Word: yonge
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...That's the Shaolin temple that yan Ming escaped from in 1992: pious about profits but spiritually bankrupt. While Yong Xin is bent on shellacking Shaolin into tidy anachronism, Yan Ming wants to punch up its traditions?and himself?to suit the realities of 21st century New York City. He openly eschews the usual trappings of Buddhist piety: he eats beef (which he has dubbed "American tofu"), drinks beer ("special water"), wine ("French special water") and, whenever possible, champagne ("very special French water"). He lives with his girlfriend and their 19-month-old son. He models. He acts in movies...
...Yong Xin, the temple's current abbot, downplays Shaolin's quirky philosophical traditions?an understandable tactic given Beijing's harsh stance on spiritual cults?emphasizing instead the need to preserve "unique artifacts of China's history for future generations." Yong Xin clearly has his eye on the value of the franchise. He wants Shaolin to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and he has restored many of its monuments, including a stela that dates to the early Tang dynasty, a pagoda-style bell tower and the Talin, or Stupa Forest, an aptly named field of richly inscribed monks' tombs...
...This is nothing new for Shaolin?the macho fighting monks were flouting dietary laws as early as the Ming dynasty, but abbot Yong Xin, anxious about Shaolin's newly pristine image, finds his prodigal brother's behavior poisonous. "The man openly eats meat and drinks," he gasps. Even in the U.S., kung fu aficionados?many of whom themselves know Shaolin only from the movies?believe Yan Ming is too much the joker. Martial arts websites abound with references to the "fake monk." But Yan Ming isn't fazed. "To be a monk you have to know how to be yourself...
...lower: the plot develops from this seemingly minor detail. The crew wrestles with the mechanism for 10 minutes before the plane is ordered to turn back with only two hours' worth of fuel and 137 passengers on board. On the ground in Beijing, controller Liu Yuan (You Yong) arrives, chain-smokes, swigs coffee and looks suitably tormented. Prodded by Liu, the pilot tries multiple maneuvers, including a touch-and-go landing to bounce the apparatus down, and a manual release of the landing gear by a co-pilot who climbs down onto the wheels. An hour into the drama...
...hindsight, there were clues to Kim's obstinate leadership style. His single-minded pursuit of the presidency is legendary. Kang Won Yong, head of the Peace Forum, an NGO that promotes North-South relations, first met Kim when the future President came to Seoul from Cholla half a century ago. After dictator Park Chung Hee kidnapped and then released the dissident in 1973, Kim met furtively with Kang in a garage. Afraid of wiretaps, Kim used improvised sign language: a big nose meant the Americans, a tap on the shoulder signified epaulets?Korea's generals. Kim said just one thing...