Play Weiqi Kiddos, Stay Away From "Go"

Short background:  Weiqi is the ancient game invented in China and became very popular throughout Asia and goes by the name "Go" in Japan.   In western countries, it mostly go by the name "Go" and the terminologies are often translated from Japanese.   Here's a short answer why I could not let my children to learn "Go" terminology.



If my kids ask: "why was weiqi invented in China, but these terminology are
in Japanese?"

I'd have to say "well Japan and China were friends for a long long long time
, Japanese could quote poetry better than me and play weiqi better than me"

My kids would say: " why are you so bad at every thing?"

I'd have to say: "we kept getting axe-murderers trying to rob us, enslave us
 and kill us for 1000 years...  We had no time for these more refined
pursuits, kiddos"

My kids would say: "I like Japanese then..."
http://twodeeprivers.blogspot.com/2013/12/china-japan-400-1200-ad-800-years-of.html


I'd have to say: "hold on... Kiddo....  Actually we Chinese and Japanese had
 a fall out...  so we are hardly talking to each other any more..."

My kids would say: "What?  that beautiful lady from Japan?  so courteous and
 so sweet and looks just like mom!"

I'd have to say: "well kiddo, the beautiful lady from japan attacked us and
defeated us in 1895 and made us pay 2x our GDP for war reparations and
 took Formosa including Diaoyudao from us..."

My kids would say: "But that was 100 years ago man!  you still remember that
?"

I'd have to say: "well kiddo, it didn't stop there.   Then the beautiful
lady of Japan sent us 1000 ninja assassins to assassinate our leaders,  1000
 diplomats to instigate revolution in Russia/China/Korea, then took
Manchuria from us..."

My kids would say: "wow that's too bad...  but it's like 90 years ago!"

I'd have to say: "we thought so at the time too.   so we were busy picking
up pieces and rebuilding.   Shanghai and Yangtz delta in the early 1930s
 were quite an economical powerhouse..."

My kids would say: "great, the story is finally getting better..."

I'd have to say: "Actually, not so fast.   The thing is, the nice Japanese
lady felt threatened by the Chinese rebuilding"

My kids would say: "why? they got a lot from China!"

I'd have to say: "You see, they are scared that China being strong will make
 them give back their ill-gotten gains..."

My kids would say: "hmmm, so that's why you always
say don't take things that don't belong to you?"

I'd have to say: " Exactly kiddo.  But the beautiful
lady Japan doesn't think that way.   So instead of giving
back their ill-gotten gains, they invaded almost the
 entire China..."
http://twodeeprivers.blogspot.com/2013/12/china-japan-1895-1945-feud.html

Now it's my turn to tear up, remembering the 20
million dead bodies and raped women, bayoneted
babies, tortured POWs.  And wondering
how the hell am I going to explain all this to my kids...

My kids would then say: "but that was 70+ years ago?
surely we made up since then!"

Then I will have explain that to this day, the
government of Japan continues to play a game of
"deny-apologize-deny-apologize" with impunity,
claiming self-defense for all murders, rapes, sneak-attacks.
http://twodeeprivers.blogspot.com/2013/12/abe-honored-war-criminals-who-butchered.html

My kids would then say: "horrible... but it's the
government of japan not the nice people..."

I'd say: "good distinction... But the people elected
these politicians twice and supported their activities
mostly.  and the people are scared of kids like you."

My kids would say: "why? "

I'd say: "apparently because you are good at math..."
http://twodeeprivers.blogspot.com/2013/12/15-year-old-chinese-students-threat-to.html

My kids would say: "WHAT!!!!"

I'd say: "Nobody could understand it.  Maybe
they are afraid of the Chinese may be bent on
revenge?   So a little survival tips for you kiddo:
please don't play a weiqi game with the Japanese.
If you lose, you'll likely be used as a doormat.
If you win, you'll likely get a poisoned Fuji apple
packaged all in Japanese smiles."

That... IS WHY I could not let my Chinese kids to learn
 japanese terminologies of the ancient Chinese game Weiqi.
No people could get through that without deep PTSD,
without deep suspicion of basic human goodness.
I do not want my kids to learn a Chinese game yet
 be exposed to this kind of pain.