Chill, Grasshopper: Understanding China takes time

By Patrick Whiteley (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-15 08:53

"Patience, Grasshopper. An angry man is only a fearful man. Conquer your fears and you can conquer everything."

Kaine would pass this knowledge to a farmer being terrorized by the bad guys. Kaine would then systematically kick all their butts.

For most people under 30, Carradine is best known for his role of Bill in Quentin Tarrantino's Kill Bill movies, in which he makes fun of his Kung Fu persona. The flute-playing scene where he tells the story of the five-finger death punch is a classic example.

Carradine appeared in more than 200 movies but for me, the 72-year-old American will always be Kung Fu, one of the most influential ambassadors of Chinese culture to the West.

Grasshopper was a nice guy and tried to help people whenever he could in between opening a can of whoop ass. The fact he wasn't Chinese makes this role a little strange.

I came to China with many preconceptions, which began with Kung Fu, but have developed a much fuller understanding, discovering so much diversity in view points, customs and even physical appearances.

But I've only scratched the surface, and the Middle Kingdom, as the old China hands will tell you, is always a work in progress.

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