1001 Nights Cast

Across my narrow, one-way street in inner-city Sydney stands the Peoples Republic of China. When I look out, beyond the video camera that records my words as I speak them to you now, I only see Chinese faces. The faces peer out from time to time from the balconies of two grey low-rise apartment blocks. Here reside the consulate staff who work in the Chinese consulate buildings a little further up the street.

Occasionally the faces appear a little closer, more detailed and with corresponding voices, when the residents venture down to congregate in the common areas not so far from my own balcony. The central area is a square of slightly browned-off lawn, the horizontal and vertical scars of its latest grooming clearly visible. To the right is a glassed-in room originally conceived and constructed for nothing save the pleasures of table-tennis. It is frequently used by residents of all ages. All of them play like champions, swinging aggressively from metres behind the base line, although only occasionally does such aggressiveness produce a winning result. A month ago, I was disheartened to observe the arrival of some much more aggressive-looking gym equipment. These weighty monsters now spoil the sparse aesthetics of the room and limit the free hitting of any player at the northern end.

To the left of the lawn square is what I take to be the refectory. Towers of chairs and low rostra are stacked against the glass wall but through this barricade, at meal times, a diner can be seen in expert control of his chopsticks, soy sauce bottle within easy reach.

If I lean just slightly forward in my chair I can see over the compound wall, ‘The Lesser Wall of China’ as I like to call it, and I can see the entire length, though not the entire breadth, of the communal lap pool, perhaps 20 metres long. It seems a much under-utilised amenity. I’ve never seen anyone swim in the mornings nor at lunchtime and rarely before 6.00 p.m. or after 9.00 p.m. Its empty blueness taunts me on these close summer days like today.

Hanging off the Lesser Wall at regular intervals, on the Australian side, are the don’t-look-at-us-we’re-just-innocent-white-spheres of the CCTV cameras. Every weekday morning, even on Australia Day, they bear witness to the grand parade of would-be visitors to the Peoples Republic of China hurrying to collect their visas. These people are too rushed, excited, anxious and generally suspicious to stop for the Falun Gong members struggling under the weight of gruesome sandwich boards and pamphlets. Nor does the daily throng slow down to look up at the big red flag flying from the official flagpole or the big white dish collecting and sending signals to and from who-knows-what satellite up there way, way out of sight.

And then this morning I awoke to find a story and a photograph in my email inbox. It was signed Mide Smith. This is what she, I think she is a she, wrote:

Attached is a photo of Comrades from P.R. China holding Communist red flags marching in George Street Sydney. The event was hosted by Sydney Council on 11 Feb 2007.

I saw an Australian young lady age about 30 who proudly raised a CCP red flag in her hand and walk alone on George Street on Sunday after parade. I came to front of her and kindly told her the truth. She was smiling at her face started. Then her face came to seriously with rolling up the CCP red flag in her hand then she said, ‘I truck it straight away then’. And she thanked me of telling her the truth.

I said to her: ‘I know you are very like Chinese traditional culture and very friendly with Chinese people. But you know what is this red flag representing for? It is making from Communist regime represent communism. These scarlet red is represent the bloods of all people who have been killed by the Chinese Communist Party since the Communist party build in 1921 in mainland including its members. That means these people have died under the Communist brutal. It is not common scenes means that ‘people die for their country’. This is Chinese communist promote its power here today.’

‘What is China’s flag then,’ she asked, I said, ‘China have separated two lands since the Communist brutal hold Mainland China until now, similar to Easy German and West German before.’ She was happy to know about the truth and waves her hand to say bye to me.

Faithfull,

Mide Smith

I asked Mide Smith how she came by my email address. An hour later I received an ‘Undeliverable Message’ reply from my Internet Service Provider, informing me that the recipient’s account had been temporarily suspended.