Dear goanet reader, Did our esteemed authoress go across to this enchanting island by "ferry" or was she taken by a "fairy" to sprinkle "magical dust" over it. She gave us all an enjoyable and wonderful description of paradise and the fact that she misquoted what her honourable host's job was should be firmly laid at the feet of Bulbul who thinks everyone can fly!
I don't know why this has come to my mind here but I remember reading a judgement in "48 Laws of Power" written by Robert Greene. In his book, Law 32 is "Play to People's Fantasies". On page 126 of this book Robert Greene wrote: "The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses." On page 128 Robert Greene then tells a story I absolutely love and wish to share with you: Quote: In the early 1700s, all London was abuzz with talk of a mysterious stranger, a young man named George Psalmanazar. He had arrived from what was to most Englishmen a fantastical land: the island of Formosa (now Taiwan), off the coast of China. Oxford University engaged Psalmanazar to teach the island's language; a few years later he wrote a book - an immediate bestseller - on Formosa's history and geography. English royalty wined and dined this young man, and everywhere he went he entertained his hosts with wondrous stories of his homeland. After Psalmanazar died, however, his will revealed that he was in fact merely a Frenchman with a rich imagination. Everything he had said about Formosa he had invented. He had concocted an elaborate story that fulfilled the English public's desire for the exotic and strange. British culture's rigid control of people's dangerous dreams gave him the perfect opportunity to exploit their fantasy. Unquote Since the early 1700s to date the only change I can see is that the island of Formosa is now called Taiwan. Have goanet readers noticed any other changes taking place? Rose Fernandes Thornton Heath, Surrey, United Kingdom 14 September 2011
