Post #6 Form B

“In the Palace of Celestial Breath, I followed the training given to new women at Court. The great curtsey, the minor curtsey, greetings of respect, greetings of condescension, greetings from equal to equal, the quick walk, the slow walk… there was no spontaneity in the Forbidden City. Natural responses were considered the premise of the people and of Barbarians; all the elegance of our movements derived from the height of restraint.” (42) I found it very interesting that these women who are granted a life of luxury create their own hierarchy. They make rules and laws to govern themselves within the Forbidden City. Though it seems very superficial it gives these women something to do rather than laze about. They make friends and enemies and create their own little world within the palace. It seems so distant, so dreamlike to read about. But I suppose to the women who lived there it was very real and very, very real. And very, very dull. They must have come up with many more rules and games in order to entertain themselves. And of course they chatted with the eunuchs to learn about the affairs of the outer realm. I feel sorry for them but I also admire their ingenuity and the cunning plans they made in order to gain power and influence despite being in a patriarchal society and being cut off from the world.

Post #5 Form A

A major cultural difference which has arisen is in the existence of the Forbidden City. In the Forbidden City hundreds of women live lives of luxury, pettiness, and jealousy while waiting and hoping for the Emperor’s favor so that they might go to bed with him. That’s not something that exists in current day America, at all. Though this seems like a lowly existence for these women it is actually the best way and one of the only ways to gain any power at all. “My heart leapt with pride. As Talented One of the fifth rank, I immediately overtook my brothers in the imperial hierarchy; they were officials of the seventh rank. The next time we saw each other they would have to prostate themselves at my feet!” (34) The women within the Forbidden City were the ones who became the Emperor’s concubines and wives. They were surrounded by government officials and were able to have some influence within the government. They were also the ones who gave birth to possible heirs to the throne. It’s a major cultural difference but it is also one of the only ways a woman could obtain power and influence in this highly patriarchal society.

World Issue Outline Sources Cont

An Interview with the Dalai Lama on CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/dalailama/interview.html


The Documentary Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion
http://www.cryofthesnowlion.com/ (website for the documentary)


"Fears and Tears" interview with the Dalai Lama in Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/id/124365/output/print


Website on Government in Exile of Tibet; Article is "Status of Tibet"
http://www.tibet.com/whitepaper/white1.html

Post #4 Form B

Thus far Heavenlight’s journey has all been a matter of fate. Her family had once been a noble family with power and wealth. However, her father died and her mother and siblings were stripped of all they had and left to depend on their extended family; a family who did not care for them, who did not appreciate nor love them. Her mother’s way of adapting to this was to put her all into Buddhism. If her current life was a mess she hoped to have a better next life and so she prayed and prayed and made religion her life.
By another piece of fate Heavenlight met General Li, who, impressed by her intelligence, recommended her to the emperor. He told her, “Heavenlight, you are an exceptional girl. I shall take responsibility for your destiny!” (26) She was then brought to the Forbidden City to be one Emperor’s of the hundreds of women.” The Great Uncle told me the news: Great General Li Ji, Governor of our province, had spoken highly of me at the Imperial Court. I was to be called for by a decree from the sovereign to go into service in the Forbidden City.” (32) Named a Talented One, Heavenlight became the only hope her mother and sister had at a better life.

Post #3 Form A

Cultural Legacy: Proceedings after Death

“We observed the ceremonial procedures: bathing him, calling upon his soul, filling his mouth, the smaller clothing ceremony, the great clothing ceremony, laying him in his coffin, and making daily offerings.” (16)

Some of the ceremonial procedures of ancient China are very different from our own while others are quite similar.
“Bathing him”: in general, nowadays the body of the deceased is cleaned up as well as back in ancient China.
“Calling upon his soul”: This depends on religion nowadays. As Buddhists calling upon the father’s soul was clearly an important part of the proceedings.
“Filling his mouth”: In ancient China the deceased’s mouth was filled with grain mixed with pieces of jade or shells depending on their social status.
“the smaller clothing ceremony”: Nowadays people the deceased are generally changed and gussied up a bit but in ancient China the smaller clothing ceremony consisted of the deceased being dressed in nineteen costumes after the clothes were displayed.
“The great clothing ceremony”: The great clothing ceremony took place the day after the smaller clothing ceremony. The number of clothes one was dressed in was ‘strictly related to hierarchy’. For the father, fifty costumes were used.
“laying him in his coffin”: Same as now, people were put into their coffins.
“making daily offerings”: Though nowadays people might bring flowers to a grave site occasionally and especially on the day of death back in ancient China it was custom to bring offerings daily.

Research Outline Topic

I chose to focus my research outline on the history of the China-Tibet conflict over Tibet's independence.

Some articles which I think would be helpful are:

"Tibet" found on the World Book Encyclopedia Online
http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar557140&st=tibet

"The Dalai Lama's Great Escape" found on SIRS database
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-9374&artno=0000017967&type=ART&key=

"The Restless Children of the Dali Lama" found on SIRS database
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-9374&artno=0000245657&type=ART&key=

"Tibet: Myths and Realities" found on SIRS database
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-9374&artno=0000141294&type=ART&key=

Post #2 Form B

‘After looking carefully up and down, she put a finger in my hand, and I squeezed it until she flushed red and began to cry. "You must not hurt your sister," my wet nurse told me. She did not know that years later, as she had in those days of innocence, Elder Sister would beg me to be her torturer.’ (6)
This is a very clear foreshadowing of the dangers, trials, and tribulations to come. I get the feeling that Wu will become a very powerful woman very quickly, but the internal struggles she will face will slowly tear her apart. She will be caught in the middle, torn at the seams. At least, that’s my impression thus far. She is very inquisitive and that leads to her becoming much more aware of how much the world around her differs from the confined world she has been exposed to. This inquisitive nature of hers is bound to get her into trouble and troubles like that might have something to do with whatever will happen between her and her sister. But, that’s just my guess on everything.

Post #1 Form A

In the book Empress by Shan Sa, there is a distinctive cultural difference from the United States in differing treatment of the sexes. Ancient China was highly patriarchal. Men were in charge. If pregnant, you wanted a son. Men had the most power. Men, men, men, men, men.
When Wu is born her father asks, '"Boy or girl?" No one replied. The man grabbed me and tried to tear open my swaddling. He was interrupted by a woman's quiet wail: "Another girl, my Lord." "Ah!" he cried before dissolving in tears.' (2-3) So heartbroken to have another girl is he that her father cries! Later in the book, after going though the ritual of toddlers choosing on of many items set before them in order to tell what their future will be like, another states, "It is truly a shame that she is not a boy." (5) It is then decided upon to dress her like a boy and give her the education of a boy because the item she chose was her father's sword meaning that she would become very strong and a "mistress of a noble warrior household". Even this is only allowed because she is the daughter of a general and has all the 'signs' of being someone of power.

Fourth Quarter ORB

I chose the book Empress by Shan Sa which is 319 pages long. This book written by a woman born in Beijing and is about Empress Wu from the 7th century. I picked out this book because I have strong interest in Asian culture and especially women’s roles in ancient Asian societies. I specifically chose this book from the other books about Asia because of the author’s unique writing style, and of course, because it isn’t a really long book. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to reading Empress for fourth quarter.