Religion 3 - Political Correctness

Recently, I learnt that the CEO of a large chain of grocery stores told his staff that they should not wish customers a 'Merry Christmas' this year fearing that they may offend some non-Christians.  Instead, they were permitted to say "Happy Holidays'.  Well, I can assure you that this person is very offended by this decision.

To wish me 'Happy Holidays' during a freezing December is absolutely ridiculous.  In my view a happy holiday would be a stroll around a warm city such as Rome, or somewhere just as inviting but, believe it or not, I am not going anywhere.

Who are these stupid people who are offended by sharing my joy of Christmas — I have yet to meet or hear from anyone.

Recently, I returned from many years living in China.  During my stay in that country I was often invited to celebrate the birthdays of the Buddha and Confucius.  Those who invited me knew that I was not a Buddhist and they were not concerned in any way ... and I was delighted to join them.  Many years ago, I lived in Oman.  There, I was invited to join the end of Ramadan celebrations — I was treated as an honoured guest of the Sultan and, once again, I was delighted to to join in.

On neither occasion was I expected to either become a Buddhist or a Muslim — just, simply, be respectful of their customs and enjoy their company which, naturally, I was.

Therefore, during the next few days, please wish everyone a 'Happy Christmas', and a 'Peaceful New Year'.

Today, I looked at some Christmas cards and, suddenly, I had a brainwave (No remarks please).  I would buy some Christmas cards that were blank inside.  Then, I would create an insert containing a happy message.  On an obscure part of the page I shall type;  'This insert is removable in order that the card may be used next year but, please, do not return to sender.'

Now, before you all shout that I am creating a new generation of Scrooges, think for a moment — these cards may develop a life of their own, an honorable pyramid scheme, renewable cards that will decorate one's home repeatedly.

Note — It seems too late for this year.  Nevertheless, it shouldn't stop you buying them now.

Happy Christmas!

Quotation - Direction (Perseverance)

Laozi  老子

"If you do not change direction,

you may end up where you are heading."

Politics 7 - Occupation

You are about to learn my opinion of the Occupation Movement.

Winter has arrived, and the occasionally occupied tents have been collected by municipal workers, and when the snow melts next year the parks will reveal patches of mud in place of grass.  One wonders if, next year, more tents will be set up on the mud patches or on new grass.

Is this comment deserved, or even relative?  I believe so, because we can be sure that new grass will be damaged again and, that, is my first point ... carelessness.

Thus, this is not surprising, when they say that there is no ‘leader’ because they do not ‘need’ a leader.  Therefore, do we assume that the person leading the parade through town should be arrested because he, or she, is leading an illegal parade that has no official permission to disrupt traffic?  Do we arrest the occasional member of parliament seen in the parade, after all, is he not a kind of professional leader.  No, sensibly, we let them go, after all, there is not a sign of any professional rioters ... absorbed in there plans for next year’s G20 Summit, no doubt.

So, what is it all about?  It seems to be about the rich 1%, which is understandable when, today, it is revealed by the OECD that the income gap in Canada continues to grow placing it the worst of 34 analyzed countries except for the U.S.  Now, this attracts my attention, wages being one of my pet peeves.  If it is noticeable for Warren Buffet to express concern of the increasing income gap, then, I know that I am in good company.

Therefore, what must be done?  We live in a democratic society, even though some believe that it is a Harper dictatorship in Canada.  Nevertheless, there is a justification, the leadership question aside, for the ‘Movement’ to become a political party, before it is divided by the existing parties and their false promises.

The income gap would become their platform and, in my opinion, very successful.  Of course, those in the 1% division, will complain about an increase in the minimum wage, and increased income taxes, crying;  “Don’t you know that people earning $120,000 annually are in that group!”  As if one can hardly afford to live on that figure.  The party theme song would become, “Don’t cry for me ....”

Could it, should it, and would it happen?  Certainly, the next few years are going to be politically interesting.

Food 5 - Strange Canadians

Some Canadians are strange people.

Recently, a well-known hamburger restaurant was built opposite my home.  This Sunday morning, at 8:30 am, it is cold, dark, and pouring with rain.  As I sit by the window having my breakfast, I gaze across the street and notice a few cars driving into the restaurant car park.  My initial reaction is, even though it is pouring with rain, the restaurant does have egg & sausage burgers on the menu, but I am still curious why anyone would want to go out for breakfast so early, and in such terrible weather.  I decide that it has become a habit to go out for breakfast every Sunday morning.

Now wait.  I have noticed that nobody (Absolutely nobody) is going into the restaurant.  Everyone is queueing up at the DriveThru (sic) for takeaway.  Then driving, in the rain, to ... who knows where?

Some Canadians are strange people.

Travel 2 - An Introduction To China

Before leaving Canada for an interesting life in China I knew virtually nothing about the geography or the culture of that country.  Having enjoyed the privilege of years of foreign travel where ‘virtually nothing’ seemed quite normal but, anyway, never caused any disasters, it is very important that you be aware that visiting China requires a little preparation ... to say the least.

There are a vast number of books describing the geography, culture, and history, not to mention the obvious travel books.  Therefore, I should point out that this ambiguous title is not an introduction for you, but a short description of my introduction to China.

Travel around Europe or North America can be very undemanding, even when you are not multi-lingual.  Thus, I was in for a rude awakening, because I was not prepared for my hurried visit to the Middle Kingdom.  I had heard of Sichuan, my first destination (Spicy food) but not of Yunnan, my final destination.  I had learnt to say;  Nín hăo (Hello), Zàijàn (Goodbye), and Xièxiè (Thank you), but when I discovered that I could say “How are you” in English which would be met with the immediate response, “I’m fine, and you”, little did I know that they were unlikely to be able to communicate further due to their rote system of learning.  Their convulsive giggles hidden by a hand as a sign of embarrassment, is one of my most endearing memories of these people.

Therefore, if your aim is to be a diligent tourist and not a follower of the shepherd waving a brightly covered umbrella, an iPod with integral GPS and translation applications is quite worthwhile.

An alternative, is to stand on a street corner continually looking at a guidebook and wait a few seconds for some young students to politely ask if they could be your guide and interpreter for the day.  Never be afraid of this approach as language students are very eager to perfect their English, resulting from the extreme difficulty in succeeding at university entrance exams.  If you invite them to spend the day with you they will think that they have died and gone to heaven ... you may even become the subject of their next dissertation. 

Kunming, Yunnan Province

Should you not be a 5-star tourist, but intend to remain for months (If not years) then, you will need to find an apartment.  For this, you should definitely seek the assistance of a good honest interpreter, who would be able to negotiate on your behalf before the landlord is aware that you are a very wealthy foreigner (Aren’t we all).

Once settled into your apartment, do not be surprised if you find cockroaches in the kitchen and, if it is an old part of town ... rats.  This is quite normal ... and they are fairly tame.

Lijiang, Yunnan Province

After a while, you will want to wean yourself away from KFC and become more ethnic by visiting the steaming restaurants that seem to fill the bustling side streets.  Do not worry about eating dog meat because everything tastes the same anyway,  Nevertheless, I must warn you to be careful where you walk due to the incessant habit of everyone to spit on the floor.  All Chinese food in small local restaurants contains bones and, as it is considered rude to touch your mouth with the fingers, one naturally makes use of the floor.

When walking home, you may observe the green light on a pedestrian crossing.  You must regard this with great caution because it goes unseen by motorists ... they are listening for the police officer’s whistle.  But it is not quite that simple because the police officer may be blowing his whistle to a tune on an iPod ... which, nevertheless, appears to be equally effective.

That is a very brief, if not facetious, introduction to my years in China.  Any comments?

Food 4 - More Ruffled Feathers

Following on from last month, I have more points to make for the restaurant scene.  Firstly, we seem to have gone from minimalist to modernist creations.  Now, we can experiment with deep-fried ice cream or ice cream topped with bacon bits, and I hate to imagine what direction this will lead.  One restaurant, apparently, cooks a fried egg where the yolk and egg white are cooked separately, then, served together — it was explained that each item requires a different cooking time!

Yesterday, with the thought of minimalist creations on my mind, I ordered a Black Forrest Schnitzel at a Schnitzelfest event.  It was described as a veal cutlet topped with ham, white asparagus, and béchamel sauce.  As the enzymes in my stomach were discussing their hunger, I queried the availability of other vegetables.  To which the server responded in a very condescending tone, “Of course, there is a choice of potatoes and a variety of vegetables, sir.”  He left me to push my nose further into my glass of wine.  His name was Matt ... by the way.

The last sentence was written to alert Matt that this Blog is read, so far, in ten different countries.  Although it is difficult to believe, considering the few comments that it receives.

During a visit to the Caribbean recently, I noticed how easy it was to find bluefin tuna on the menu, a species close to extinction, and idiot customers responding by saying, “Well, it’s dead now, so pity to waste it.”

A Newsflash from Canada — The city of Toronto has banned the sale of real shark fin soup, and the Chinese community is infuriated.  I suppose that it spells the demise of the Chinese population because their virility will be in danger.  By the way Chinese people, black bears without gall bladders may also be in danger.

There is a useful item on the market for those of you who visit authentic Chinese restaurants.  It can scan Chinese characters of the menu and immediately translate them into English.  Someone tried it for me ... the dish was called, Phoenix on White Cloud.  Knowing the story of the phoenix, I assumed that the dish would be burnt and there would be a fried egg on top.

Finally, what is it about fresh-ground pepper that it seems hardly ever used by the chef.  Surely, if the chef’s creation needed fresh-ground pepper, he would have used it.  And if, according to my taste, some more is desirable, how would I know immediately the dish is placed in front of me.  One day, I shall ask the server to leave the grinder on the table ... even if his name is Matt.

Politics 6 - Israel/Canada

When I initially began this Blog site, it was not my intention to write about any one subject, e.g., Politics, more than once each month.  But reading the Canadian media this morning has annoyed me so much that my patience has disappeared.

I am referring to the behaviour of Mr. Baird, Canada’s Foreign Minister, at a committee meeting of the U.N.’s General Assembly yesterday, where he voted, No, together with only six other countries;  Israel, the United States and four small South Pacific island nations – Palau, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Nauru, for resolutions against Israel.

I doubt if anyone reading this could point to these islands on a map and, thus, we can be excused for any suspicious thoughts we may have for their behaviour.

It is especially annoying as we know that Canada’s, so-called, majority government only received one-third of the popular vote at the last election, and it seems to me, as I read the newspapers today, that many who did vote for this government are also expressing great disappointment today.

It amazed me that Mr. Baird could state, “This series of resolutions against Israel is generally one-sided, and unbalanced ...”  Does he not realize that the resolutions are “one-sided and unbalanced” because the rest of the world does not accept Israel’s terrorism.  Additionally, if both Russia and China would not abstain or veto against these resolutions, we should see a very different Middle East.

Mr. Bell, a former Canadian ambassador to Israel, Egypt and Jordan, said that it will affect the role Canada can play in the Middle East.  In the past, Israel asked Canada to intervene with Arab governments to moderate criticism. “I don’t think that would be possible today,” he said.  I agree.

Quotation - "Happiness ..."

John Barrymore

"Happiness sneaks in through a door 
you didn't know you left open."

Education 2 - Education Standards

It was not surprising, recently, to hear someone express concern regarding the job market as it related to the value of college degrees.  It seems that high school graduates are destined to fast-food employment because worthwhile jobs require a minimum of a Bachelor degree.

This made me wonder if, eventually, in order to obtain any worthwhile employment, a Doctorate would be necessary.  Does this seem like an extreme thought?

When I was in my teens, I do not remember knowing anyone with a university degree (Except my teachers ... and I sometimes doubted that).

Now, following a lifetime in the real world, it seems that almost everyone has been to university, yet, I often question the evidence of academic improvement.  I could suggest, on the whole, that the average I.Q. has risen but, equally, the rate of academic knowledge has slowed, if not reversed.

It would seem to me that the only answer is to reorganize school curriculums downwards by, for example, making high school examinations similar to today’s university degree.  Thus, making this new level mandatory.  I used the word ‘similar’ because, as previously stated, if there is a rise in student intelligence, this should also be reflected in an examination.

One should be reminded that one does not 'graduate' today until succeeding in three years of university study, suggesting to me that the graduate has only just reached an 'introductory' level.  A controversial suggestion, no doubt.

I suggest that a result of this modification to school curriculums shall not only produce more suitable job applicants, but finer teachers ... without extra costs.

Politics 5 - Utopian Conflict

The probability of war in a state of Utopia can be assured if it happens to be inhabited by human beings.  Humans often yearn for greater things, just as explorers sought for something beyond the rainbow creating the need for sailing ships, which led to conflict and, thus, the enthusiasm for building stealth fighter jets, which would be pointless if unused ... would they not?

Ownership is a form of power and (as we know) ultimate power ultimately corrupts.  The human animal is possessed of this characteristic much more than other animals and, therefore, finding a Utopia on this Earth is unlikely, unless .... 

In the Utopia that I would have mastery over, there would be a major constitutional statement made, apart from the usual Freedoms, which would be the prohibition of any form of military conflict.

Ha, what a dreamer this guy is!

Well, I agree that the world is unprepared for such an idea today.  Therefore, let us discuss a future possibility.

Obviously, a form of deterrent must be developed — remember, we are dealing with human beings — and policing would be necessary.

Thus, each country would have a defence system composed entirely of armed UAVs (drones) controlled by highly advanced intelligent computers with decision-controls unable to be overridden by humans, and capable of determining the probable type of any threat and dealing with it — purely as a defensive action, and incapable of escalating into an extended attack mode.

It is also assumed that a future U.N. should have full and fair powers, without any veto, throughout the world, that would mandate this idea globally.  The result, hopefully, would be a world free from conflict and free from effective human interference.

Photo - Flying

Flying at the Aéro Club de Montréal in Québec

Aerospace 3 - Fighter Confrontation

I always find the aerospace industry interesting, and military aerospace more so.  By definition, everything related to the military is political and I am, very much, a political individual.

Therefore, I should like to comment on two ongoing global stories relating to fighter aircraft.

Firstly, the Lockheed Martin F-16 (Flying Falcon) fighter aircraft that is flown by pilots of 26 different countries and, although first flown in 1978, remains a formidable aircraft today ... albeit with some modifications.

One country that has enjoyed being equipped with this aircraft is Taiwan, assisted by the U.S. by virtue of the Taiwan Relations act.  But the earlier purchase F-16 A/B aircraft are in urgent need of refurbishment or a new purchase upgrade to the latest F-16 C/D version.  Of course, that appears to be a problem for the Obama administration who, it seems, do not wish to enrage the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing who will, again, display their sabre rattling posture.  Nevertheless, the U.S. has, now, agreed to a refurbishment contract for the older aircraft, which is interesting because it seems that refurbishment will take longer to facilitate compared to buying the new F-16 C/D version.  Perhaps, that is expected, but unlikely, to appease Beijing.

Thus, there we have it, politics.  Although I am sure that the U.S. is also wary about espionage, considering the improving relationship between Taiwan and the mainland, and Russia's recent display of anger at China’s recent copying of Russian aircraft.

Personally, I would approve the immediate sale of the F-16 C/D to Taiwan (the order was placed 6 years ago) ... and let the arms of the CCP tire as they rattle their sabres.

Secondly, the Lockheed Martin F-35 (Lightning) stealth fighter is also coveted by Taiwan, but it seems an unlikely purchase at the present time.  Personally, I would be happy if Canada transferred its order of F-35s to Taiwan ... and I do not mean to appear flippant.

The F-35 remains in an extraordinarily problematical pre-production/testing phase, even though some examples have been delivered to the USAF as training aircraft.  The delivery dates to various countries have been extraordinarily delayed and costs have risen to a unit cost of $133 million.

Early models missed performance requirements because they weighed too much, and extensive redesign was required to reduce the weight;  Recently, it was reported that only 50% of the aircraft’s software had been written and would take another six years and 110 additional software engineers to complete the software;  There has been a long list of design failures;  Many pilots have commented on the comparatively short range, and studies have shown that it could cost as much as 40% more to maintain than previous aircraft.

Australia has reduced some of its original options to purchase and, instead, has ordered the new Boeing F-18F (Super Hornet) aircraft to supplement its existing F-18A squadrons, and replace the GE F-111.

Canada, which is increasing its presence in the Arctic territories, continues to argue, unintelligently, that the single engine, shorter range, F-35 is the ideal aircraft to replace the twin engine CF-18 A/B, even though an engine failure over Arctic territories is not conducive to enthusiastic pilots.

Once again ... politics.

I have been deliberately brief with these comments (really) in the hope that it may encourage continuing participation in the discussion — F-16 C/Ds for Taiwan and a cancellation of F-35s for Canada.

Food 3 - Ruffled Feathers

I intended to title this blog My Pet Peeves, but that seemed to describe a rant when I simply want to describe things that ruffle my feathers in the restaurant scene ... and I must apologize to the ornithologists hoping for the location of a new species.  But you are here now, and I seek discussion.

In my opinion, restaurants are commercial establishments and, therefore, whether fast food or multi-starred, they are obliged to conduct acceptable business practices.  That means that all customers should be quite satisfied when they leave — it is that simple.  Any restaurateur who mentions that there are some customers who can never be satisfied is, probably, someone lacking fine business skills.

Of course, there are a few people who feel that the quality of food and service in a fast food place should be equal to that of a fine dinning place which, in a sense, is correct.  But there is a culture of dining out that is often misunderstood.  For example, in a self-service fast food restaurant, when you have eaten, you are required to take your tray of empty packets and cups to the trash bin and, if you are a messy eater, the staff will eventually clean the table.  It is the height of rudeness and a display of your lack of cultural awareness to do otherwise.  While I am at this location, I must mention that when newspapers are provided to read, please return them to the rack with the pages correctly collated.  Yes, you can!

Leaving places of burgers and deep-fried chicken aside, let me venture into places of fine dining.  Of course, according to Monsieur Michelin, there are different levels of fine quality and all of them should satisfy most customers.

I shall try to recall from reviews that I have written without identifying specific restaurants, because my feathers can be ruffled in more than one restaurant.  Being retired, I am never one who enjoys lunch before noon and, therefore, always expect staff to be awake — and ready to welcome me.

In a fine dining restaurant there should always be a maitre’d or a senior server who conducts the same service.  I imply by this, someone to greet you immediately and, thus, make you feel welcome.  Having been made to feel welcome, one may be prepared to accept a short wait for a table, otherwise, one could be excused for leaving because of the assumption that there would continue to be examples of poor quality.

Surprisingly, I am not impressed when my order arrives in less time than it should take to cook, indicating previous cooking and, obviously, I am not referring to roast chicken, for example.

There has been a trend for a while for a quiet change to be observed in lunch menus.  I refer to the appetizer being served together with the entree.  Is one expected to eat the warmest item last, even if it is an appetizer?  Does it mean one less plate to wash?  Please do not do this.

At this point, I should mention that I am the last person to complain to the manager.  It is of no interest to me that the chef will cook another plate for me, or I will not be charged for the wine.  Restaurateurs, my lunch has been ruined!  I shall not return.  Referring to my second paragraph, I wonder how many restaurants would be prepared to offer a 150% credit coupon to customers who have a genuine reason to be unsatisfied?  This ought to be as common a practice as expecting a 20% tip.

Fish and Chips at Palm Resorts, Karachi
Photographer:  Umair Mohsin

Being short of space, I should like to describe my latest peeve.  Firstly, allow me to point out that my home-cooked Coq au Vin has been given much credit and I do know how to enjoy a medium-rare beef steak, but occasionally, my taste buds crave for a simple plate of fish and chips.  Most cooks will provide this dish, but I continue to seek a professional chef that creates an extraordinary multi-star version.  In other words, batter that does not represent a tortoise shell, with such thickness that the batter internally remains uncooked, there is so little fish that, due to embarrassment, two pieces are usually provided and, thus, the ratio of batter to fish is about 4:1.  Is it so un-British to suggest a course in Japanese tempura cooking?  Oh, and there is never a need for potato chips (fries) to be overcooked sticks of saturated fat.

Finally, allow me to request that menus are occasionally changed ... at least seasonally.

Bon appétite!

Quotation - "... Examine Ourselves."

Confucius   孔夫子

見賢思齊焉；見不賢而內自省也。

"When we see men of worth, 
we should think of equaling them; 

when we see men of a contrary character, 
we should turn inwards and examine ourselves."

Politics 4A — An Addendum

Open Note To The Prime Minister

Sir, as you know, the Canadian biassed system of government elections gave your party a majority of representation in the House of Commons.  Nevertheless, you should never forget that the majority of Canadians did not vote for you.

Therefore, your recent pro-Zionist stance at the U.N., something that was not evident in your election manifesto, although not surprising considering your record, comes as a huge annoyance to those pro-Palestine voters among us who believe that we are in the majority.

Many of us belief that the Israeli occupation of Palestine constitutes a huge international problem that will only worsen if Israel continues to build on occupied land and ignore the U.N. General Assembly resolutions against it.  For example, would you be prepared to send the Canadian Forces to assist in the future defense of Israel, or accept their use of nuclear weapons?

Therefore, considering the global consequences of your action, I demand that you institute a Canadian Referendum on the subject for or against Israel’s unacceptable behavior ... or even an abstention.

P.S., I realize that you are unlikely to read this, but I feel much better for having written it.

Comments please.

Politics 4 - A Palestinian State

I do not think that there is one subject to be discussed that avoids politics.  Even religion cannot be discussed without involving politics.  One of my posts discussed tipping in restaurants in which I avoided the possibility of a government ban on the subject.  Could we discuss organic foods without the Ministry of Food applying some regulations?  Could I spank my child’s bottom without the police knocking on my door?  Could I walk my dog in the park without a regulatory-designed leash ... well, probably, that will be next.

Could a tiger nurse orphaned piglets?  Could a polar bear play harmlessly with tethered husky dogs?  Could a lion hug and lick a woman who had cared for it earlier?  I am sure that some of you have seen these videos, but I digress ... could humans live together in peace?

Time and time again the U.N. has asked Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and, constantly, they refuse.  Iran has signed, has permitted inspections, yet we demand that only Iran provide discrete details, because Israel says that it “knows” that Iran poses a nuclear threat.  Israel bombed a nuclear power station in Iraq where, later, international experts could find no evidence of a clandestine weapons factory in the ruins.  Later, the U.N. released the Goldstone Report, a scathing report which accused Israel of 37 specific war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza earlier this year. Israel has denounced the report as "Anti-Semitic (even though Judge Goldstone is himself Jewish).  Declassified documents from the former South African regime prove not only that Israel has had nuclear weapons for decades, but has tried to sell them to other countries!

Finally, let us diligently read UN General Assembly Resolution 3376 (one of many) that states:  "Reiterates all relevant United Nations resolutions which emphasize that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible under the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law and that Israel must withdraw unconditionally from all the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories, including Jerusalem"

Now, today, a slight, usually quiet man, President Mahmoud Abbas, stood in front of the U.N. General Assembly to cheers and almost tumultuous applause, to say that he believed that it was time for Palestinian statehood ... and I am one person who believes that this day has been a long time coming.

I wonder if you agree with me?

Food 2 - Pretentious Pubs

New restaurants are not always purpose-built — for as long as they have existed, new ones have appeared in converted houses, especially public houses (pubs) and even the odd deconsecrated church.  Those with home-style cooking may become fine-dining establishments, and vice versa.  Thus, there was always a rotation of cuisines in a variety of restaurants — some would go out of business and be replaced by others, caused mainly, by market forces.

In recent years, many people have become more interested in the quality of food, not only nutritional values, but also organics and freshness, and this has had an affect on restaurant menus, especially in pubs.  The plough-man’s lunch accompanied by a pint of ale has been elevated to the squires-lunch accompanied by a glass of white Zinfandel.  This has created a pretentious craze amongst a certain group of people who may be heard referring to the gastropub where the ‘gastro’ prefix increased the prices, embellished the menus, while not actually raising the activity in the kitchen.

In a number of cases the pub cook whose pièce de résistance was bangers and mash continued with sausisse et purée and the customers became bored.  But it is one thing to say that gastropubs have gone from being trendy to being overdone, another to try to consign the gastropub to history, as if it had never existed, or had no more value as a concept.

People began to realize that good food was available at a good price in an informal atmosphere.  No more smoke, questionable curry, or the need to wear a jacket and tie.  Innovation spread like wildfire, and happiness was evident at the dining tables.

The old pubs were challenged to improve their kitchen staff, and regular restaurants were required to pull their socks up.  After all, why go to a fine-dining establishment when you could eat equally well at the ‘Dog and Fiddle’ for a third of the price?


There is a famous culinary publication that contains menu descriptions such as, “... a cohesive natural empathy” or is “... as acutely calibrated as a Rolex watch”. Salads are “... vibrant” and “... worth exploration”. Desserts “... mobilise a lot of chocolate”. A roasted pigeon breast with beetroot is part of “... a cornucopian assemblage”.  Yes, I know, you’d prefer to go to the ‘Dog and Fiddle’.

Obviously, there are good and bad pubs just as there are good and bad fine-dining restaurants ... people aren’t idiots.  The ‘Dog and Fiddle’ may advertise itself as a gastropub while the nearby ‘Lion Inn’ doesn’t.  The ‘Lion Inn’ may make a delicious pheasant cooked in wine, while the ‘Dog and Fiddle’ may be run by posers called Cedric in black T-shirts ... who knows?

One thing is for sure, the quality of food in many pubs is here to stay, and if you intend to visit London, Ontario, let me know if you would like an introduction to a good example.

Aerospace 2 - Opposing Two Giants

Last week, Boeing revealed its decision regarding the question of a new generation aircraft, the B-737 MAX, that will be competitive with the proposed Airbus A-320 NEO.  There is, naturally, some controversy regarding this decision that questions the introduction of either aircraft.

In my opinion, there is a connection between these compromise plans and Bombardier's development of a narrow body aircraft, the CSeries.  Neither of the two giants could compete with the CSeries in its class for a number of reasons.  One reason that appeals to travellers is the four or five abreast seating in the CSeries that compares with the normal six abreast seating provided by the competition.  Airbus and Boeing argue that they are not competing in the 100-seat category but, if so, why have they rushed Band-Aid solutions to improving their A-320 and B-737 designs.  Probably, because should the CSeries be successful, and it will, Bombardier will introduce an extended version that, it could be suggested, will close the gap.

Originally, Boeing developed the B-737 with different fuselage-length variants and this natural progression was also seen in the A-320 series.  Over time, each manufacturer improved their design in small increments, for example, the introduction of composite materials and fly-by-wire systems.

Meanwhile, in fact, for more than two decades, Bombardier had entered the market with a range of small business jets, created completely from original designs and, most importantly, conducting advanced research in fuselage construction, composite materials, and closely coordinating with gas turbine manufacturers for fuel efficient engines, such that the introduction of their CSeries aircraft will be a leader in its class (Brazil's Embraer and China's Comac aircraft companies may compete in this market segment but, at the moment, can not compete, totally, with the advanced technologies employed in the CSeries).

Both Airbus and Boeing are showing good order books, especially Airbus, but we should note that they are not all firm orders.  The B-737 MAX is very much a compromise redesign, especially when we look at the new engines.  The main comparison with the A-320 NEO is the smaller fan blade diameter.  Although the new engine is larger than previous models, it is smaller than fitted to the A-320 NEO (168 cm compared to 205 cm fan blade diameter respectively).  The reason for this is that the height of the wing is less and the B-737 MAX requires a 42.9 cm (16.9 in) ground clearance.  It has been said, unconvincingly, that a larger engine would create greater drag but, equally, would be less efficient than that of the A-320 NEO.

In my opinion, the argument that the two giants are using tested designs is quite poor as there is little to compare, for example, the B-737 of 1964 with that of today.  Equally, the CSeries is using technologies that have been well proven for many years on their Global Express series of aircraft.

Therefore, the introduction of Bombardier's CSeries will be a leap forward in advanced design with superior qualities superior in its class, such that, I am sure, if the fly on the boardroom wall of Airbus and Boeing could talk, there would be some smiling faces in Montreal.

Quotation - "Another World ..."

Arundhati Roy

"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.

On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."

Politics 3 - Jerusalem

I wonder if the name Jerusalem is a religious or political thought in your mind.  Certainly, it is a city of religious significance, but today, politics overshadows almost all forms of religion there.  Of course, some choose to bring religion to the fore, specifically, Judaism and Islam, and one is bound to question the position of Christianity in all of this.

In this discussion, I wish to focus on the political aspect of Jerusalem.  What is Jerusalem — is it Jewish, Islamic, Christian, or all the above?  In my view it is all the above, in which case, for either one of the two present antagonists to decide its future without consultation with the others is doomed to failure.

Therefore, what is the answer?

In my opinion, there is only one answer, and I have never seen it mentioned before ... division.  At least, I have not seen it mentioned in the following way.

Now, before you look for the Comment button, please continue.

Presently, the Israelis declare, without any consultation, that Jerusalem will always be the capital of Israel.  At the same time, the Palestinians say that it should be the capital of Palestine (There shall be a Palestinian State).  It seems that the Christians will have no say in the matter.  Therefore, the situation may be described as a solid stalemate.

The answer can be seen by using the Vatican City as a model — a city state within a state.  It works perfectly.

Jerusalem must become a city state, bordered by Israel and Palestine, but governed by neither of them.  The city could be controlled (governed) by a representative group of all three religions within the population and, citizenship and security (for example) for residents could be equally state controlled within the city.  There may be a request for U.N. Peacekeepers initially because, as a religious city, citizens will not be permitted to carry arms ... amongst other things.

Finally, the capital of Israel would be Tel-Aviv and the capital of Palestine could be Ramallah, regardless of the agreed borders of the two countries.  The latter requires a separate discussion.


I wonder what you think of this idea?

Religion 2 - Are You Religious?

I am beginning to regret saying that Religion would be one of my Blog’s monthly subjects for comment.  In one sense, it is continually topical, but otherwise there is a consensus that warns of dire consequences.

But, are you religious?  Most people are religious.  You see, that statement is controversial within itself, and most people will avoid the subject.

I remember, when teaching post-graduates in China, deliberately asking this question in order to force discussion ... a rare occurrence in that country (until recently).

What does the question mean? 

Do you believe that there is a God?  Who is God — a very old man with a long grey beard sitting on the clouds?  Or what is God — a Force, as revealed in the Star Wars story?

Were Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha, real people — and immortal beings?

Although some students accepted that Jesus, Mohammed, and the Buddha were real people, few students admitted to believing in a God.

Therefore, I described this anecdotal question:  Can you remember when you left the comforts of home for the first time, to commence university studies?  You were required to live in a dormitory together with strangers who appeared to display different moral codes (at least, you thought so at the time).  Can you remember, after a few days, crying into your tear-stained pillow, and saying, “Mommy, Mommy, please come quickly and take me away from this horrible place.”  Remember?

But you knew that ‘Mommy’ could not hear you — so, who were you talking to?  Anybody who (or anything that) would listen?  Therefore, at that moment, were you not being somewhat religious?  And is it probable that, even now, or sometimes, we have the need of a relationship with a “Force” that can resolve our problems?  Could this be referred to as being religious?

Travel 1 - A Dutch Island

The WestJet flight out of Toronto was uneventful and we arrived, at the side of the Princess Juliana terminal building, like second-class passengers, having to walk on the hot tarmac to the Arrivals section.  We had arrived on a Dutch Caribbean island.

Unlike the previously researched Google Maps, the island of Sint Maarten is made up of many small, but very steep, hills, causing the taxi to wind itself around narrow roads congested with traffic.  Thus, destinations that had appeared to be within walking distance ... were not.

Front (Main) Street

My choice of hotel, in the historic downtown Philipsburg, proved to be a good idea as it enabled me to stroll the attractive, narrow, one-way streets with ease.  Cars seemed to travel at a very leisurely pace, stopping in the middle of a street to drop off passengers — on one occasion, I saw a driver stop to buy an ice-cream — the following traffic just waited patiently, seemingly without a care in the world.  I have never seen so many duty-free jewelry shops on one street before, sometimes there were three or four within one building.  It was hard to imagine how many customers were really there to buy Cartier and Rolex watches.  Do people plan their vacations based on the number of duty-free shops?

Good night!

I stayed at the Pasanggrahan Hotel, on Front Street, an old structure full of character that is more than a hundred years old (Since my visit, a new annex has been added).  It is furnished with antiques, for example, four-poster beds, formally the Governor’s home and once visited by Princess Juliana and her husband.  It backed onto the beach where a new boardwalk (actually, made of stone) stretched the whole length of the bay enabling one to easily stroll from one end to the other, stopping for refreshment at the bars and surveying the tempting restaurant menus in preparation for the evenings dinner.

It was my intention to review the restaurants and eat fresh fish every day ... an undemanding task.  Naturally, my first meal was at the Pasanggahan’s restaurant, a delicious blackened mahi mahi fish with an excellent variety of vegetables.

It was about this time that I discovered that the island’s guilder was not a popular form of currency relative to the ubiquitous US dollar, and one should never hope to use the Canadian dollar ... even in most banks.

Some notable restaurants, and my choice of menu, are as follows:

• Green House - a popular and casual restaurant and bar near the harbour with intermittent service.  I enjoyed fresh swordfish steak stuffed with crab.
• Ocean - a fine dining restaurant in the highly recommended Holland House hotel with two talented European chefs.  I chose the ‘special’ that comprised grilled sea bass artistically set on a bed of spinach and rice - the desert was an innovative white chocolate cheesecake.
• L’Antoine - a restaurant with a wonderful view of the ocean, and a very amenable French manager.  For lunch, I chose an excellent Caesar salad with a freshly-made dressing and shrimps - the shrimps were so large and sliced in such a way that, for a moment, I thought I had been served lobster.
• Fusion - a small new restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere.  I had a nondescript shrimp tempora as a starter, but the  piece de resistance was a marvelous grilled and sliced tuna loin salad set on a bed of mango slices and lettuce, with a delicious ginger and honeyed soy sauce.
• L’Escargot - a very old restaurant recommended, surprisingly, by many.  I experienced a very long wait with the discourteous waiter continually saying. “Your fish is coming.”  It arrived on the fourth comment.  The tiny piece of Red Snapper was swimming in garlic butter, accompanied by vegetables that were extremely overcooked.  Therefore, attempt a visit at your peril.
• Should you be interested, the town has McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC - and I am proud to disclose that I did not visit any of them.

A Typical Side Street

With the narrow streets, bright colours of the historic buildings, and the beautiful flowers set against the steep mountainous backdrop, this is a place enjoyed by many photographers and artists.  Large cruise ships visit three or four times each week.  Perhaps, the French part of the island will be the main attraction next time, because one week was too long for such a tiny island..

Photo - Show Jumping

My attempt at fame.  Riding a wonderful, largely Arab, stallion called 'Golden Luster' (with remarkable dressage abilities) in the Inter-services 3-day event at Episkopi in Cyprus.

Quotation - "Life Is ..."

John Lennon

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Politics 2 - Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism, even in a political sense, may be interpreted in various ways.  Generally speaking, it has come to mean the argument for extending equal status to distinct ethnic and religious groups without promoting any specific community values.

Originally, in my opinion, it was thought to lead towards assimilation and monoculturalism.  But, now, this commendable idea seems to have failed.

We have a global society that is multinational and where everyone in the developing countries, today, because of the Internet and other forms of international media, desires a higher standard of living ... and we cannot be critical of that.  The problem is the perceived entitlement of citizens of poorer countries to emigrate to richer countries and, this, they will attempt to accomplish illegally, if necessary.

As I said in the introduction, it is “extending equal status to distinct ... groups without promoting any specific community values”.  Therefore, it accepts religious beliefs dependent upon observance of the country’s laws and constitution.  For example, if Sikhism requires a man to carry a knife, the knife should by symbolic and unable to cut.  If Islam requires a women to be modest, it is too extreme to completely cover the face, and security laws must predominate.  If genital mutilation is considered to be a violent and disfiguring injury, then, those who carry out such acts must face the full force of the law.  Finally, Sharia law is not part of Canadian law, and any attempt to include parts of it, must be strongly resisted.

Ask an immigrant from Somalia (for example) if they are, either, a Somalian, a Somali Canadian, or a Canadian (assuming citizenship), there should only be one answer.

Assimilation was never going to be successful and, now, it seems that multiculturalism is a failure too, at least, according to many powerful world leaders — Thus, another look at our whole immigration philosophy is necessary.

Therefore, it is a political requirement ... highlighted in Norway, recently.


Is that a controversial comment to make?  I hope so.

Photo - Muscat and Oman

A picture with a very intriguing story.  Following the Dofar Rebellion in Muscat and Oman (Now, known as the Sultanate of Oman) in the 1960's, the U.K. was asked to provide air force assistance to the country in the form of a secret mercenary detachment, in order to quell continuing attacks by Yemeni guerrilla fighters in the south of the country.  Basically, we maintained an airforce base that facilitated the operation of ex-RAF fighter pilots attacking the guerrillas in their mountain hideouts.

During this period, Edward Heath, the leader of the government's opposition, made a secret visit to Salalah for talks with Qaboos bin Said, the sultan's son (I have the only film of this visit).  Questions where asked in government about this meeting, and the existence of U.K. military personnel in the area, which has been totally denied to this day.

The following year, Edward Heath became Prime Minister and, coincidentally, the sultan's son instigated a coup against his father, Sultan Said bin Taimur.  The sultan was expelled to the U.K. in quiet exile until he died a few years later.

Religion 1 - The Burqa

Just the word alone attracts much attention. Discussion related to the Burqa, is not only a religious issue but also becomes a political issue (Just to name two).

It is my experience that many people do not understand the definition of a burqa. It is, simply, an outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies in public places. Confusion exists in the use of words such as, hijab and niqab. These are individual parts of the burqa — the hijab being a head covering, and the niqab being a face covering (or veil).

I can see little reason to be offended by a woman wearing a burqa that does not have the niqab. In fact, some European women, in the summer, may wear a Indian sari as an evening dress, even though they have no knowledge of Islam. The sari being little more than a burqa with the hijab and niqab removed.

It is interesting to note that all women are asked to cover their heads with a scarf, as a matter of respect, when entering churches and cathedrals. Yet, ironically, some of those women, would still be critical of Muslims wearing a simple burqa.

The wearing of a niqab in public is the most controversial aspect of this discussion because a liberal interpretation of the Koran fails to convince most people that God (Allah) commanded that women must be completely covered. In addition, it is recorded that Mohammed said that both women and men should “dress and behave modestly in public.” This is a tradition that happened long before Islam, and should be interpreted according to today’s normal behaviour.

I read that a Muslim cleric had stated that women must wear a niqab because when a man looks at a woman’s body he looks, first, at her face. This is ridiculous because all things being equal, in other words, when a man has the opportunity to look at a woman’s naked body, the face is not the initial attraction.

Therefore, it is not surprising that countries are beginning to seriously consider banning the niqab (France has already done so) with arguments against being made by men and women indoctrinated by unfortunately biassed, and bigoted, interpretations of the Koran.

Discussion related to health matters or assimilation into other societies would be something to include at another time.

Quotation - "All the world's a stage ..."

William Shakespeare

     

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts, ...."

Photo - Old Town in China

Window view from a hotel in the old town of Lijiang, Yunnan Provence, a UNESCO Heritage site.  The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road.