Smithsonian Extravaganza II - Freer/Sackler Gallery of Art

Bodhisattva Figure from India
Originally uploaded by nuance1979.

Having said hello to my animal neighbors, I went to the Freer/Sackler Gallery, an awesome collection of Asian art. Both Buddhist and Islamic Asia were adequently represented. The quality of this gallery was excellent, like this one from India depicting a graceful female Bodhisattva. Besides, good museums always have good shops; Freer/Sackler is no exception.

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天国之秋

Book review: “Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War" by Stephen R. Platt 秋天有两种：一种是丰收喜悦之秋，一种是伤感可悲之秋。太平天国之秋，毫无疑问是第二种。《天国之秋》改变了很多我对于太平天国的认识和评价。作者一上来就对太平天国运动的性质作了一个中肯的评价，认为西方史学界长期以来称之为“太平叛乱”，以及中国史学界以太平天国为原始共产主义而称之为“太平革命”或“太平起义”，都失之偏颇。唯一恰当的称谓，当为“太平内战”。 ("The Taiping were indeed rebels, but to call the entire war the Taiping Rebellion is to cast the rebels forever in the wrong, and to blame on them for defying their legitimate rulers and destroying what one might surmise was otherwise a peaceful and stable empire." "...just as it is unfair to suggest that the Taiping were solely responsible for the devastation of the war, it is likewise an exaggeration to claim they were building some kind of peasant utopia.") 作为西方人写中国史，作者不可避免地更关心西方历史与这段中国历史的联系。全书令人信服地论证了，发生在十九世纪中国的太平内战，已经不再是一个孤立的事件，而是跟欧洲和美国历史有实质性的联系。简而言之，因为美国内战导致大英帝国在美国的贸易锐减，英国害怕同时因为中国内战而失去另一个巨大的贸易伙伴，而违背一贯的中立政策，干预了中国内战。虽然直接干预并不多，而且政策还有反复，却鬼使神差地影响了...

TOTC - Monaco

For those of you who *actually* followed my story, I apologize: I lied, to some extent, when I said my next stop was Nice. In fact I arrived at Nice at night after a very enjoyable, and amazingly fast TGV ride. But I took a day trip to Monaco the very next day. Les Casinos de Monte-Carlo Originally uploaded by yisu1979 In case you haven't know, the Principality of Monaco is a city state with a constitutional monarchy. There are two ways to get there from Nice: a €1,5(!), 40-minute bus or a €5, 15-minute train. I took the bus not because it was cheaper but because I thought the bus ride would have much better views en route given it went along the coast line. I was *so* right. The first thing you saw after arrival was the world famous black tie required casino. Did I remember to wear black tie to get in for the allegedly exquisite interior? Are you kidding me? Symbol of Monte-Carlo Originally uploaded by yisu1979 The whole state of Monaco is built on a mountai...

Jacky Cheung Rocked Atlantic City, Again: Photos

As promised, I gave you some photos from my concert-going Atlantic City trip. Jacky Cheung Concert Poster Originally uploaded by yisu1979 This was the official poster for this encore show. I got it from the organizer's website . In case you don't speak Chinese, the words above read, "By popular demand, the King of Cantonpop returns with honor." Sounds a little cheesy in English, huh? Well, there's always something lost in translation. Trump Taj Mahal Originally uploaded by yisu1979 The concert was held in the Arena in the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort , a decent place for this kind of concerts. Taj Mahal Casino Originally uploaded by yisu1979 If you haven't seen a casino before, here it is. (And you've seen all of them.) Chandelier Originally uploaded by yisu1979 Taj Mahal is richly decorated. It tries to pitch itself as a better or higher-end casino than others. (So they can charge you more.) T-shirts Orig...

红酒·绿茶 / Red Wine & Green Tea / Vin Rouge et Thé Vert

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