Happy Chinese New Year! We celebrated it with some native Chinese friends at their home today–what an unexpected feast! The hospitality of the Chinese really contributes to the fun of being in China. Hope you have a wonderful Year of the Snake!
While waiting for a flight tonight, I thought I’d share this common image from the streets of China. “Double Happiness” is a leading brand of cigarettes, and a good reminder that some of the things the world calls happiness lead to quite the opposite. Don’t fall for the smoke and mirrors. Well, mirrors aren’t so bad, but that smoke! According to a report I read from the World Bank, “a Chinese man smokes 1 in 3 of the world’s cigarettes.” I believe that, and think I’ve met that man on the streets of Shanghai.
Far too many Chinese men and some Chinese women have been tricked into the breathing the poison of falsely labeled happiness, even Double Happiness. May Chinese discard that curse from the West and breathe more freely in the future.
I definitely agree with you on this one, Jeff.
I might be remembering this wrong, but I think I read years ago that, at a certain point in the American war against tobacco, the tobacco industry basically gave up the fight in this country, realizing that the really big money was waiting for them in China. Sad.
— Eveningsun
I hope this isn't being blamed on America too.
Smoking's history dates back to as early as 5000–3000 BC when the agricultural product began to be cultivated in South America; consumption later evolved into burning the plant substance either by accident or with intent of exploring other means of consumption. The practice worked its way into shamanistic rituals. Many ancient civilisations — such as the Babylonians, the Indians, and the Chinese.