April 29th
Because it's an Indian variant, you would "Rightfully" start to call it "India Virus" now? When I accidentally mentioned Wuhan (where it originated), it was also "Rightful" for you to Persecute my whole family, Abuse me to death with Violence and Wipe me Out from the internet?
India doesn't need any of your prayers, get the FUCK out of my face.
**
May 5th
"If you pretend that it is merely an aberration which will presently pass off of its own accord, you are dreaming a dream from which you will awake when somebody coshes you with a rubber truncheon." -Orwell on fascism.
Well, you know why we all are so obsessed with Orwell from when we were teens and early 20s, first step out from brainwashing.
**
May 22nd
"Why did Orwell criticize communism so much more energetically than fascism? Because he had seen it up close, and because its appeal was more treacherous. Both ideologies reached the same totalitarian destination but communism began with nobler aims and therefore requires more lies to sustain it. It became 'a form of Socialism that makes mental honesty impossible', and its literature 'a mechanism for explaining away mistakes'."
**
May 24th
**
May 25th
I was very disappointed by how the Chinese in America (I think a lot of Florida Cuban people also did) blindly supported Trump during the election in 2020. They sincerely believed "the left in America are socialists/communists"; "China is a communist country"; "therefore the left in America supports Chinese government" (syllogism). All of the two propositions and conclusions are wrong to any degree...
Take a look at what Orwell thought in 1937 --> “The ex-communists had broken out of the syllogism that bound so much of the left to Stalin: I believe in socialism; the USSR is the only socialist state; therefore I believe in the USSR. Orwell's rebuttal was twofold: firstly, no ends, however utopian, can be justified by such grotesque means; secondly, Stalin's Russia was not truly socialist because it denied liberty and justice."
**
June 4th
**
June 8th
In East and some Southeast Asian cultures, society is extremely racist toward darker skin. Not only racist toward darker skin people from alien cultures but darker skin people from the same cultural background have always been regarded as from lower social status (in a way similar to India's caste-based discrimination).
And Chinese culture or influenced by Chinese culture has always difficulty tolerating differences because Chinese culture for the past 2000+ years has always been "about homogeneity" and "make it homogeneous".
Depending on how much social justice the society has developed throughout history, societies that are able to protect fundamental civil rights are still better off, even if it's not friendly or liberal toward immigrants or non-white foreigners.
Well, I have always felt an extremely strong sense of discrimination toward my family. And it has gotten much worse in recent years, under the circumstances that China is rapidly closing its door and narrowing its people's mind, as well as the pandemic has put fear and well-justified prejudice back into people's mind, eating off a lot of social progress that achieved in the past decades.
**
June 10th
My sister-in-law Leena (who now lives in Berkeley) found this book on the roadside while taking a walk, thought about me, so she picked up this book for me to read.
Something like a roadside-free library that ordinary families set up outside their houses for bypassers to take is very common in Berkeley.
I really hold to the notion that what you believe precisely reflects what you experienced and the society/environment that helped shape you.
While the Chinese would brainlessly buy into the systemic defaming act against me, calling me a concubine, it actually accurately uncovered the truth of the society where most of these people come from. A society that having illegal second, third and fourth concubines/mistresses whose rights are largely ignored and abused is an acceptable social norm.
The dominance of materialism and money worship, no any sort of religious or spiritual faith is allowed, plus the resurgence of patriarchalism and suppression of feminism. What do you expect?
**
June 13th
Leena watched some movies that have Faye Wong in them and she got so interested in Faye Wong. I was like: dude, Faye Wong is the legendary figure my generation grew up with. She is THE best female singer of our time in Asia, everybody can sing her songs by heart.
She taught the whole generation to be daring and different, dare to be yourself. She opened up our eyes with her strange and creative makeups and outfits, especially coming out from a China that just opened up a little bit, most people still in the horror of the Cultural Revolution.
What Leena didn't know and she would have never thought was, years ago when Weibo was still a place that was open, a place gathered thousands of Chinese who dared to talk, express, even criticize; years ago when there was a certain degree of openness in the Chinese society, when there was still hope for political reforms thus a better China.
Faye Wong was also on Weibo, posting herself wearing sarees, kurta dresses, and Buddhist outfits. Posting her yearly trips in retreat to India, as a hardcore Buddist, in Bodh Gaya and Ladakh.
Today, dare Faye Wong post anything about India on any social media in China? You can guess the answer.
**
June 19th
😂😂 看起來 “網上傳的” 大概率都是假的吧 和我老公的大妹妹合影的三人照片 竟最終成為“印度教不是一夫一妻制”的最好證據 好傳神😂😂
**
June 21st
Funny thing, even for the top journalists in China, most of them don't know much about India, India for Chinese is a blank page or a black hole...
Can you imagine that now most common Chinese sincerely believe Hinduism is Polygamy because those fake news agencies used my photo with my husband and my sister-in-law as The Best Proof.
Well, the Chinese have always believed "Indian could marry 4 wives". In 2011 when Raj and I were taking a train in China, people stopped me and asked me on my face: "Is he an Indian, can he have 4 wives?!" Acquaintances who knew about our marriage, even they wouldn't say it on your face, behind your back they must be questioning if I'm one of the 4.
Chinese naturally discriminate against or disregard Indians, due to the obvious contrast in average and national level wealth in the current age, for most Chinese, money is the ruler to measure everything.
"The Poor India" has never made itself into China's list of "Respect and Learn" like rich Western countries. Even now the list is shrinking drastically because China accumulated more wealth.
But for Indian journalists, you absolutely can't say the same because they are well connected with and aligned with western journalism. And if you live in a democratic world with free press and you're fluent English speakers, your worldview won't be so twisted for sure…
**
June 22nd
My dad was like: "If searching your name (郑墨沫) in Tiktok Chinese version, there are at least a few dozens of videos that have views more than half a million or millions, these people made so much money on defaming you and defaming India...."
How strange that defamation and slander based on completely false and fabricated information are allowed to be out there and be promoted, while the victim and family have absolutely no means to protect any of our rights and privacy...
On top of that, all of my Chinese accounts are forcefully deleted and I literally have no place to say a word even if I want to...
You don't call this Cultural Revolution and Persecution, I don't know how else to describe it...
**
June 23rd
If we don't keep fighting for freedom and rights, freedom will be snatched away before we realize it.
Life without freedom is not worthy in any way.
My heart has been heavy, I'm saddened and worn, but I try to be strong, I try to be happy and I try to move on, because my faith is strong.
Whoever is struggling out there, please be strong and have faith. Someday, we will get through the darkness and see light, someday!
- for Apple Daily, for HK
