How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Horrible Cultural Practices - No.1:Feet-binding



(Source: The 10 Horrible Cultural Practices in the World
Fascinating Cultural Anthropology -
English Text Provided by courtesy of Mrs Stella Lee for friends overseas.)

This started as a custom in China in the 10th century and stopped in the early 20th century. Girls’ From 6 years of age or younger, girls' feet were bound inwards to inhibit regular growth. Bones, would later be crushed so the feet could be reshaped. Consequently, bound feet were supposed to eventually be not more than 4-6 inches or 10-15 cm. This is the main reason for the disability (inability to walk) amongst very old Chinese women today.

Procedures:
1) soak feet in a mixture of Chinese herbal medicine and animal blood, relaxing the muscles and rendering them easily shaped.
2) Remove toe nails to avoid subsequent infections. All these are preparatory steps for the real foot binding.
3) To shape the feet, a silk or cotton bandage, 2 inches wide and 10 feet long, was soaked in the same mixture as in a) above
4) Feet are bound in these bandages, which were gradually tightened until they could be pulled to the heel of the foot.
5) Shoes were custom made to fit these small feet.

My comments:
This reminds me of my late grandmother who came from China. She was a tea-picker there and could walk just like a normal person, though it seemed awkward to others not used to it.

For few years before she died in the early '60s, she had to use a rattan chair to move around because of a fall, in her eagerness to see what was happening to my elder brother.

I can still remember her looking out of her room to look at our rose garden. For replacement of wooden soles for her shoes, she was ever grateful to our workshop carpenter.
Link

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