FEB 18, 15 .. TODAY’S RHETORICAL QUESTION ..
I often wonder to myself .. as I gaze daily directly into the faces of literally thousands upon thousands of countless non-smiling non-blinking absolutely inscrutable expressionless Asian eyes .. the answer to the below unanswerable question :
What does the non-smiling non-blinking absolutely inscrutable expressionless Asian male do when he looks directly into the eyes of his very own non-smiling non-blinking absolutely inscrutable expressionless Asian female when ‘things’ are not going well between the two of them?
Do they sit and live silently for something like ten (10) years? Neither ‘blinking’. Then what happens when the ten (10) year mark is reached?
One Asian male friend of mine simply said to me .. “Cap we seldom have problems we deal with forthright and directly. It is all tight within the family! But I sure KNOW when my non-smiling non-blinking absolutely inscrutable expressionless Asian wife is upset with me!”
Daily my mission is to crack this inscrutable expression of one Asian stranger and .. once in awhile .. from time to time .. it happens and one of them cannot help but to smile back at me (it is usually a female) as she catches herself and maybe bites her cheek. It makes my day and they become friends IF I have contact with them.
![DSCN9602[1]](https://babakaps.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/DSCN96021-600x450.jpg)
Below is Ruby who almost doesn’t count but Ruby too can be pretty inscrutable herself! I wore poor Ruby down after I showered her with wave after wave of thanks and gratitude for the assistance she gave me and still does. Ruby is my key go-to-friend when I need to find things here!
![DSCN9814[1]](https://babakaps.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/DSCN98141-600x450.jpg)
Ruby on the telephone visiting with Patti in Anchorage. Ruby is family now.
![DSCN9804[1]](https://babakaps.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/DSCN98041-600x450.jpg)
When it is a male and I am in close proximity I give him a vigorous high-five hand slap and feel I have gained a friend for life! When this happens in my neighborhood and I see him daily we have established a real bond of sorts.
Smiles .. Cap
- FEB 15, 15 .. SUICIDE .. THERE!! .. I SAID IT OUT LOUD!! .. IN BIG PRINT ..
- FEB 20, 15 .. TODAY’S RHETORICAL QUESTION ..
7 thoughts on “FEB 18, 15 .. TODAY’S RHETORICAL QUESTION ..”
Leave a Reply to Cap Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
SO nice to have Ruby on your team in Hong Kong! Always nice to get smiles from those we smile at, so I am very happy that you are getting some! Love and hugs. Patti
I have to admit that I probably wore her out with my enthusiasm and expressed thanks and gratitude for all she did .. and continues to do for me .. as to where to find what it is that I am looking for .. Love ..
I don’t understand people like that either, Cap. How hard is it to smile? I’m glad you can break through their miserably bland faces; as for me, I’d say “be that way if you wish. Just don’t ask me any favors.”
I can be ornery too!!!!! But not with you, CAP.
Shaddy
Shaddy I really believe it is a genetic thing. When even the children have the same inscrutable look there has to be more to it. You can NOT teach this to a child .. at least I don’t think you can .. maybe with all they have going on in their minds they are pre-occupied .. Joy ..
When in China, I had the opportunity to speak with a Chinese person who spoke excellent English. I had noticed that the Chinese never smiled, even when posing for photos. When I asked, the person said that the Chinese are not happy people and further, they are very distrustful after the past century in their history. During the time of Mao, it was very dangerous to reveal one’s true feelings about things political and governmental. Children were taught to spy on their parents, and parents to spy on their neighbors and family. Things have changed somewhat under the current Communist rule, but the caution and distrust are still prevalent. After hearing a number of anecdotes about events under current rulers, it all made sense to me.
Yes BUT .. how do you teach this to the very young? Many of our children have a certain spontaneity and unpredictable nature to them from birth. The uniformity of their facial expressions here in Asia has to spring from some genetic basis I think. Ah the mysteries of life! .. Cap ..
I rarely saw children smile in China. The exception seemed to be the second child. I am referring to young kids. They posed with very solemn expressions–or no expressions. I watched a father trying to get his elder son to pose on a cement animal. The boy was reluctant until he saw his younger brother spontaneously clowning around. Then he, too, forced a grin. Adults, elders, none of them smiled. Consider the long history of oppression in China, consider the constant gray skies from pollution, consider their economy and the injustices they see daily. Consider that for many years, religion was taboo. Consider the persecutioon of the Falun Gong. Today’s Chinese population grew up knowing about “reeducation camps”. What’s to smile about?
Here’s an interesting article: http://www.china-mike.com/chinese-culture/understanding-chinese-mind/in-out-groups/