Two Women, Chapter 8

 "Caipirinha" Monica requested when their waiter approached.

"What's that?" Mona responded with curiosity.

"A cocktail made with cachaca, sugar, lime and plenty of ice.  Cachaca's made from sugarcane.  Very popular in Brazil.  Try it."

"Okay.  Make it two."

"That was beautiful what you played tonight.  I was trying to remember where I heard it before."

"Did you see the movie Brief Encounter, a classic British black-and-white film from 1945?"

"Yes.  That's it.  I'm sure that's it.  How long have you been playing the piano?"

"Since I was five.  My parents are both musicians.  They encouraged, but didn't push.  It became my passion.  I really enjoy performing and the travel that comes with it.  What about you?  Why did you become a dentist?"

"Everybody in my family are doctors.  But, I wanted to try something a different...a dentist.  But first, I came here.  America had been my dream since I was little.  And now, I can't imagine going back.  I've been here in Chapel Hill since my undergraduate days."

"Wanna get married and have a family?"

"Not really, not now anyway.  I meet men occasionally, have some fun, but nothing serious.  Serious is my work and my small circle of Brazilian friends in the area.  What about you?"

"Same with me.  My career comes first.  Hard to have a relationship with a man like that.  I've lived in Philly my whole life so I have a lot of friends and family there.  Do you have to be Brazilian to get into that small circle of yours?" 

    

Korea and Japan

Prior to 1876, Korea was considered a protectorate of China.  That changed with the signing of the Japan-Korea Treaty in 1876, effectively opening up trade with Korea for Japan.

Believing their country to be overcrowded, the Japanese government encouraged their people to emigrate to Korea.  In the early Twentieth Century, Japanese settlers in Korea amounted to about 170,000.  

By 1904, Japan had established economic and military dominance over Korea.  Then, on August 22, 1910 (111 years ago), Japan effectively annexed Korea with the signing of another Japan-Korea Treaty.  

Under the new agreement, the Emperor of Korea ceded complete control of Korea to the Emperor of Japan.  This lasted until 1945 with the end of WWII.

By 1920, almost 40% of agricultural land in Korea belonged to Japanese.  By 1932, it was more than 50%.

In 1939, Japan attempted to force a cultural assimilation of Koreans.  They were required to end their use of traditional Korean names in favor of Japanese surnames.

During WWII, labor shortages in Japan led to the obligatory recruitment of about 670,000 Koreans to work there.

Starting in 1944, Japan started conscripting all eligible Korean males into its military or military industry.  As a result, about 200,000 Koreans served in the Japanese army.

Also, during WWII, Korean women were forced to become prostitutes for the benefit of Japanese soldiers.  They were referred to as "comfort women."

Japan surrendered to Allied Forces on August 15, 1945.  One result was the end of their occupation of Korea.  Unfortunately, Korea has been split in two since then, the northern half allied with China and Russia and the southern half allied with the United States.        

 

Panama Canal

In 1903, what is today the Republic of Panama was part of the Republic of Colombia.  Panamanian rebels looked to separate and create their own country.  The United States, under President Theodore Roosevelt, supported this revolution.  Why?

Ship transportation between the east coast of the United States and its west coast had long been a problem as it required a journey around the southernmost tip of South America (Cape Horn).  Central America, a relative narrow strip of land, offered hope of an alternative route.  Panama is the southernmost country in Central America.

On November 2, 1903, American warships blockaded the Panamanian coast preventing Colombia from putting down the rebellion.  The following day, Panama declared its independence.

Shortly after recognizing the new government in Panama, Roosevelt signed a treaty with it.  For $10 million plus a substantial annual payment, the treaty granted from Panama to the United States a renewable lease in perpetuity regarding the land proposed for a canal extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

On May 4, 1904, the USA took control (sovereignty) of the so-called Panama Canal Zone.  A US government established the Isthmian Canal Commission (ICC) to oversee construction of the Panama Canal.  The commission reported directly to Secretary of War William Howard Taft.

"The construction of the canal was completed in 1914, 401 years after Panama was first crossed overland by a European, Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The United States spent almost $500 million (roughly equivalent to $12.9 billion in 2020) to finish the project. This was by far the largest American engineering project to date. The canal was formally opened on August 15, 1914 (107 years ago today), with the passage of the cargo ship SS Ancon."

"The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 caused a severe drop in traffic along Chilean ports due to shifts in maritime trade routes.  The burgeoning sheep farming business in southern Patagonia suffered a significant setback by the change in trade routes, as did the economy of the Falkland Islands."

"After years of negotiations for a new Panama Canal treaty, an agreement was reached between the United States (under President Jimmy Carter) and Panama. Signed on September 7, 1977, the treaty recognized Panama as the territorial sovereign in the Canal Zone, but gave the United States the right to continue operating the canal until December 31, 1999."

"Despite considerable opposition in the U.S. Senate (which has the right under the Constitution to approve or not all treaties), the treaty was approved by a one-vote margin in September 1978."

Don Rickles

 In 1958, as a teenager, I remember going to the Oswego Theater and watching two of my favorite actors, Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable, perform in the WWII submarine drama, Run Silent, Run Deep.  I enjoyed the movie, but didn't pay too much attention to a particular supporting actor making his film debut, Don Rickles as Quartermaster First Class Ruby.

Rickles was born in Queens, New York in 1926 to Jewish parents.  After graduating from Newtown High School in 1944, he enlisted in the US Navy.

After his discharge, Rickles began studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.  He gained some bit parts on television programs.

"Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began performing comedy in clubs in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He became known as an insult comedian when he responded to hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material."

A big break in Rickles' career occurred when Frank Sinatra came to a club to see his act.  Sinatra loved when Rickles made fun of him.  He encouraged his friends to come and be insulted as well.  

Johnny Carson also noticed Rickles and invited him to appear on his Tonight Show many times.  Dean Martin made him a regular on his Celebrity Roast series.  

It was in the 1970s that my ex-wife Bonita and I attended one of Don Rickles' performances at the nearby Westbury Music Fair.  We sat in the cheaper seats near the back.  

We had a great time of almost non-stop laughter.  One thing I remember about that night was several couples in the very first row arrived after Rickles came on stage.  Instead of quietly sitting and watching Rickles, they greeted each other more than necessary.  Well, Rickles insulted the heck out of them.  Hilarious!

Sadly, Don Rickles died April 6, 2017 at ninety years of age.  Every once in a while, he'll make me laugh again on YouTube.   

The Incident

 The Incident is a 1967 thriller film whose ensemble cast included Tony Musante, Martin Sheen, Beau Bridges, Ruby Dee, Brock Peters, Jack Gilford, Thelma Ritter, Ed McMahon, Gary Merrill and Jan Sterling.  For his performance in The Incident, Musante won the Best Actor award at the 1968 Argentine Film Festival.

The Incident begins late one night when two hoodlums, Joe (Musante) and Artie (Sheen), enter a south bound number 4 subway train at the 170th Street station in the Bronx, New York City.  They "proceed to psychologically terrorize, humiliate and degrade every single adult passenger (in their car), as the train passes 15 stations."  

Joe and Artie, but mostly Joe, do this one passenger at a time.  Nobody does anything to help their fellow passengers, fearing they will only draw the attention of the hoodlums to them.

Finally, Joe attempts to touch a child sleeping in her father's (McMahon) arms.  The father feebly slaps Joe's hand away.  Only then does a soldier (Bridges) in the subway car challenge Joe, who then pulls out a switchblade knife.

The soldier, wounded by the knife, is able to overpower Joe, knocking him unconscious.  Artie, losing his accomplice, attempts to flee, but is kneed in the groin by the soldier, leaving him on the floor in agony.  

The subway train finally arrives at Grand Central Station.  One of the passengers calls the police, two of whom quickly enter their car.  

Without asking any questions, the police grab the only Black male passenger visible to them (Peters).  Luckily, they are quickly informed of their mistake and proceed to arrest Joe and Artie.         

Many years ago, but after The Incident was made, I got a chance to meet Jack Gilford.  I was invited to a bar mitzvah of a neighbor.  Turns out Jack was a relative of the neighbor.

Jack Gilford was a stage actor who also appeared frequently in film and on television.  I especially remember him (as Bernie Lefkowitz) in the 1985 film, Cocoon.  Jack won a Daytime Emmy Award (Big Blue Marble), a Tony Award (Cabaret), a Golden Globe Award (Save the Tiger) and was nominated for an Academy Award (also Save the Tiger).