Planning a Sequel
Gus said in a group chat today that he would walk the Camino in Spain again in May when he would remember a just dear departed friend who was on the last trip which Gus had organized for us on the French Way to Santiago 11 years ago. I was on that journey too; and Su was supposed to be on it but didn’t make it for some reason. Gus’s post prompted me to go for my autobiography and look for the entry in which I recorded the trip. I found it and had a good read, which in turn brought back old memories, during the wee hours this morning.
It was not the first time I turned to my book to refresh old memories, and it always worked. Moreover, every time I did that, I congratulated myself on a good job done. I could be narcissistic, but I couldn’t help feeling that the book was rather readable, at least in parts. Su and I managed to sell a few copies recently, while I gave away two: one to Bosco, Rosita’s elder brother, and one to Henry whom I have known for over 30 years, but had not made much contact. Bosco was all praises on the book and texted me that his only problem was that he couldn’t put it down. He wanted another meeting in person. We would see.
Other friends who had acquired the book had asked whether I would write a sequel and if so when. I might; I just might; and the thought is getting serious.
I had put a lot of material in “The Middle Child”. We were all sort of locked up at the time so that I had plenty of time to put the book together. The big question now is what to put into a sequel, if it does see the light. I had said on the promo which Paul Wan loaded on his YouTube that I might write more about Rosita, or my other travels, or the many schools and educational institutions I had attended. Some friends had suggested politics or my political stance, or my association with alcoholic beverages. All rather interesting. As for the format, some friends had urged me to put in photos, but I have rather strong views on that, apart from the immense costs it would incur. One format to which I have been attracted which I have picked up from the autobiographies of Mark Twain and Julie Andrews is that I might not have chapter titles and simply name them by numbers. Once again, we would see.
Talking of politics, we have just seen President Xi being returned unanimously for a third term presidency in the Two Sessions and witnessed his state visit to Russia and meetings with Putin, all carried out in a most statesman like fashion with consummate skills and assiduity. It is clear on the one hand that China will be bashed by the West whatever China or her President does. The West has been honed to listen and bow to the POTUS and his country and AUKUS has been created for that purpose. Amidst the kafuffles and rigmaroles, we have seen reports – not fact checked – that Russian military experts had advised that it would take Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles to obliterate Berlin in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds, and that it would take only 200 nuclear bombs to destroy the NATO countries in 10 hours, resulting in an estimated casualties of 95 million, not including the special and preferential treatment reserved for the Americans.
Meanwhile, and promulgated on Tik Tok etc., we have seen advise, rather measured actually that the best move any Chinese can and should take in the next ten years to ensure that China can withstand the continuing dominance of the West and the Americans is to stick to a strategy based on five practical and practicable moves: 1. Buy only Chinese made cars and machineries. 2, Avoid unnecessary extravagance heralded by the West through not buying vanity brand products. 3. Eat Chinese food and avoid those branded and graded western cuisines. 4. Switch to China made technological products. 5. Travel in China cities from now on. If each and every one of the 1.4 billion Chinese would do that, no one can stop China being the dominant country and civilization in the world. That’s all that is to it. It is clear, simple and easy to achieve. Let’s talk about it later.
