Who keeps ringing that (Falun) Gong?

No one told me that the Falun Gong had invaded Manhattan, but it seems to have happened. Just when we've gotten rid of the infestation of Republican delegates, I can't go anywhere without tripping over a Falun Gong representative.

For anyone who's never heard of the Falun Gong, I got this description from a website set up on behalf of the movement: "Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that includes exercise and meditation." The website says it has no religious affiliation, but I had thought it was in some way a Christian sect. Also, one of their representatives told me all about local "churches", so there's some piece of the puzzle missing here.

So what's going on in NYC these days? Thursday night, in the midst of my near-drunkenness, Marc and I were riding the subway to the Village. A young woman--a frighteningly stereotypical Chinese immigrant--was handing out information. She appeared almost desperate for someone to listen to her pitch.

Now, here's the thing: I'm a happy drunk. I wasn't quite drunk, but I was sufficiently toasted to be in quite a friendly mood. So I decided to act interested. Well, she sat down, told me some about the Falun Gong and showed me where I could attend church with them. (I didn't bother telling her that I was incurably Jewish. Why ruin her fun?)

I could see Marc, who was sitting to my right as Ms. FG was on my left, looking at me like I was insane to even be speaking to this person.

When we reached our stop, I took my Falun Dafa Reader and went on to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Fast forward one day. We're walking through Union Square, on our way to dinner. This time, there was no way to avoid the FG pitch. There was a huge Falun Gong display (for lack of a better word) set up in the square, and there were lots of Falun Gong people handing out information.

For a persecuted group from China, they look like they're flourishing around here! Good for them, I suppose. From what tiny little bit I know about them, they seem like a decent enough group. That said, just leave me alone. If I want to convert to your religion, practice, group, etc., I'll give you a call. Unless, of course, I'm drunk. Then you may feel free to tell me all about it. Just don't expect me to give a shit once I sober up! :)