Awakening The Giants
When I was young I was very intrigued by stories of giants. Fairy tales have them and they seemed to be at large and aplenty. Giants with three eyes with the third one in the middle. They are huge, very tall - 7 to 10 feet tall, maybe more and they were all strong. You go slay the giant and the King will give consent for the hands of her Princess, not sure if you have a chance to see how the Princess look like before you decide.
Do you know the one where the King was willing to give the hands of her beautiful Princess to the man who would fetch him the most ping pong balls? Princes of countries near and far did their best. The first one thought he was successful when he came forth with a hundred only to realise soon the second one came back with a thousand but both started laughing when they saw the third one crawling in all tattered and torn holding only two balls.
The King was bemused and enquired: "What happened to you when all I asked was for you to bring back the most ping pong balls?" This third Prince who was almost half dead stood up when he heard what the King said and shot back: "What!?!? I thought you said king kong balls??!! So the moral is to listen carefully and you may not be required to do more than is needed!
Greek mythology has lots of giants or monstrous looking man-beasts. The Bible spoke of David and Goliath where the shepherd boy David with Gods' help used a slingshot to slay the giant Goliath and later became King. It was said that in Biblical times, fallen angels or demons laid with human women and produced freak offspring.
Brazil, Russia, India and China (aka BRICs) will hopefully save the world with economic rise and in some ways help power the world. You must remember the many qualities of these countries after all Russia was the first country to put a man into space and they have always been scientifically advanced.
Brazil
Brazil is the world's sixth most populous nation after China, India, the United States, Indonesia and Russia. They have a population of 185 million which makes them the biggest country in Latin America. Its extensive Amazon Rain forest in the North may one day provide us some kind of cure for various deadly diseases. It is bordered by Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is bound by Peru and Bolivia to the West and Colombia to the Northwest. It gives us the Rio Carnival and the Beautiful Game which is soccer - Samba style. How many of you know that Brazilian Jiujitsu's a very powerful martial art? Brazilian music is also wonderful with African and European influence. You know Bossa Nova? Take a look at the Rio Carnival.
Antonio Carlos Jobim is world famous as a songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, pianist/guitarist and a primary force of the bossa nova style. What about Bebel Gilberto the famous bossa nova singer of world -acclaim? SHe's the daughter of Joao Gilberto. Listen:
Walter Wanderley is a Brazilian maestro of bossanova and lounge music.
The Girl Form Ipanema - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t998MOVgsF0
Music To Watch Girls By - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgWVsNW5uQY
How about Mas Que Nada? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucD0gTr66ho
Russia
From Northwest to Southeast Russia shares borders with Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. You can't imagine the massive size of the country. OK, you know vodka? Tchaikovsky? You know Maslow? Abraham Maslow who gave us Maslow's theory -Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? Though born in New York, his parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. Listen to Tchaiskovsky 1812 Overture.
They were the first country to put man into space and called them Cosmonauts. This led the Americans to start NASA and few years later put their Astronauts in space with man on the moon. China has their Taikonauts and we Singaporeans have our Kiasunauts! Do you know Lev Yashin the Black Spider? His athleticism was superior, has an imposing presence, amazing reflexes and invented the sweeper's role for a goalkeeper and yes he wore black. Their population was nearly 149 million in 1991 just before the break up of the Soviet Union. The current population is now about 142 million. These are just a few things to interest you about Russia with my limited knowledge. A tribute to the great Lev Yashin:
And do you remember the one I told you about NASA trying to make apen that could write in space by spending millions? The Russians just used a pencil.
China
One of the world's oldest civilization, China has a history of some 5,000 years. Today, I do not need to tell you much about this giant as you would have known much and still learning. Surely you know about their sporting prowess - their divers, gymnasts, table-tennis players, shuttlers and many more. Some friends told me that I belong to the Tang Dynasty. The Song government was the first in world history to issue paper money. Admiral Zhen He (Cheng Ho) commanded a Navy fleet bigger than the US today. Christopher Columbus was said to have discovered America in 1492. Some friends told me a Chinese man of Cantonese dialect did so not Columbus. As he was approaching the shore from a distance he put his palm over his brow and uttered in Cantonese: "Ah, mud yeh lay kar?" hence the name America.
With the world's largest population at more than 1.3 billion people. China has given many gifts to the world such as invention of the humble abacus which is a first calculator and propotype of future computer, the compass, paper, gunpowder and movable type printing. Other great Chinese inventions involved mechanics, technologies, mathematics, hydraulics, metallurgy, engineering, agriculture, astronomy, craftsmanship, music theory and warfare. Other Chinese inventions are bell, coffin, dagger-axe, drum, fork, lacquer, noodle, oar (rowing), rice (cultivation), use of salt, silk, soybean cultivation, pottery, acupuncture, belt drive, old form of beer, blast furnace, drilling, chopsticks, exams (civil service), crossbow, soccer, medicine for treatment of certain disease, cannon balls, fireworks, fishing reel, flame thrower, horse harness, ink, kite, mahjong, match, natural gas, playing cards, porcelain, restaurant menu, suspension bridge, tea, toothbrush and many more. Even the written and spoken language is intriguing. See a previous article I have published:
Today China's foreign exchange reserves is at an all-time high of US$2.85 trillion. The Chinese now have the ability to go shopping to buy up assets of and debts of other countries and companies all over the world. Things used to be stamped Made In Japan. Today they are all Made In China. China started buying US treasury bonds 10 years ago and now owned US$907 billion. China has begun securing natural resources and has struck many deals in Africa and buying debts in some European countries. They have 21% of the American government debt and 13% of Spanish government debt. China's attitude will adjust itself and change as its foreign currency reserves grow. Some may see it as a threat but China has not invaded and conquer another country.
India
Mark Twain called her the "cradle of the human race, birthplace of speech, mother of history, the great grand mother of tradition." Will Durant called her "the mother of Europe's languages, mother of our philosophy, mathematics, ideals, government and democracy." Albert Einstein said that "We owe a lot to the Indians who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made." Hu Shih (a former Ambassador of China to USA) said that "India conquered and dominated China culturally without ever having to send a single soldier across her border." This is a Sub-Continent and a country of 1.1 billion people.
Not everybody know that many of the advances in science thought to have been made in Europe were in fact originated form India centuries ago. The decimal system in maths were invented in India and so were the many other mathematical systems developed by them like equations. The Sanskrit language is in fact the mother of all European languages. More than that, it is the most suitable for use in computer software. They have calculated back them that the time taken for the earth to orbit the sun is 365.258756484 days and where Ayurveda is the school of medicine for humans. Navigation was born there too where the word itself came from the Sanskrit "Navgatih". It was reported that once India was the only source of diamonds in the world. Chess was also invented there.
They have already conducted complicated surgeries thousands of years ago like Cesarean, cataract and man others including the use of anesthesia. They have deep knowledge of the human anatomy and use sophisticated surgical equipment. They had built reservoirs and dams for irrigation. They have exported sugar, cotton, dyes, tin, copper, perfumes, camphor to the world just ti name a few. Greek Thinker Apollonius Tyanaeus said he found "a race of mortals living upon earth but not adhering to it. Inhabiting cities but not being fixed by them. Possessing everything but possessed by nothing" Sounds like Bruce Lee. India also gave us astronomy. They also had the early great ideas on physics. They gave Yoga for the health of the body and mind. They had a woman as Prime Minister. India had never invade another country in her history.
A friend once told me he witnessed people being made to do squats by pulling their own ears when they committed a traffic offence as there is not enough jail space for such a huge population. I didn't believe him. Now I do. Watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaD3kHc1Gh8 (Men Beaten Off Women Train)
I know sometimes we complain our trains are jam-packed. Your grouses should be accepted but when you see this, you may feel a little happy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DECRJUbokZw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ZW0PTm9ME
Japan
When I was in Tokyo, I made it a point to see for myself what life is like where the Japanese would work till late and after knocking off from the office they may join some colleagues, friends or business associates for drinks and food and by the time they are ready for home it may be close to mid night. They usually live 1-2 hours away from Tokyo by train as Tokyo is too expensive. At the train station I could see some folks are some what tipsy and some were merrily singing. With very little sleep they have to do a reverse trip to work the next day. Now I wish to share a clip of the job of a Japanese Train Pusher. If you are wondering, take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STNWc7Rlpfk
Japan has been grappling with an economy that isn't growing much with an aging population but they have the most of the world's oldest centenarians. The Yen is always strong. Their society is homogeneous and they will continue to be a pillar in the world. They even fill up their train better than others. I hope SMRT will not follow.
Finally...
Now that every body's been to China, the next destination is India. Top leaders and Presidents of USA, China, Russia, France and UK has visited in the last six months. India has a US$1.3 trillion economy growing at 9 per cent per year. This is why they say the 21st century belong to Asia if you add that to China. Like China, India's economic potential is staggering. She has a retail sector worth US$450 billion and have money to spend on infrastructure worth US$1.5 trillion. Now you know why.
Well, these giant countries have been awaken. What about you? Are you awake? Are you living or merely in existence? In each of us there is a giant within us. Not those three-eyed monster. Well, there are some people out there who are monsters and they don't have three eyes. Some times, like some giant countries we could lie in slumber. May be our time has not come. Perhaps we have not discovered our talent or understood our passion or even been given an opportunity or simply the circumstances were just not right.
If you can see how the world around us has been transforming, you can see the giants awakening. We should also awaken ourselves from slumber. When I say "slumber" I mean you could be having your eyes wide open and yet not see, ears open and could hear but yet not listen. Hearts that beat but could not feel. So let sleeping dogs lie but let sleeping giants awaken within us. Yes I am talking about you. What if the giant within is a monster? Slay it!
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