From Eating habits to Audio Hi Fi

   This is an article originally written in Cantonese. It was pretty difficult to translate the original text, as the expressions and phrases in Cantonese (probably the most complex Chinese dialect) are seemingly impossible to express in English. Neither the jovial mood nor the sarcastic atmosphere could be translated at times. The remarks might be nasty, but it is nothing but just a silly joke. It was the sort of conversion that Jon might utter after a few beers during moody days, run low of pocket money, or something else bad. It is meant to make Joe Lee laugh by cracking sick jokes and absurd arguments. Please do not be offended by some statements

I love to study and practise Chinese numerology and astrology during my precious leisure times. The reason being, since I left my protective career in the academic fields, I felt that only those who are fated to have a good life could enjoy good achievements. If ones’ fate is bad, and one’s luck is poor, and always utter nonsense, one will surely meet difficulties in life. I am this sort of person. I have to suffer a lot, just to barely manage three meals a day for just myself. As an academic who holds overseas postgraduate qualifications, others might have a very low opinion of me if I were to seek the spirits or deities, like what all Chinese farmers would do during difficult times.

However, Chinese astrology and numerology such as ‘Fei Xing’, the ‘Four Pillars’ and ‘Zhi Wei’ are all proven to be scientific, and have stood the test of time for thousands of years. These were exclusively accessible to the Emperors. Not even the noblemen who seek such knowledge could have a chance to know anything. If numerology and astrology are properly practise, they can help individuals or even a nation to avoid bad luck and achieve better things. My aim was to find a way to achieve peace and sufficient money in life, and to help others live better in this brutal society.

Unfortunately, my unusual hobby invited much mockery and criticisms from my well-educated friends. I am not ashamed about such comments, because from my life analysis, I posses the element of ‘Xiong Kun’ or ‘Shang Guan’ in my life pillars. A person who has got more than two ‘Xiong Kun’ means he has a weak health, but a very high intelligence. Well, if others cannot understand ‘Zhi Ping’ four pillars from the ancient scripts and modern analysis, it is their loss. I feel sorry for them.

But ‘Xiong Kun’ is not the most remarkable element I have. The most outstanding is I have a total of three ‘Shek San’, or literally, ‘Eating God’ from the life analysis. Others usually have one ‘Shek San’, or more usually, none. ‘Shek San’ means one can enjoy good blessings with regards to food or eating. Well, it is true. Since young I had been enjoying all sorts of good food from everywhere, North South East West, those that can fly, swim, craw or walk, taste sour, plain, raw or spicy, all have come to me and begged to be eaten. Amidabba! If there is war and famine, I should be the first to starve to death! Unfortunately, I am a simple Singapore guy. If I were to live in more ferocious cities such as Hong Kong, I could even have tasted human flesh!

Consider enjoying food, this pleasure can be mimicked by the pleasure of listening to good Stereo Hi Fi. You can have a taste of English fish and chips, French cuisine, Japanese raw fish, American burger or India Curry as to audio systems from different countries. As long as you have the money, you can be picky and choose what you want! If you do not have the money, well, you can just sit in a Singapore hawker centre, and get yourself fed for two dollars. Of course, good Hi Fi allows the entertainment to repeat again and again. A good plate of food is good only once. After going through the stomach, it can’t possibly be presentable!

I have observed that from the food or eating culture, we can somewhat deduce the general audio preference of certain group of people. The Chinese numerology restricts the characteristics of ‘Shek San’ to eating only. But from experience, I believe it can be extended to other sensuous pleasures, particularly audio Hi Fi! Hi Fi is about taste and blessings. Since I have as many as three ‘Shek San’ in this life, I certainly have listened to and have owned many good Hi Fi systems, by a relatively young age!

Talk about eating, the essence of the Chinese culture is about food! The Chinese have a proverb, ‘Eating is people’s heaven’. If a society cannot be well fed, it is a fearful situation; the people will be up rising and causing chaos and instability! For thousands of years, the Chinese Emperors did not have the blessing of owing any Hi Fi set (Genesis top model driven by Mark Levison top models? Top of the line LP turn tables? Not invented yet.). Their pleasures were then mainly focusing on eating or marathon sex. As such, the Chinese are at least thousands of years more advanced than the west in terms of preparing fine cuisine and eating. This is a well know truth. When the Westerners see Chinese enjoying shark fin soup, they become rowdy and try to ban my favourite shark fin soup. Well, they haven’t seen the real thing yet. From Hong Kong, Beijing, Macao, Taipei, Singapore, whatever you want to eat, you can have it if you have the money. You can have it steamed, cooked, stewed, fried, or poached. You can have it sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy. You can have it dry, wet, thick or watery. You can have chicken, duck, goose, DOG, pigeon, hippo, tiger, fish, beef, mutton, dragon, snake, turtle or tortoise. Things that fly, craw, walk or swim can be on the menu. It all depends on your creative imagination. If you say,’ thou shall not kill!’, well, you can have vegetarian food instead. Then again, there are still mock duck, mock pork, mock chicken, and the lists go on.

Well, the audio equipment is as fascinating in the Chinese society as well. If there are Chinese, there are bound to be Hi End audio systems, and there are also countless mid Fi set up. Hong Kong is a busy and bizarre modern city, where high-end audio congregates. I have never heard of people going to satisfy their audio fever in London or Africa; the sensible guy will run to Hong Kong for shopping! Should it be Cello-driving Genesis, FM Acoustics full suite system, Musical Fidelity driving Ruark, Mission and Nad partners, Pioneer driving KEF, it is up to you to choose according to your budget! You can challenge others’ system, or you can learn from others.

 Audio tuning devices are even more bizarre. They can be like soya source, pepper or chilly source, or even Li Kum Kee Oyster source on Chinese food. Just adding a little to the food, it will improve the taste and your appetite. Well, if you want to play Hi Fi in a place where there are no Chinese, do lower your expectations. I suppose many American, European or Japanese manufacturers will agree that Chinese have contributed much the Hi Fi industry. Chinese is certainly the number one audio super economic and cultural power. If there is no demand from the Chinese community, then most likely many manufacturers will have to down size, force retrenchment or even close down.