A Fortune-Teller Told Me

I came across this book A Fortune-Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani in August of 2009. The title grabbed my eye and the info in the book jacket intrigued me enough to check it out from the Rockville public library. So, here I am writing this blog about a book I read almost a year ago and without having it sitting in front of me.

Looking back, I think I can break it down to several major themes. The book is about the Chinese diaspora spread across the South-East Asian countries; it is about questioning the value of blindly following the Western ideals of a prosperous society; it is about stopping to smell the coffee during your travels; it is about fortune-tellers and their craft; it is about spiritual enlightenment.

The hyperlink I've given to the book title above will take you to a review of the book by a newspaper in the region. There are many other book reviews in the net also. (Google is your friend.) So, instead of a complete review, I'll just give my take on the aspects that interested me ... at least, what I remember a year later.

As a Western journalist, Terzani doesn't believe in Fortune-tellers. Yet, he is quite intrigued by them, he seeks them out in various places he visits. It is interesting that this book, and his quite enriching perspectives of the countries involved would not have happened, had he not believed that one fortune-teller who told him not to fly in 1993. So, in essence, at least one fortune-teller changed his life. Then again, had that fortune-teller been a good one, he would have been able to see that Terzani, in fact, does NOT fly in 1993 and that instead he undertakes a traveling agenda that is quite fascinating. Reading about the various other fortune tellers in the book also reminds the reader that most of them are not very good. Yet, there's certain take away lessons in most of their advices.

Terzani's look at the Chinese diaspora in the region is frank and unflattering. At times, I feel that he paints them with a broad brush. He claims that most of them are only interested in the bottom line and that they will do almost anything to accumulate wealth. Well, who doesn't? Then again, people are people and you can find generous as well as miser individuals among any ethnic group. What Terzani fails to realize is the fact that most of the Chinese diaspora spread across all those South-East Asian countries are those who have fled an oppressive government back home. They are the ingenious ones who have been able to "make it" in a new country where they are relegated to a second-class. They have had to do almost anything to survive. Thus it is not by accident that those who have gone through such hardship tend to accumulate wealth in order to leave a better inheritance to their children.

Development and civilization is a measure to which the World Bank tend to assign Western numbers and perspectives. What Terzani questions, and what the Mekong.net review failed to grasp, is the fact that why should we assign western values to things like happiness or a successful society. Is building more roads and taller buildings the answer to a better quality of life? What really is the quality of life anyway? Aren't some folks who don't have to contend with the western inconveniences like the cell phones better off in their own world? Who are we--those who worship the almighty dollar--to question the quality of life of those who are content at having enough meat for their entire extended family? I think Terzani asks these questions elegantly. But since he's a white guy from the West, in some people's eyes, he's a hypocrite. Oh well.

By Terzani's mis-fortune (get it? He missed having being in a plane crash because of a "fortune" he was told. :-)) he ends up traveling by land/sea across all of these countries. Therefore, he is forced to stop, to take time, to take the less traveled path, to slow down to the pace of the locals, and to smell the coffee. This actually has opened his eyes to a lot more things had he been simply flying from one major city to another. I was reminded again of details about these travels when I heard the NPR report on the Mekong region. One day I hope to go to some of these places myself.

Terzani admits that he is seeking the spiritual enlightenment just like every other Western traveler in the region. Well, sort of. He actually rejects most of what he finds; except the meditation.

All in all, it is a very good read. Not your every-day travel book. Not your every day memoir. Actually, the reason why I sort of wanted to write this blog a year later is because I was reminded of the "do not fly in 1993" part by my own dealings with a couple of fortune-tellers. Two of my friends who have looked at my palms and my birth charts have, sort of, refused to tell me details of something. I get the feeling that they "see" something bad happening to me and they don't want to tell me. Perhaps, I shouldn't fly in 2010 or 2011. Meh! What will be, will be. (Check my blog on Free Will and fate.)