October 26, 2003

• Nutty, Eh?

  
  

  

  
  

  The PM was in China last week after APEC.  He went to BJ, then Hangzhou and then SH.  I was a volunteer to help take his 100 strong team around SH if they needed to go shopping, wanted to sightsee etc.  This 100 strong team included his wife, some of his grandchildren (at least 2 that I know of) and I'm sure other people in his family (this is where our tax money is going!).  Anyways, me and JC, yeah, there were about 100 other people who had this exact same picture.  We all lined up and they shot us through one by one.  It took all about 15 minutes.  Kinda takes the glory out of it, eh?  Anyways, back to Canadian Tax dollars, lets see, they flew in from BJ, then some of his team flew to HangZhou.  They stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai, rented a fleet of 19 vehicles (inclusive of vans, limousines and Benzes).  I'd estimate a figure of at least $500,000 CDN in cost towards this little trip to China.

  
  

  I am saddened to hear that Ms. Soong Mei Ling died the other day.  For those of you who don't know who she and her family are, I suggest you read up.  The Soong family was very powerful in the early 1900's and Ms. Soong Mei Ling was truly an exceptional woman.  Ms. Soong Mei Ling died at age 106.  Born in Shanghai, she was married to Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, the leader of the Nationalists and the man responsible for the uprising against the Communists.  Chiang Kai Shek, out of Shanghai, held many meetings and formed alliances with those in the Chinese underworld in his efforts to thwart the commies.  All while this was going on, Japan was attacking China.  Many criticised Chiang because they felt that efforts should have been put towards deterring the Japanese during this time (the corruption in his ranks didn't help either).  Ms. Soong Mei Ling, Western educated, became his personal interpretor and probably one of the most influential ambassador's of the Chinese people.  She's not very well regarded on the mainland.  She has tried to overthrow the gov't several times, and led in lobbying efforts in the US to raise money against the commies.  It is said that her influence on the US's China policy was also very strong until the early 70's.  Born in a family of 6 children (3 daughters, 3 sons), the daughters were each known in a unique way.  One loved money, one loved power, and one loved China.  Ms. Soong Mei Ling, was the one described as loving power.

  
  

  More info on her here:
  http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/24/international/asia/24CHIANG.html?th
  http://www.wellesley.edu/Anniversary/chiang.html
  http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/1206/90673

  
  

  Hear her voice here:
  http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_193.html

  
  

  Happy birthdays to Hank, Grace, Jude and Elsa!

  • 8:36 pm
  • 8 Comments