Religious syncretism, mixing, is quite common in Asia, as many Asians don’t believe in religious purity, to which white people aspire. Even Protestant sects are known to meld with traditional religions in South Korea. Asia is not the only continent with such phenomenon, as it is also common in Latin America and Africa, as especially Roman Catholicism blends with folk beliefs. In the Philippines, some so-called “Tsinoys” or Chinese-Filipinos worship a dualism of the Santo Niño (the Christ Child) and the Buddha, as they have duplex altars, a phenomenon unlikely studied by anthropologists.
Yaring Shenzhen
Sa pizzeria nitong umaga sa Isla Lulu, nakita ko ang isang Tsinang nanay at ang kanyang babaeng anak na dalawa at kalahating taong gulang. Nakaitim ang nanay. At nakakulay-rosas ang bata. Kumakain sila ng pizza. Si Rosa namang tinderang Pilipina roon ay naghanda ng Griyegong pizzang may kesong fetang kinain ko. Kinausap ko ang mag-ina. Sabi ng Tsinang nag-aaral daw siya ng Bibliya sa Mandarin, pero parang wala pa siyang sektang pinili. Taga-Shenzhen siya. Sabi ko’y mas parang Budista ako. Marunong siya ng Mandarin, Kantones, at Ingles. Mandarin ang pag-usap niya sa anak. Hindi niya gusto siyang mag-Kantones. Tagahilagang parte ng Tsina ang asawa niyang Mandarin lamang ang alam. Sabi niya, “mas mabuti” raw ang Mandarin.
World of Michael and Viktor
I saw blue-shirt-wearing bearded Michael, the Dane-French, this sunny, blue-sky morning along the neighbourhood alleyway. We talked about American politics and the pervasive ignorance in humanity. I irksomely mentioned, “Most of humanity is not good quality.” We talked about travelling around this world, as I said that I have journeyed through Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and Latin America. A striking part of our conversation was about my Egyptian excursion. My early objective in life was to see the Great Pyramids, which I managed to do in my twenties. Egypt was like a different planet, with old French colonial buildings and multimillennial ruins. The sky was a deep blue over the desert. Michael mentioned, “That’s why it’s called the Dark Continent…”
Rich According to the Japanese
In the majority Japanese mindset, the rich are people like Italians and French. Various pastas and croissants exemplify their food. Japanese menus are full of syllabograms deriving from Italian and French gourmet terms. Even “Jamón ibérico”—a Spanish ham—is a rare treat for wealthy Japanese. Despite a past history of Portuguese near-colonization, the Japanese know less of them now, but the Castella cake, deriving from the Portuguese in the 16th century, is a popular reminder. (There are now Japanese-Brazilian immigrants living in Japan, nevertheless.)
There are a minority of, maybe younger, Japanese, who, like me, cherish souvenirs from Amerindian, Australian Aboriginal, Polynesian, and other native cultures. The Japanese are not monolithic.
Rod Ready for Camping
Wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans, Rod my Canadian neighbour was trimming the lawn, as I was walking by his yard. “Looking well!” I greeted him. He told me that he and his wife Joanne, of many generations of Ukrainian-Canadians, are getting ready for camping in the Cariboo and then in Drumheller, the dinosaur site.
I know another person who likes camping. He’s Nana, nanaseruw on Instagram and Twitter. He treks in the spiritual forests of Japan. His treks are very intriguing.
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