Everyday, early in the morning, villagers would get up and start their work.

Most of their ancestors were farmers but these days a lot of them workers at some corporate manufacturing plants.

yet, they will bring their hardworking ethics to these new jobs...

When their ancestors were farmers, they were a happy bunch. Even through over 2000 years of civil wars between the dynasties and governments, most of these people were happy with just getting up, putting the plow on their buffaloes or, with just their own hands, went to the fields and they would plant or farm.

they are just happy with having foods on their tables from what they reaped from what they sowed...so they are generally, a happy bunch.

the culture have survived famines, civil wars, floods, and other disasters either natural or self-inflicted or from invasions...

between the late 1800's to the early 1900's, westerners "discovered" it and about 8 nations from the West went to "carve" it up.

back then, the Chinese folks were considered the same class as dogs. If the area was deemed for let's say, Germans or Japanese only, there would usually be a sign that says "no dogs and chinese are allowed"

But a lot of times, dogs even had more rights than the humans because if any of the foreigners were to own dogs, the dogs would be allowed in the forbidden zones.

So for a period of time, the people there were repressed not by their own gov't anymore, but by others that they have not known....

but daily, the same resiliant people went about their hard working ways; they live in their small houses or village huts; they get up, and go to work, hoping to get food on their tables...

any political statements that were made to the "foreigners" were made by a vocal few and they were either jailed or killed...

then came Nanking Massacre, where almost 300,000 people were slaughtered in 10 days...

but those people thrived...they survived...

then, the communist gov't took over....

the gov't went from one extreme end to another and its people were once again beaten down, taken down now, by their own children...

but every day, those same villagers got up, and went to do what they needed to do. Because they have seen this for many generations now, they know that their best fight against the government is to just keep on being resiliant...to keep on plowing, planting, living...

these days, half of those famers have become factory workers. They work 7 days a week but the television shows will tell you that they only work 6 days.

They see their family only for 10 days out of a whole year but the television show will tell you otherwise.

They are of the majority. The poor, the unfortunate, yet the resilient, and content with having very little...

They are the new human slaves that has been legalized by their own gov't. They work 7 days a week and their take home pay averages $100.00 U.S a month...

and it has to feed their wives, their children, their fathers and mothers or even grandfathers/mothers sometime because they live in generations in one house to keep the family together....

and all the while, there are those scholars that see this, and they fight for the rights of the people, and they get tanked over, they fight for the rights of the people, and they get jailed and they get killed...but they'll keep on fighting...

Because they know that the government is giving its people a bad name, that the people there are grateful, generous folks and if any of you know someone from there or even just know someone that knows someone from there and would go over there, that they would take you in to their house with warmth and hospitality.

They will feed you, the food may not be the best...but it would be better that what they would normally eat...it may just be noodles cooked in the precious broth of chicken that they have been raising for a few months now for special ocassions. But if you were to visit, it WOULD be a special ocassion and they'll take you in and give you the very best that they can or give you the clothes off of their backs and smile back at you contently...

so, here is this government who came from the loins of its people, who doesn't care about its people.

But it wants to give a facade that it does...

it wants to show the world that it's the new super power...perhaps an ablution, of their shameful past that they were overtaken by the foreigners of long past...

and now their people doesn't matter, only power...

they have moved thousands of families away from their homes that have been there hundreds, maybe even thousands of years just so they can build the biggest dam in the world...

No, they don't care about their people or even their own heritage because the gov't just wants more power, more money, more more more...from the very people that they came from...

but everyday, Mr. Lin or Mr. Lee or Mrs. Chang or Mrs. Wei have to get up, and hope that they can make that money, so they can feed their families

They have to hope that they can work 7/week for as long as they can. They can't worry about being sick, or getting sick. They have to keep on moving...

and the thing that they look forward to the most, is that they will get a chance to see their family for those 10 precious days out of the whole year...to spend time with a son or daughter that have grown another year...

perhaps they have missed their first step, or their first words...but they have to keep on sacrificing because they have to work for them...

and they are hoping the that the Olympics will hopefully give them the bonus that they crave...perhaps to have a little extra, to buy some nice shoes, or pencils, or make-ups...just little things...to bring some smiles...

I applaud those of you that are boycotting it and I applaud those of you that are going to watch the game because there probably should be both...there are always going to be supporters of both sides and this situation is not unique but unique in itself...

All I want, is to bring out another side of the story, of the actual people, the people that I have learned so much from, from a distance, from my memories, from the obscure and the esoteric side...a side that you might not know...

a humble, respectful, unique bunch of nice folks that if you are ever in their homes, they will give you their best bed and the best food that they can provide for you...

((((((((((everyone)))))))))

PS, and please do NOT let me hinder this discussion...