I've visited China five times and lived there for about a year teaching English.  With your cognisance, perhaps I can share a few reminiscences with you about it. Both good and bad. Warts 'n all. This article will in fact form part of a short series on this topic.  For the information of those who've heard so much about this mysterious kingdom but not yet had the opportunity to visit it.

BORING

Anger within me, camouflaged so well

So, what is 'Love'? John Abbot wrote in his initial comment in part 1 of this blog, love is 'subjective'. I disagree with him on this, simply because I think that we SEE it as being subjective, rather than it actually BEING subjective. Let me explain why...

"Deceptive and deceiving, the human mind

feigns forgiveness and outward love

Maleficence reigning supreme inside

humanity condemned, woe betide"

On my last day in China, in appreciation of my help in the gym, Mandy invited us for dinner at the restaurant she worked at. After two weeks of dieting, my wife was exuberant. Not just because she could eat anything, but because the place was so fancy. 

            You know, the whole "Oh my God, you won't ever get a date with those profile pictures" would have carried a great deal more weight were it not for the fact that 34 CLM members and 12 ALM members have contacted me despite my profile pictures.  A couple of them have contacted more than once and one was so interested in me that she has contacted me no fewer than three times despite the fact that I have told her that I was not interested in her twice already.  I have said this before, too.  But like I said, not everyone reads every comment.  I simply have not been convinced that I was discouraging "worthy" potential partners because of my profile pictures.  I have been convinced that I have been discouraging the shallow, the gold diggers, the ones searching for trophy husbands and the ones primarily interested in impressing the outside world rather than pleasing themselves.

“Le mariage est comme nue forteresse assiégée; ceux qui sont dehors veulent y entrer, ceux qui sont dedans veulent en sortir” is a French proverb which means “Marriage is like a fortress besieged: those who are outside want to get in, and those who are inside want to get out." 

"Dark recesses within the mind of maleficent man

            I began studying Latin in high school.  We used a textbook which employed Latin proverbs to help teach the language.  The author obviously intended to kill two birds with one stone, teaching us about ancient Roman thought as well as their language.  Among these proverbs were ars gratia artis, "art for the sake of art", amor omnia vincit, "love conquers all", and vestis virum reddit, "clothes make the man".  This last one obviously bore the greatest significance to the subject of this blog, my profile pictures.

That old-fashioned word.....'Love' - what does it REALLY mean ?

This blog is going to be in two parts because one would simply be too long !

'What is Love?' ('Baby don't hurt me....don't hurt me, no more'.....yes, they are song lyrics going round in MY head just like they are going round in yours, lol)

But seriously, does ANYONE really KNOW what 'love' really is?

This may seem a bit 'rash', but I think I have found the answer......YES.....REALLY !

So, why did Ryan's blog hit a 'nerve' with me? Probably because he was talking about his love for a 'hooker'.

OMG......you can't fall-in-love with a bar-girl !!!!!