America//US

[Guest guest]

Dear Americans - not Amerindians but immigrated recently or much much earlier!

 

Please remember that your continent, however great and progressive, does not

represent the world! I would advise you all to read two books: Mark twain´s "A

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur´s Court" and Charles Dickens´"Martin

Chuzzlewitt". (The spelling of Chuzzlewitt may not be correct!) Both books are

touching and amusing, but bring out the difference between American and European

cultures.

 

The English of America is not exactly the same as that of the UK. The sidewalk

of America is the pavement of England, where the american "pavement" is called

road.

 

Many is the time I have sat in a European restaurant and seen an American get

into trouble for trying to pay in dollars! The waiter is stymied, the owner or

manager is annoyed -and the American flabbergasted that his "legal" money is

refused!!!

 

About 20 years ago my immigrated nephew in Maine gave me a Tofu cook-book. I had

to ask him what tofu was. On returning to Germany i tried to find tofu, with no

success. Finally i asked the owner of a Chinese restaurant where I could get

it. He said, "Nowhere actually. For our own fasting days we make our own tofu,

but it is not for sale, for Germans won´t buy it! If you want it. I´ll give you

some when we make it next time: give me your telephone number." Today I get tofu

30 miles away!

 

Perhaps the only place in Europe where you can get American products is Geneva,

because the UN has a branch there and a lot of Yanks live there. But the prices

are mountain high: the customers are high-paid UN employees, who hardly pay

taxes!

 

We sit in our homes, in luxury or in modest but sufficient conditions and

discuss high philosophy, eating habits etc. But what of the men, women and

children in Africa, starving in regions that are totally drying up? Can we

preach the Gita at them? If they had the strength they would kill us for our

smugness! But they would be grateful if we gave them an earthworm to eat!

 

The victims of earthquakes, tornadoes, floods. If they had read the Gita they

may accept the disaster with fortitude. But can we preach to them? No! We can

only help!

 

We talk of the great wisdom of India in respect of Ayurveda and food habits. But

how did this knowledge accrue? Does anyone know the cure for the terrible

sickness Xptl? No one, for I just invented this name! To gsther knowledge about

a sickness it must exist and be frequent enough for study. Otherwise it is

either not worth studying or the information is insufficient. So if Indian - or

Chinese - medical knowledge is great, it also means that the respective

populations were very sick! WHY?

 

Amerindians, Australian aborigenes, remote groups in the Himalays and in the

Alps got by with a handful of herbs and lived till 150 years or more! The

repertory of medicines was small, but obviously the sicknesses were rare and

limited. WHY? Some ate goats, others buffalo or sheep or fish. Some ate

apricots, others garlic. The one common factor: ALL LIVED IN THE OPEN, with

hardly any shelter! Is that the ultimate answer: Life comes from the Sun? Is

Suryanamaskar the solution to our health problems?

 

Once again, I AM NOT PREACHING but musing aloud. Any comments are welcome - if

polite!

 

regards

Mani

 

PS: If impolite, I will still accept if sensible!