China and the Irish

I finally saw Balls of Fury for the first time. I know it was remiss of me to delay viewing it for so long, especially considering that I am an expert on China and this film could be regarded as the definitive work on Chinese culture. But I was working on some detailed Cantonese translations (concerning how a courtyard should be swept) that I needed to finish before broadening my research parameters.

One of the most interesting features of the film was the work of Maggie Q (for Quigley), who demonstrates the sublime potential of mixing Chinese culture with South Asian and Irish blood. Her stunning portrayal of the eponymous Maggie character moved me deeply. It's great that Hollywood is finally overcoming its prejudices against us Irish and providing the opportunity for such an incomparable talent to shine. Here's an Oscar scene from an earlier Hong Kong work (many Irish have worked in China, where the discrimination against us wasn't so blatant -- much like the African-Americans who moved to Paris last century):



Now that's a major talent!