hello! I didn't think that when I searched the internet, that I would actually find my name. but wow, there's lots. =). Anyway.. I always thought my name meant cool water.. actually more of an image of this placid stream, but that's what my mom told me. She's burmese. Anyway.. just thought I'd share that with you. Have a nice day. Thida O.
HiMy name is Gabriel A. Martinez. I am a senior at the University of Southern Colorado. I am currently working on adding on material of Rudyard Kipling to the Victorian Web Page. I came across your web page with some of Kiplings works.
The purpose of this message is to ask if we could link your Kipling works to the Victorian Web Page. If you are interested, please let me know or e-mail your answer to Professor George Landow, who is in charge of the Victorian Web Page. I am currently working on adding critical essays to Kipling's works.
Sincerely,
Gabriel A. Martinez
University of Southern Colorado
DEAR THIDA,WHITE MAN'S BURDEN WAS WRITTEN BY KIPLING IN 1899, AS A WARNING TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ON THEIR RECENT AQUISITION OF THE PHILIPPINES. FIRSTLY IN THE TIME OF KIPLING THE BRITISH DID NOT HAVE SLAVES THEY WERE FIGHTING TO RID THE WORLD OF THE SLAVE TRADE. 'HALF DEVIL AND HALF CHILD' MEARLY MEANT THAT THEY WERE NOT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND OF A COMPLICATED SOCIETY. RUDYARD IS DESCRIBING WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN A COUNTRY COLONISES ANOTHER, EVEN IF THEIR INTENTIONS ARE GOOD, HE IS NOT BEING RACIST HIMSELF.
MANDALAY, HOW IS THIS RACIST? WHAT KIPLING IS DESCRIBING HERE IS A SOLDIER'S LONGING TO GO BACK TO MANDALAY, WHERE HIS GIRLFRIEND IS AND A BETTER LIFE THAN THE ONE HE IS LEADING IN ENGLAND.
'I AM SICK O'WASTIN' LEATHER ON THESE GRITTY PAVIN'STONES, AN' THE BLASTARD HENGLISH DRIZZLE WAKES THE FEVER IN MY BONES; THO' I WALKS WITH FIFTY' OUSEMAIDS OUTER CHELSEA TO THE STRAND, AN' THEY TALKS ALOT O'LOVIN', BUT WOT THEY DO UNDERSTAND?'
THIS I CAN EMPATHISE WITH THIS POEM, AS I COME FROM AFRICA, AND I AM STUCK IN ENGLAND AND LONG TO GO HOME. JUDGING BY YOUR NAME YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BRING LIGHT ON WHY MANDALAY IS RACIST, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THAT THE WRONG WAY, AS THIDA DOES SOUND FROM AROUND BURMA, BUT CORNES SOUNDS VERY MUCH OF ENGLISH ORIGIN.
ROBIN
Just visited your page via your sig file. Very nice. I got side-tracked on the CIA link for twenty minutes. :) When you say you work for Tippett studios is that as in Phil Tippett? WOW! What a fun place to work?! I have always been a movie buff and while grwoing up all I ever wanted to be was a cinematographger or SFX artist. Alas, I let my Dad talk me out of it in high school.
Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a note to give you kudos on the page and on your postings to the NG. Your insights are wonderful and your expression of them enjoyable. Keep up the good work!
--Kevin McNulty
I have been following your contributions to the newsgroup for the last few days (I am new here), and also read some of your web page.
I wanted to say that I like very much the person you seem to be.
It is interesting to me that even though you were born in Thailand from a British father you see yourself as Burmese because your mother is Burmese.
In my case my father is Polish, my mother Lithuanian, and I consider myself Argentinian because I was born in Argentina. To add to my diversity, my ex-wife-to-be is English, my older son is Israeli, and my younger son is Utahn (USA). So, probably the two of us together could cover a big chunk of the diversity in the world.
My impression is that if we ever get together we have enough commonalities to enjoy each other very much, and enough diversity to never get bored.
Regrettably, I am in Minnesota and don't see myself in the west Coast in the near future, otherwise I would have suggested that we meet over a cup of cofee or something.
Another thing that may (or may not) get in the way is our age difference. I am 51. Of course there may also be another multitude of barriers.
In any case, I just wanted to say that I like you.
-- David R. Dull