THOSE REMARKABLE MEN OF SINGAPOUR
What brought Drs T and C on to my humble path of Travel? Travel by a great Chinese Admiral, in fact the greatest ever.. beats Vasco Da Gama and Colon and all others by a mile and half.. Admiral Zheng He..
The enthusiasm for these two professors is contagious and I am awed at their fast minds and projects they envision..Like Zheng He’s wide travels, their mind travel with its relevant speed to various parts of the world visited by the great admiral..
What a nice morning! Dr C picked me up at the Hotel, and a mini tour of Singapour on the way to the Zheng He gallery. One things striking was indeed the Greenery of Singapour.. I don't ever remember it being so green, in fact it is greener than most cities of India!
As we arrived, Dr T also arrived and for the next hour or so, the star of the show was Admiral Zheng He. In todays newspaper (the local rag), there was a picture of Dr T and the author of a new book, Prof Hum Sin Hoon. The title of the new book is Zheng He’s Art of Collaboration.
I was happy to receive a copy of the book published just a few days ago, from Dr T. I was already thinking how this could be applied, the art of collaboration, further to my medical Practice among the Indians of North America.
Some people are like walking encyclopaedias, and distilled with Confusion wisdom, they become role models. Todays newspaper also carried an article by a certain Prof. Lee, who is the director of the National Neuroscience Institute. What do you look for in choosing a friend? Dr Lee asks, it is neither Prestige nor wealth nor Status…Sacrifice more than anything, gratitude .. Have we not learned this from Yoga Sutra, American Indian Philosophers..old chinese philosophy? Yes, one is capable of having good friends, the dunbar number puts it at around 8 for men and 12 for women and an added 150 acquaintances, but it is what you do for others that really counts in the end. That is what you will be remembered by.
As Dr T says in the preface of the book:
Zheng He’s message could be seen as :
Not bullying the weak
China and Native States are one Family, thus equality, respect and relationship
Equitable international trade, not the colonial exploitation of what the Portugese, Dutch, British did in Asia. No to Piracy!
Culturally, emphasizing protocol and etiquette.
Religious tolerance and broad-mindedness.
How good it would be if leaders of Malaysia or Iran or some other countries in the news lately would pay attention to Zheng He’s diplomacy. We tend to forget our politicians soon after they are dead and gone, Zheng He’s legacy lives on and on and on..
With a little bit of help from illustrious people like Drs T and C..
