A potential link that created Irish-Chinese Canadians?
An Irishman's Philosophy
In life, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you are well or you are sick.
If you are well, there is nothing to worry about,
But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will get well or you will die.
If you get well, there is nothing to worry about,
But if you die, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will go to heaven or hell.
If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about.
And if you go to hell, you’ll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends
You won’t have time to worry!
A Chines Proverb
有錢能使鬼推磨 (pinyin: yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò)
Meaning, Literally: If you have money you can make the devil push your grind stone.
Interpretation: When money talks, bullshit walks. Money makes the world go round.
These two sayings that I came across today, make me wonder how my mother (IRISH) and my father (CHINESE) ever managed to maintain a conversation, let alone a relationship. Once living in Canada, they both lost a bit of their culture, undoubtedly, but most was retained. The same would be true if I moved to Japan tomorrow, I would still be Canadian till my death. So, how did they manage to shed their earlier customs to make a marriage possible. Irish women rule the house, Chinese men rule the house, Irish men drink, laugh, fight, the older Chinese somewhat look down on drinking and fighting, the Irish work hard but play hard, the Chinese work hard. I can go on forever, and obviously these are simply experiences I had and beliefs that were transmitted from my own parents. They are obvious generalizations, but the differences are undeniable.
One similarity I have found is that back in the day (1800's), both the Irish and Chinese were brought into Canada as cheap, hardworking labour to build the railway....The railway represents the bond my parents shared. Perhaps this is why I love to ride the train so much.
