He's baaaack...
The Duke welcomed everyone and thanked Michael “Gorby” Gottschalk, Carole O’Brien and Garrick McCamey for standing in while he and “First Lady” Katrina were in China. He commented China was Ni Hao Ding Hao, meaning “very good” in Chinese.
The Four Way Test Tip #3 “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?” was very much on display with the people of China. Just don’t visit in their Summer!
Today in history 1998:
- Google founded by Stamford Uni students Larry Page and Serey Brin,
- National Wildlife Day, and
- National Ladies Mums Day (bet you haven't heard of that one!)
Directors' Reports and Member Announcements
Ian K : Volunteers requested for OffTraq 22-25 October; Sign-up sheet circulating, list of activities on back.
Brian J : First Friday meeting of each month will be for “In House” club proceedings.
No external speaker.
Carole O : Next Ronald MacDonald House Dinner Sunday 01 November. Ten volunteers needed 2:45-7:30PM to cook for children and families.
Wayne M : Volunteers requested to make sandwiches for OffTraq lunch on the Saturday.
f you can help, please see Wayne after meeting.
Owen F : “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” Saturday 19th September.
Rick S : Men’s Dinner - Next Wednesday 09 September 6:00PM. Asian Delight Restaurant, corner Salsbury Ave and Canning Highway. Names to Ken please.
Wayne D : Board meeting last night. The printed Membership Directory costs over $600, so PDF version will be sufficient to satisfy most people. Show of hands please, how many people read Bulletin? Veronica advises website analytics only showing 6-7 “hits” per week.
Guest Speaker : Celina Chen - The Silk Road
With a background in both tourism and international Chinese language education, Celina has a strong interest in Chinese history and culture. She is also the founder of the Real China Cultural Society.
Celina aims to present China through thematic “threads” like tea, porcelain, or ethnic groups to provide a deeper and more connected understanding of China. She challenged common knowledge by revealing that the term “Silk Road” was only coined in 1877.
As her presentation is condensed from a much longer version, Celina engaged the audience by allowing them to choose discussion topics. The selected topics were:
- the enduring mystery of Marco Polo’s travels to China,
- the sacrifices of Chinese princesses sent along the Silk Road for diplomatic purposes,
- the monumental 1900 discovery of the Dunhuang Mogao manuscript cave.
Her presentation concluded with a poignant reading of a 2,000-year-old letter from a Sogdian woman, emphasizing that the Silk Road was not just about grand civilizations but also about the real, personal lives and stories of ordinary people.
The Silk Road is a network of routes rather than a single road, stretching from Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an, the capital of the Han Empire and home of the Terracotta Warriors) through Central Asia to Europe (the Roman Empire) starting two thousand years ago.
Marco Polo’s Travels
There is an ongoing debate about whether Marco Polo actually traveled to China.
Arguments for his travels: His book, The Travels of Marco Polo, described Chinese cities, cultures, and specific details like paper money (which didn’t exist in Venice then) and the government’s salt tax in great detail.
Arguments against his travels:
He never mentioned iconic things like the Great Wall or tea.
A search of the Yuan Dynasty’s detailed official documents found no mention of the name “Marco Polo.”
However, Celina suggested he might have used a Mongolian name. Her conclusion is that he probably visited China, but perhaps not for the 17 years he claimed.
The Role of Women on the Silk Road
Many women on the Silk Road lived lives of waiting for their husbands, fathers, or children to return.
Chinese princesses played an important diplomatic role and were sometimes sent to marry rulers in distant regions to forge political alliances and build connections between cultures.
The story of Princess Jieyou from the Han Dynasty (2,000 years ago) was highlighted. She was sent 3,000 km from Xi’an to the Western Regions, a journey of two to three months.
Despite the hardship of being sent so far from home, Jieyou embraced the new culture, learned the language, and participated in diplomatic affairs with her husband, helping to maintain decades of stability, which was crucial for the newly opened Silk Road. Her name, Jieyou (解忧), means “relieve sorrow.”
The Dunhuang Manuscript Cave
In 1900, a Taoist monk discovered a sealed cave in Dunhuang containing 60,000 ancient manuscripts. The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang contain over 700 caves, 40,000 square meters of wall paintings, and 2,000 painted sculptures created over a thousand years.
The Sogdians were an Iranian-speaking people from Central Asia who became some of the most important merchants on the Silk Road. They established trading communities along the routes, creating an extensive commercial network between China and Central Asia.
The letter is addressed to her husband, expressing her sorrow and desperation as she waits for him for years in a distant land, feeling abandoned and “worse off than a dog or a pig.”
Celina used this story to illustrate that the Silk Road was about the real, ordinary, and often painful lives of individuals.
Celina uses these cultural “threads” in designing small-group journeys, connecting stories with the places where they actually happened. The small-group format also allows for more personal cultural experiences, such as visiting local families, sharing tea, and interacting with local people.
A Fine(s) Collection
Anyone interested in “Great Outdoors” or been to Zoo.
Owen F $1 for every tooth extracted.
Anyone who’s had tooth extracted, has implants, plates or false teeth.
Dockers Supporters who went to game last night.
Rugby Supporters.
Pilot’s Brian J and Ken P for the low flypast in South Africa.
Wayne D on his return from China, guest speaker picked just for you.
Deputies “Gorby”, Carole O and Garrick M – watch this space!
Mark J Visitor of the week.
Winner of Heads and Tails
Attendance
39 attendees in all, including guest speaker Celine Chen and friend Ping, visiting Rotarian (and RYE host) Jeff Anderson, Rotary Youth Exchange student Felipé Alves Mizobuchi and visitors Mark Jones (ex member), Estelle Hayler, Elizabeth Anderson and Jill Mathwin.
