They are perfectly willing to kill each other as well, both rival gang members and weak or disloyal members of their own gangs. They do their nasty deeds just like the Islamic terrorists: beheading, extreme and prolonged torture, dismemberment, live burial, hanging, rape and strangulation. While what they do is primarily meant to send a message to their enemies and competitors - and to some extent to create fear among the general public -- they are also happy to commit these atrocities just for the fun of watching other human beings suffer indignities and unbearable pain.

We must face the fact that we are once again at war on our southern border. Fortunately, in this case the Mexican Army and the civil authorities are our allies. That could quickly change should the Mexican military and police forces lose their will to fight or should the leadership of the central government be taken over by politicians with ties to the cartels.

Yes, the battles we face in the Middle East and Asia are critical and must be managed, but President Obama must realize that we have enemy armies on both sides of our southern border. These cartel soldiers (who are nominally Christian and Catholic) are potentially far more dangerous and evil than the armies of Taliban fundamentalists and Islamic extremists located on the other side of the planet.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and local police recently rounded up over one hundred street gang members in a series of raids in North Texas cities. Most of the arrests were for serious criminal charges. A few were arrested on administrative, or immigration violations.

An ICE spokesman said the those arrested represented members of twenty-seven gangs, including the Asian Boyz, Latin Kings, Eastside Locos, Northside Locos, Westside 12, 18th Street, 28th Street, Love Field Players, Mexican Mafia and MS-13. Most of the gangs were affiliated with each other in some way, with MS-13 being the largest and most powerful, taking its orders directly from drug cartel leaders in Mexico.

I’m a victim of my upbringing…you know, You Are What You Were When. Forty years in the world of big business has hardened me, but I grew up in a place and time when the biggest lie you told when you were a kid was about whether you had taken another cookie out of the cookie jar. Honesty prevailed. Whether it was a kid bet or an adult business transaction, handshake deals were honored. People who were dishonest or lied habitually did not fare well. I conducted my business career in lockstep with the way I was brought up, and was once told by a business person I respected that my kind of thinking was old fashioned. You can succeed in today’s world if you think that way…it’s just more difficult.

As hard as I try to swim upstream against an overwhelming tide of anti-Obama, anti-liberal dogma that is flowing out of countless sources every day, I am impacted by it. Much of what comes at me through the internet is pure garbage…and if it is obvious that it is manufactured or just malicious, I delete it. Some of what comes at me seems to be very real, and is frequently confirmed by what I have naively assumed are non-biased television news reports. That bubble is popped when someone lectures me on what news channels favor liberals and which ones favor conservatives.

Snopes.com is supposed to be the definitive arbiter of what is true and what is untrue…I used it today to check out a story emailed to me by a conservative friend. It was allegedly penned by noted historian, Dr. David Kaiser, and was entitled “History Unfolding.” It’s an intriguing article, but according to Snopes, it was not written by Kaiser, but by someone identified as “TPS” who posted it on a blog. Okay, so what am I to believe when my conservative friends tell me that Snopes is controlled by liberals? In this case, I think I believe the information Snopes presented because it sounded reasonable, but then, so did the information about who wrote the article.

All of this starts at the top. When Joe Wilson called out President Obama, he did it in a way that was beyond political decorum…but he may have hit the nail on the head on the subject that triggered his outburst. As a result of Barack Obama’s denial that illegal immigrants would benefit from health care reform, and Joe Wilson’s outburst, Democrats decided they needed to “drill down” on the health care proposal. Senator Kent Conrad (D-N.D) and Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said “The group would add a proof-of-citizenship requirement for participation in the new health-care exchange— a move likely to inflame the new left.” Did the President lie intentionally…or did he simply misinterpret the information? Again, how do we know what to believe?

What has been driven home to me lately is that I am part of the unhealthy division of our country now. In spite of my efforts to try and understand both sides, I am more politically conservative than I am politically liberal. Most of my friends and associates are conservatives. I probably tend to believe too much of the anti-Obama, anti-liberal dogma that is floated past me when I am trying to be a good liberal conservative. I can only promise that my drive to get to the truth will intensify.

Leader of the Conservative Liberals?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=edUuhfcJPzg

Barack Obama was hailed as the messiah when he was elected. Now, many supporters loosely claim that he was elected with over 60% of the popular vote, when in fact he was elected with 53% percent of the popular vote. No matter which poll you dare to believe, he now has the support of no more than 50% of Americans. The latest Rasmussen Report shows that 32% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way he is performing his job, and 38% Strongly Disapprove of the way he is performing his job. Any way you massage it, you can’t deny we are a country divided right down the middle.

That is not anti-Obama information, it is truthful information. I am presenting it because I am disgusted with what we have become as a country. Politics aside, there are moral, social, and financial issues nipping at the divide as well, but they are more subjective. It is fortunate America is not geographically and politically divided cleanly along north/south or east/west lines, or we might be headed toward a modern version of civil war.

I had originally intended to continue this article with support for my contention that Barack Obama is not John F. Kennedy or Ronald Regan, and discuss some of my feelings about things like ACORN, but then realized that I would be contributing to the very thing I am railing against.

No matter what you believe, our nation needs Barack Obama to succeed because he will be the president for the next three and a half years. If you don’t like him, work hard for a potential successor, and do it with honesty. If you do like him, support him with honesty. This country was built on honesty and hard work. That’s not just corny rhetoric…it’s something real that everyone can participate in. I for one don’t want to be the worst kind of liberal conservative.

[Photo credit to Eva Heinsbroek, Netherlands for "cute monkeys."]

Attention! Attention!

The French accent did not disguise the intent of the word our languages share from the Latin.

Whirrrrrr! Clunk! Clunk! Gone! The melon-sized rock, falling from a French Alp at terminal velocity, would have taken my head off had I not been fully attentive at that particular moment and hugged the vertical ice encrusted rock with the intensity of a lover.

Climbing vertical rock and ice has a way of acutely focusing your attention while releasing a delicious sense of aliveness.

A mid-life crisis in my early thirties sent me off to Europe to spend a summer trying to kill myself by doing obscenely difficult Alpine routes. With just a few climbs on a small rock in West Virginia under my belt, I somehow survived and learned one of my most valuable lessons: the value of attention to this life.

This seemingly basic concept of “attention” deserves a closer look.

[From Wikipedia:]
William James, in his textbook Principles of Psychology, remarked:
“Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others, and is a condition which has a real opposite in the confused, dazed, scatterbrained state which in French is called distraction, and Zerstreutheit in German.”

I wonder if our increasing tendency to multitask (of which I am guilty) is robbing us of the ability and affinity for focusing on the precious intense moments of living that are within our grasp daily.

If our brain is trying to accomplish several things at once, something is lost, and that something is the intense pleasure to be had from focusing on one thing: one simple beautiful piece or moment in the universe.

I don’t want to focus on the negatives of multitasking, but on the rewards of attention:

The day I wrote this, my wife Claire and I rode our bicycles to Ski Valley in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson. We began our ride at sunrise in saguaros heavy with white blossoms and the faintly acrid scent of creosote, both signatures of the Sonora Desert, and ended at nearly 9,000 feet in aspens alive with the eager gobbling of a turkey in the deep forest.

Along the way as the saguaros gave way to bushy oaks, we caught the scent of dry grass. Then came the gin smell of juniper and the vanilla of ponderosa pines -- all punctuated by the liquid descending call of a canyon wren -- and finally into the clean sharpness of spruce and thin air.

You get the idea. I was paying attention -- very close attention -- to the subtle changes of the varied climate zones that span from Mexico to Canada, that we had passed through in just three hours.

Of course we could have driven it in a motor vehicle more quickly, and we do sometimes, but we would have missed most of the smells, all of the sounds, and the involvement of our own bodies.

Muscles working against gravity have a way of demanding one’s attention. Contrary to popular perception, that sensation is mostly pleasant if focused on, rather than trying to ignore the “pain.” Pain and pleasure can be interchangeable with the right attention and attitude.

On the way down the sense of speed was intensified by gusts tugging at the light bicycle and skinny tires. At this speed paying attention is not only rewarding, but required. Forty -- or even fifty miles per hour -- on a bicycle is pure joy, even if it is just on the edge of being scary.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSXQJK57tus

While we were at a rest stop for a snack and to enjoy a view of the city, Claire was using her water bottle to wash a bug from her eye. I got close to her to see if it was gone. The aliveness and attention of our day together coalesced into my desire to hold her -- and I did. I focused my attention where our damp bodies met, the smell of her hair, the sun on my back. As I held her I told her something very personal that I’d been wanting to share with her about my desires for the end of my life. I’m not sure any other combination of circumstances would have led me to make that revelation.

Life is only fully appreciated through attention -- especially attention to emotions.

This subject deserves more than I am giving it now -- perhaps I will come back to it later. For now, those muscles I used so fully are demanding me to give full attention to a fade into a long deep sleep.

In fact the White House has clearly stated that it won’t stop gays and lesbians from being dismissed from the military.

The Supreme Court has ruled that it will not hear any current motions before the Court because it found that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is “rationally related to the government’s legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion.”

The White House stated that the Court ruled correctly in this regard and then referred requests for comment to the Justice Department. It did issue this brief comment:

“The law requires the Department of Defense to separate from the armed services members who engage in or attempt to engage in homosexual acts; state they are homosexual or bisexual; or marry or attempt to marry a person of the same biological sex.”

A spokesman representing gay and lesbian members of the military stated that there are no studies showing unit cohesion, morale and order have been harmed by openly gay people. He pointed out that attitudes among troops and society as a whole are far different than they were in decade of the 1990s when the policy was formulated and first instituted. Our military members who are actually serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have much more liberal attitudes about gay people are very different than some of the high ranking generals and policy makers who are now in their 50s and 60s.

It’s a travesty that several valuable members of the military, both male and female, who have served well and loyally for many years, are now being forced out of military because they refuse to deny or hide their sexual orientation. Some of these people in service have earned medals for bravery under fire, have taken on dangerous assignments, and have provided their branch of service with their special skills and talents.

None of the military members who have recently been forced out, or have been told that they will soon have to leave, have had any reports of misbehavior or disloyal acts during their service.

Some of these gay and lesbian soldiers and sailors have stated that some members of their unit did not realize that they were homosexual, and when they finally learned of that fact they either didn’t care or were vocal in their support of their gay comrades. Yes, there are some in the military who dislike homosexuals and will harass or bully them when given the opportunity. With very few exceptions most members of military units are judged by their peers for how they handle their duties, carry out their orders, and how they treat their subordinates -- not whether they are gay or straight -- the same as anyone else in service.

President Obama is Commander-in-chief and has the power to take action to stop this injustice from continuing. Even if his preference is to let Congress create laws and regulations as to how to handle specific problems in the military that arise due to some one’s sexual preferences, he should still suspend current enforcement of the policy until that happens. As Commander-in-chief he can reinstate the policy at any time that he feels that it is needed or that military discipline and security might be compromised.

The presence of gays serving in American military units has been documented going back to the French and Indian Wars of the early 18th Century. Many of the officers of both the British and American forces during the Revolution were known to be “dandies,” yet they led their troops and made battle plans with the same skills and sense of duty as their peers.

In the past, one reason for not allowing  homosexuals to serve in the military, or as spies, or in connection with critical secret projects, was that they might be compromised because of their fear of being blackmailed with the threat of public disclosure because of their sexual orientation.  Because of the shame and and public scandal that such a revelation could create, this was probably the right policy for past generations and past wars.  Yet history tells us that many people who were privately gay served well in the most critical secret projects, including development of the atom bomb, jet aircraft, and code deciphering. In fact, all of the major breaches of security that were made public after World War 2 involved heterosexual men and women, many of whom were married and had children.

The presence of homosexuals in the navy was common knowledge among American sailors and officers during the major wars of the 20th century. “Don’t drop the soap in the showers” was a common humorous warning shared between American sailors serving in the Pacific during World War 2. Yet those sailors and soldiers who were gay served just as faithfully in every military unit and in every capacity, were wounded, maimed, and killed just as often as their straight companions.

2007 Senate hearings discussing gays in the military

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2bJmMKZ5k

This is the 21st Century: Let’s face it folks -- gays and lesbians will eventually get their constitutional rights returned to them sometime before this century is over. Are we going to make them sweat it out for several more years, suffering and continuing to be discriminated against like the blacks, Hispanics, and Asians did during the 19th and 20th centuries? Or are we finally going to do the right thing for once and act now to eliminate all discrimination and finally let the Equal Rights Amendment be fully implemented?

I call upon President Obama to take the lead and fulfill his campaign promise to end the unfair and unconstitutional “Don’t ask, don’t tell” rules and guidelines NOW! He has the power to do that under his authority as Commander-in-chief. Do it now, Mr. President, and then let Congress take the time they need to work out the details of any new regulations -- or hopefully they will realize that there should not be special rules for homosexual Americans and simply ban all discrimination in the American military once and for all.

[Photo credits: Lou Clarke, UK (Bronze statue- Tankies); Gabriella Fabbri, Italy (Color graphic - Three Soldiers)]

Piddle

The aroma of coffee came thru bold and strong.
My taste buds were anxious to drink all day long.
I realized, of course, I downed more than I should.
But the third cup of java had tasted so good.

It’s now eight o’clock. We’re still on vacation
Our motel is quite far from our next destination.
One more quick visit to check out the room.
Also a chance to spray on perfume.

We jump in the car and toward Tucson we go.
But here is the start of my long tale of woe.
Nature calls loudly, and it’s a real strain.
To keep this discomfort from hitting my brain.

“Oh honey, please check for the nearest truck stop.
However, don’t speed and get stopped by a cop.”
I don’t want to seem like I’m in much distress.
But inside my body, I scream nonetheless.

Wait, there’s a rest stop ahead with a sign.
The words on the paper are making me whine.
“Power is out and we need to inform
That restrooms are closed because of a storm.”

We drive in pure silence but then my dear Bill
Points out a small restaurant just over the hill.
The sign on the door reads “Closed due to bad weather.”
I know in my heart that I am not altogether.

We look over the landscape as we endlessly ride.
No tree, bush, or cacti allow me to hide.
I’m starting to wonder if I could open both doors
And use them for cover as I pull down my drawers.

I’m ready to panic when there suddenly looms
A big dollar store which I hope has bathrooms
We jerk to a stop and I jump into action.
I’m sliding along till my shoes get some traction.

As I stumble and slip, the store is a blur.
Time is of essence. I cannot deter.
The “ladies”, of course, is way at the end.
No one is there, which is such a godsend.

I open the door and lock the door knob.
I’m so out of breath that I just want to sob.
Niagara Falls seems to take over me.
And I sit there and sit there and sit there and pee.

I have learned a lesson from this situation.
Drinking too much causes heavy urination.
So now when we travel, I drink very little.
Only once in a while do I stop just to piddle.

Editor’s Note: This article was first published on March 14, 2009 on Chi Newman’s own website, www.Chi-Newman.com. We are very pleased to reprint it here for the enjoyment of our own readers. Chi invites everyone to come over and check out her site. If you are a fan of Chinese culture, world travel, and Chi – check it out!

In December 1967 we were back in California on home leave from La Paz, Bolivia. We stayed with Ruth, Dick’s older sister, and her family.

Ruth and I went shopping every week because I was busy buying shoes, clothes and other supplies to take to our new post in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. One of the most beautiful items I bought was a silver punch bowl with 12 cups. I could imagine the delicious lunches I would prepare and serve my guests champagne punch, or use the bowl for “walnut tea”, one of the most famous Chinese deserts.

One morning while we were having breakfast, the doorbell rang. There was a telegram for my husband, Richard, from Lyndon B. Johnson ordering him to go to Vietnam instead. Wives and children were not allowed to go. We could, however, choose to live in the United States, Hawaii, Bangkok, Manila or Taipei. I was devastated and could not imagine what I would do with my children for the next two years.

Dick arrived in Vietnam in January 1968, two days before the “Tet Offensive.” All hell broke loose. He and one other American were in a downtown hotel were awakened by the sounds of gun fire and explosions all around the area. By 8 AM all was quiet – unnaturally so. The Armed Forces Radio said there was a 24-hour curfew so they did not dare leave the hotel. As all but one or two of the hotel staff had gone home for Tet, there was neither hot water nor food. The two men shared some pretzels and gum drops, which was all they had. By the next morning, they were so hungry they decided they had to venture out. They crept along walls towards the nearest Army mess, finding it surrounded by a wagon train of vehicles with armed soldiers in helmets and flack jackets on guard. They waved and called out, and were permitted to enter the mess, where they feasted on powdered mashed potatoes, canned beans and canned beef. It took a few more days before the city began to function again and the two men could report for work.

I decided to go back to Taipei, on Taiwan, the island I loved so much. I understood that there was an excellent American School run by the U.S. Navy where I could send my children, Jeffrey and Leslie. We were 180 wives with children, but no husbands. The State Department provided us with comfortable houses and transported the children to and from school.

Once we were settled and the children had adjusted to their new school, I knew I had made a very wise choice. I had the best of both worlds. We were allowed to use the Officers’ Club and the PX. I took my American friends to the best Chinese restaurants, and my Chinese friends to the officers’ club for steak dinners and other American-style meals.

Our husbands would come back every four or five weeks for several days and were treated like royal guests. I took over the finances and the upkeep of the car.  I never bothered to tell Dick when the children were sick - I figured he had enough to worry about in Vietnam. I played the slot machines at the officers’ club and had mahjong parties at home. Many of the wives played tennis and bridge, but I had not yet learned those games. I had two servants to take care of my children and the housekeeping, so the kids and I led a very comfortable life.

Several wives and I flew to Saigon to visit our husbands over the Easter Holiday. Dick was stationed in Can Tho, Region Four, in the south of Vietnam. I had to fly in a helicopter to visit him. The men were so happy to see us and treated us like movie stars. I would smoke a cigarette just to see all the hands outstretched with their Zippo lighters.

We could stay only for a few days, and I hated to leave. The children, of course, were not allowed to go. I think that during the two and a half years that Dick served in Vietnam, I went about three times to visit him. The wifely visits were allowed only when the authorities considered that the areas to be visited were relatively safe.

Every week two jets loaded with Americans would fly in from Vietnam to Taipei for R&R, “rest and recuperation.” They were not allowed to wear uniforms, so no one could distinguish between the officers and enlisted men. Certain wives chose to go out on dates with these men, while some of their husbands, I’m sure, had Vietnamese girlfriends. Consequently, there were a number of divorces. It was during the time of mini skirts and women looked very sexy, indeed!

Every Saturday afternoon the military would show the latest movies. State Department people were allowed to go. I always went with my best friend, Peggy, because the movie house would be filled with servicemen. One Saturday, Peggy was sick, so I took my son Jeffrey with me. It was an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and quite scary in one part. Anyway, somewhat frightened, I grabbed my son’s hand. Then, I began to rub up and down his arm, when suddenly I realized that it was covered with hair. I was rubbing the arm of an American soldier who never moved a muscle while I was doing it! My son, of course, was sitting on the other side of me. I was so embarrassed that, dragging Jeffrey with me, we quickly fled the theater. I guess that American must have thought Chinese women were pretty damn forward!

The Navy Hospital was very efficient and we took our children there whenever they needed treatment. One day, my friend, Lt. Greg Hamilton, told me that the Navy was bringing in some flouride to treat the military children. He apologized, and explained that there would not be enough to take care of the State Department children. I pondered for a moment, then said that I’d really appreciate it so very much if he could find a way to accommodate my two kids. He was a good friend and said he’d see what he could do about it. A few days later, he called and instructed me to be at the hospital with the children on Wednesday at 4 PM. I explained this to my kids, but Jeffrey was embarrassed and didn’t want to go. He had inherited his father’s virtue of always following the rules to the letter and he knew that State Department children were not included. I explained to him how important his teeth were, and that we were just going to show up and wait. If it turned out not to be possible, we would simply turn around and walk out. On Wednesday afternoon, there were many women waiting with their children, all with dental files in their hands. Of course I didn’t have a file. Jeffrey kept tugging at my arm to leave. Finally, Dr. Hamilton opened the door and announced: “I will call three names at a time and then you will follow me in.” He said, “Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith, please follow Mrs. Newman in.” My children had their fluoride treatment and I congratulated my friend for being such a diplomat.

After two and a half years my husband finished his tour in Vietnam and we returned home on an American President luxury liner, visiting Japan and EXPO 70 before embarking. Our next post after home leave would be Santiago, Chile.

By combining various characters, the writer can express different ideas. For example: the character “shuo” (to speak) and the character “ming” (bright) used together means “explanation”.

Chinese has at least 50,000 ideograms and no one knows them all. About 6000 characters are used in daily speaking and 3000 words have been simplified for written Chinese.

Literacy is very important in China because the pronunciation of the Chinese language varies widely from region to region, while the written language is universal. All schools in China now teach Mandarin, which has been called “the people’s language,” so as to try and standardize pronunciation and to unify the country.

Speaking the Language

Since Chinese is a tonal language, no system can exactly duplicate the actual spoken sounds of Chinese words, but they have devised a system called “pinyin” which works quite well.

Here are some examples:

• one = “yi”
• two = “er”
• three = “san”
• four = “si”
• five = “wu”
• six = “liu”
• seven = “qi”
• eight = “ba”
• nine = “ jiu”
• ten =”shi”

Here are some additional examples:

• day= “ri”
• moon = “yue”
• mountain = “shan”
• wood = “mu”
• person = “ren”
• son = “nan”
• middle  = “zhong”
• country = “guo”

Spoken Chinese has a limited range of sounds. There are about 400 sounds for 40 - 50,000 words. These sounds are made up by variations in tones. There are four tones in Mandarin.

1. High and level (as in High Noon)
2. Rising (as in asking “Here?)
3. Falling and rising (as in “please”)
4. Low and falling (as in “No”) in an argument

Here are some examples:

• Ni you bing ma? (Do you have ice?)
• Ni you bing ma? (Do you have a cookie?)
• Ni you bing ma ? (Are you sick?)

Bing also means “soldier”.

Mandarin has four tones, but Cantonese has nine. Many of the earlier immigrants to the United States came from the south of China where Cantonese was spoken, giving Americans the impression that the Chinese language had a “sing-song” sound to it.  After Mao’s  revolution everyone had to learn Mandarin, changing this perception. Mandarin has a very flat and smooth sound that is soft and pleasant to the ear.

Writing in Chinese

Chinese script is beautiful to look at. Essentially a picture language, Chinese uses calligraphy as an art, painting each character by hand with brush and ink. There are many famous wall hangings and other art pieces that use only Chinese calligraphy.

Chinese characters are made up of graphic combinations. For example: 

• The character meaning good, “hao,” uses the combined symbols of a mother and child.
• The character for peace, “an,” uses the symbol of a woman under a roof.
• The character for enlightenment, “ming,” is a combination of symbols for the sun and the moon.

The brush that moves along the paper is guided by the heart, “Shin” and by the spirit, “Chi.”

Although Chinese is a very different language from English, it can be learned if you put your mind to it. You should find the spoken language to be quite easy, but writing can be far more difficult.

I have already mentioned in my previous article [“Memories of China”] that Chinese is easy to learn because there is no grammar, genders, tenses, participles, cases, or numbers that make up most European languages. Instead, the language uses modified versions of words within context to be more specific.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Soon, I will be sharing with you other experiences, recipes and memories. – Chi Newman

Editor’s Note by Dick Kelly:  Joyce Hodges is a retired school teacher who has been writing poetry all her life. She and her husband, Bill, spend four months a year in Tucson, Arizona, and split the rest of time between their home in Muskegon, Michigan and nearby cottage on Big Bass Lake.

Immigration Reform is a hot topic in today’s news. And yet, people’s opinions vary dramatically on this important issue. Living in the south end of Tucson, Arizona, four months out of the year, conversations can get quite heated, with no middle ground. And I wonder why people seem so convinced that they and they alone, seem to know how to handle the problem. Without taking sides, I decided to pen the following poem in rhyme:

Amigo or Illegal?

Amigo or Illegal – Thoughts come to mind. 
                         Some are malicious and others are kind. 
                         Perception of people can often occur. 
                         Tainting the facts, making views premature.  

Amigo or Illegal – Environmentalists shout. 
                         Trash in the washes is what it’s about. 
                         Then there are crops that rot in the field. 
                         Farmers need someone to bring in their yield.  

Amigo or Illegal – With hospitals and schools, 
                         each city needs finances and its share of rules. 
                         There are serious problems we must not ignore. 
                         Is someone a drug runner or just a señor? 

Amigo or Illegal – The walls we have built,  
                         will they give us comfort or leave us with guilt? 
                         Are Mexicans eager and willing to work? 
                         Are America’s borders considered a perk?  

Amigo or Illegal – There are many who see 
                         oppressive conditions that cause them to flee. 
                         The fear of arrest gives rise to heartache. 
                         Some leave their country to make a clean break.

Amigo or Illegal – The questions aren’t clear. 
                         We often form thoughts that one wants to hear.
                         But remember, dear friends, that whatever we do, 
                         we must be sure of our facts for a fair overview.  
                                         

Joyce Hodges   

The symbol for the Yin Yang is a perfect circle, divided by black and white.

In life you have your good and your bad days. If you believe in the Yin Yang, you would know that happiness is the opposite of sadness, and you could not feel one if you did not feel the other. If you really believe in this, then during your down time, you would not drown your sadness by doing things that would harm you, like taking drugs, drinking too much, smoking cigarettes, hurting others. All this is counter productive, it would only make you feel worse. You need to say to yourself, “This is my down and sad period, I must take advantage of this time to read a good book, volunteer, learn something new, help around the house, play a musical instrument, be considerate of others. If you practice this philosophy, you won’t mind your low periods, because you know that only after your low, can you have your high. If you were always high, you would not appreciate it, because you would not know any better. When you are feeling good again you can relish all the things you have accomplished.

The Yin Yang symbol is a perfect circle of black and white. If there were no black there would be no white, if there were no ups, there would be no downs. The circle represents balance; there are no sharp edges for you to fall off. If you follow this philosophy, you will be able to cope even during the worst of times.

Example: I have a friend who phoned to tell me that he had just been told that he had a very serious illness. He was feeling very low and curled up in bed thinking negative thoughts. So I asked him, what was his greatest regret? He answered, “I feel so bad because I have not talked to my father for nearly twelve years.” I told him that I would hang up the phone so that he could call his father immediately. I told him not to be concerned about who was right and who was wrong. Just call up and say, “Let’s get together”.

About an hour later, he called back to tell me that his father would soon be arriving for a visit. My friend’s health is better now and he is grateful that during his low period he had the courage to call his father and make things right.

In Chinese cooking, we also practice the Yin Yang philosophy. In each dish we always think of balance: color, texture, dark and light, soft and crisp, sweet and sour.

Balance in one’s life will help greatly to make a person happy and well adjusted.

After my husband finished his tour in Vietnam, we decided to pass by Kyoto, Japan, to visit EXPO 70. There was a Yin Yang booth, and of course I had to visit it. There were so many interesting things to see and learn, but the one I liked the most was the sculpture of two hands, one black and one white, by a Japanese artist whose name was Yamamoto. They were big enough to sit on. Dick took one of me sitting in one of them. It is my all time favorite photo.

It’s good to have traditions for the New Year, but not all traditions are positive. One I have done without for many years is to make a New Year’s resolution. Here’s why:

You will break it. Sad to say, nearly all New Year’s resolutions are broken, probably within a few weeks to a couple of months of their making. Oh, the motivation is pure. Say, you really, really resolve to lose that ten pounds you gained over the holidays, not to mention the three to five pounds that crept up on you over the year, like they have each year since you passed twenty-five. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it happens to the purest among us. It’s just the natural aging process, our wealthy society, our holiday binging philosophy, and just plain human nature.

The New Years resolution dilemma has one big weak link. Everyone makes resolutions at the same time each year, and when one weak soul breaks their resolution, we break ours in commiseration, because: 1. We are so compassionate. 2. We’re just waiting for an excuse to break our own resolution. I go with number two. Regardless, we all end up breaking all our resolutions and becoming each other’s co-dependents. Now we’re worse off than if we hadn’t made a resolution in the first place; no improvement and several new co-dependent relationships. Bad. Bad.

I propose the following approach to resolutions: Make resolutions; just don’t make them at the New Year. Any time of year is fine, just not the New Year.

Resolutions are best achieved when they are: realistic, backed by research, shared with a very few, and followed up with daily thought and action. Now all this is not so hard as it might appear.

Realistic: means 20 pounds over two months, not 20 pounds before the dance next week.

Backed by research: means you learn all you can about where you can cut unnecessary calories from your diet, and know exactly how many hours a week of what kind of exercise will take to reach your goal.

Share with a very few: means to share with your significant other, and at most a small group of supportive friends; don’t share with anyone who might want you to fail out of jealousy.

Take daily thought and action toward your goal: this is both the most difficult part of the equation, and the most productive. Make a chart for food intake and exercise hours, and keep it current. This is not a torture. This is a motivation.

Now you are set for achieving your goal; just wait until everyone has broken his or her New Years resolutions, and then you’ll be free of pressure and can concentrate on actually achieving yours.

Then comes the sweet part. You can brag.