I am chatting with six Aussies on the bus, about Chinese Zodiac animals. From somewhere they seem to have known their animals already. I'd like to say something new to them.
' In ancient times when the Chinese were match-making to select Mr/Ms right, the first choice is always Animal Right. That means their zodiac animals should match.'
'How?'
'General speaking, we should avoid three years and particularly six years' age difference. Because in the zodiac chart, animals that are six years different are born enemies, like prey and predator; For example, no.1 rat vs no.6 animal snake, so snake-rat is deadly and dangerous relations. While, as for three years, they might possibly get along but probably fight often in marriage.'
' Oh, how about us?' the curious three married Aussie couples don't wait to tell me their birth animals and the last couple turns out to be: husband is horse, and wife a monkey.
'horse and monkey are a perfect match. If you have seen wood carvings of auspicious patterns in those private gardens and residences...'
'one most popular theme is a monkey standing on top of a horse.' And when I am just to continue explaining its significance of quick fame and officialdom. ( on top of horse pronounces 'ma-shang', meaning 'immediate' too; and the seating monkey meaning officialdom), I'm seeing the husband laughing already.
Monkey on top of horse!
He then whispers something to his neighbors on the bus and as a man, I immediately guess his talk.
'Come on, don't tell us your POSITIONs, please!'
I respond and hear the rest of them burst into crazy laughters .
Mar 31, 2009
Mar 27, 2009
tortoise
When I woke up early this morning, my father was in the veranda, operating on the tortoise he and my mother got as a present from our distant relative named Boqing. After failing the entrance tests for high school in his own hometown, my mother helped his later enrollment into the best school in our town thanks to her network, and since then for three years he had been staying at our home most of the time till he continued to a vocational college.
About six years after his graduation he now owns a waterproof fabric factory in Jiangsu province. And two weeks ago it was the grand opening. So my parents was very pleased and honored when receiving the invitation to attend the ceremony, despite the trouble of long journey to get there. They stayed with his family and his workers at his factory for two weeks.
When they returned and dropped by at my place, they proclaimed, ' we'll never believe that boy could become a big boss and entrepreneur one day. It is a big factory with 20-odd workers; he makes over 2 million within three months.'
And he treated them very nicely. 'A nanny took care of us. And we even enjoyed four tortoises there.' And I found in my restroom a new blue net bag on the floor with a tortoise in it, a goodbye present. (A tortoise is a delicacy and good nourishment to most Chinese.) For the next four days with me, my parents remembered taking it out to veranda in the daytime and back to restroom in the night. Oddly they didn't feed any food or water to this die-hard tortoise.
And yesterday on the way back after seeing a doctor for my mother's extremity varicose veins on her right leg, they made up their minds to : feast on it. And this morning while the rice congee was boiling in the oven, my father impatiently started his operation or execuation.
In bed, I could hear it didn't go smoothly. So my father summoned my mother to fetch a knife, then a chopper, another sharper one, even our big dumpling roller stick to the site. It last at least half an hour till my kitchen and rest of the world finally back to normal, I walked past the veranda where my father was still cleaning it.
After breakfast, before I left home for office, very determinedly I said I wouldn't eat a bit at all and they could finish everything in the day. However, when I returned home, I smelt immediately something. My parents had done most of cooking, and now warming it over a slow fire, waiting for me.
' If you don't eat the meat, at least you should drink the soup. It's supposed to nourish your vital energy. Come on, son.' Understanding their love and care for me, I just kept avoiding that and saying no, though.It's not for me but I really hope it brings best health to my two dearest persons in this world.
( As the last worth, isn't it?!)
About six years after his graduation he now owns a waterproof fabric factory in Jiangsu province. And two weeks ago it was the grand opening. So my parents was very pleased and honored when receiving the invitation to attend the ceremony, despite the trouble of long journey to get there. They stayed with his family and his workers at his factory for two weeks.
When they returned and dropped by at my place, they proclaimed, ' we'll never believe that boy could become a big boss and entrepreneur one day. It is a big factory with 20-odd workers; he makes over 2 million within three months.'
And he treated them very nicely. 'A nanny took care of us. And we even enjoyed four tortoises there.' And I found in my restroom a new blue net bag on the floor with a tortoise in it, a goodbye present. (A tortoise is a delicacy and good nourishment to most Chinese.) For the next four days with me, my parents remembered taking it out to veranda in the daytime and back to restroom in the night. Oddly they didn't feed any food or water to this die-hard tortoise.
And yesterday on the way back after seeing a doctor for my mother's extremity varicose veins on her right leg, they made up their minds to : feast on it. And this morning while the rice congee was boiling in the oven, my father impatiently started his operation or execuation.
In bed, I could hear it didn't go smoothly. So my father summoned my mother to fetch a knife, then a chopper, another sharper one, even our big dumpling roller stick to the site. It last at least half an hour till my kitchen and rest of the world finally back to normal, I walked past the veranda where my father was still cleaning it.
After breakfast, before I left home for office, very determinedly I said I wouldn't eat a bit at all and they could finish everything in the day. However, when I returned home, I smelt immediately something. My parents had done most of cooking, and now warming it over a slow fire, waiting for me.
' If you don't eat the meat, at least you should drink the soup. It's supposed to nourish your vital energy. Come on, son.' Understanding their love and care for me, I just kept avoiding that and saying no, though.It's not for me but I really hope it brings best health to my two dearest persons in this world.
( As the last worth, isn't it?!)
Mar 23, 2009
explosion of colors of spring
Last Friday was the first reopening day of Taiziwan park in Hangzhou. From early in the morning, locals and visitors flocked in and lingered at this presently the largest park, appreciating blooming Japanese cherry, tulips, azalea, Mongolia and iris, by the creek, on the slope and in groves.
Among the visitors, there were countless newly weds. When posing for pictures, they smiled happily and just as beautiful as those spring flowers.
Mar 18, 2009
leading tours to Taiwan
Since last year, the group tour to Taiwan for citizens from 13 provinces of China ( not every province) has been practically feasible. As for in my local province of Zhejiang, the market has been surging dramatically and keeps growing further, after the direct flights between provincial capital of Hangzhou and Taipei cut off the the tour charges by half from over 10,000. The recent months the total number of visitors from mainland has risen to over 20,000 monthly, half of who are from Zhejiang.
And May 1st will see a new tourism law coming into effect, which will shake the whole tourism market, esp. traveling aboard. And Taiwan tours then will become a new business profit and growth focus of all travel corporations.
I am a little skeptical about that above data, but I have to believe so.In the conference room full of new leaders , my manager friend was explaining to us about the practical information for leading groups to Taiwan. With the international tourism badly affected by the global crisis our tourism business hit the record low, with similar situation to year 2003 after the outbreak of SARS. Therefore, my friend offered me a chance to take domestic groups to Taiwan. After days of troubles linked to forms, photos, public notary related to my working experience, I finally was informed to his office to attend his warm-up class about this new destination:Taiwan, (even though I am not so sure about the result if I really can obtain this certificate or if I am interested to do it.)
So anyway, related to Taiwan,
1, tour leaders and visitors should avoid political issues during daily talks, and as well relevant places, like Jiang's mausoleum and residences etc. No wonder. The straits doesn't only separate geographically the island from the mainland, but also two political systems and regimes for 60 years after in 1949 Mao's army defeated Jiang gai-shek who flied off to Taiwan and thus establish this new regime on there. Still, the cross straits relations remain top issues between both sides.
2, keep instill the idea to the visitors, we go to Taiwan not to see natural landscapes. On this small island, there are spots with great view but not comparable to that of mainland China. The must-see spots, Sun-moon pools, A-li mountain, can't compete some local mountains in Zhejiang.
So, we go to Taiwan to see its society and culture, after 60 years' division and administration by Jiang's.( This is the reason why I never dream of visiting Taiwan on my to-go list.)
3, the most popular program is 8-day island circulation tour, from north downward south and then back to north in Taipei, which involves long bus transportation every day over 7-8 hours. (Exhausting isn't it? Major consideration for my taking the job.)
And more about currency exchange, warning, mobile phone usage, shopping arrangement etc.
So anyway possibly in April the earliest, I am going and hopefully maybe I can discover some fun there and in doing so.
And May 1st will see a new tourism law coming into effect, which will shake the whole tourism market, esp. traveling aboard. And Taiwan tours then will become a new business profit and growth focus of all travel corporations.
I am a little skeptical about that above data, but I have to believe so.In the conference room full of new leaders , my manager friend was explaining to us about the practical information for leading groups to Taiwan. With the international tourism badly affected by the global crisis our tourism business hit the record low, with similar situation to year 2003 after the outbreak of SARS. Therefore, my friend offered me a chance to take domestic groups to Taiwan. After days of troubles linked to forms, photos, public notary related to my working experience, I finally was informed to his office to attend his warm-up class about this new destination:Taiwan, (even though I am not so sure about the result if I really can obtain this certificate or if I am interested to do it.)
So anyway, related to Taiwan,
1, tour leaders and visitors should avoid political issues during daily talks, and as well relevant places, like Jiang's mausoleum and residences etc. No wonder. The straits doesn't only separate geographically the island from the mainland, but also two political systems and regimes for 60 years after in 1949 Mao's army defeated Jiang gai-shek who flied off to Taiwan and thus establish this new regime on there. Still, the cross straits relations remain top issues between both sides.
2, keep instill the idea to the visitors, we go to Taiwan not to see natural landscapes. On this small island, there are spots with great view but not comparable to that of mainland China. The must-see spots, Sun-moon pools, A-li mountain, can't compete some local mountains in Zhejiang.
So, we go to Taiwan to see its society and culture, after 60 years' division and administration by Jiang's.( This is the reason why I never dream of visiting Taiwan on my to-go list.)
3, the most popular program is 8-day island circulation tour, from north downward south and then back to north in Taipei, which involves long bus transportation every day over 7-8 hours. (Exhausting isn't it? Major consideration for my taking the job.)
And more about currency exchange, warning, mobile phone usage, shopping arrangement etc.
So anyway possibly in April the earliest, I am going and hopefully maybe I can discover some fun there and in doing so.
Mar 17, 2009
Mar 15, 2009
scared stiff
Chatting on MSN with I., I joked about the possibility about the over-400-years-old hotel she's going to stay in France could be haunted. Not scared at all, she even revenged by describing to me details of something that happened last August in Canada by a Chinese immigrant, which really scared me stiff.
Canada Beheading
A Canada Greyhound bus beheading was witnessed by dozens as Vince Weiguang Li stabbed and beheaded Tim McLean – a 22-year-old carnival worker.
...The grisly beheading occurred Wednesday night aboard a Greyhound bus traveling from Edmonton, Alberta, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.
Canada Greyhound bus passenger Garnet Caton said the victim was stabbed dozens of times by the man sitting next to him. The passenger then severed the man’s head with a large knife.
“We heard this bloodcurdling scream and turned around, and the guy was standing up, stabbing this guy repeatedly, like 40 or 50 times,” Caton said from a hotel in Brandon, Manitoba, where he and other passengers had been taken to rest.
“There was no rage or anything. He was like a robot, stabbing the guy.”
Caton said passengers raced from the bus but then he, the bus driver and a trucker at the scene re-boarded to see what was happening.
Caton said he saw the suspect had the victim on the floor of the bus and “was cutting his head off and pretty much gutting him.”
He said the attacker calmly came to the front of the bus to show off the head.
“He dropped the head and went back and started cutting the body back up,” said Cody Olmstead, a passenger from Kentville, Nova Scotia.
The victim, Tim Mclean, had been on the bus since Edmonton. He said the attacker boarded the bus in Brandon, Manitoba, about 80 miles west of Portage La Prairie.
The Canada behead attacker, Vincent Li, had been on the bus about an hour and initially did not sit near the victim.
“He sat in the front at first, everything was normal,” Caton said.
“We went to the next stop and he got off and had a smoke with another young lady there. When he got on the bus again, he came to the back near where I was sitting.
“He put his bags in the overhead compartment. He didn’t say a word to anybody. He seemed totally normal,” Caton said. “About a half an hour later, we heard this bloodcurdling scream.”
Canada Greyhound Bus spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said 37 passengers and one driver were on the bus.
And a recent trial result:Canada judge: Vince Li not responsible for bus beheading due to mental illness
Thursday, March 5th 2009, 2:20 PM
Mar 12, 2009
God is a woman?!
Heard before as a joke, but interestingly, the sun shone so brightly only on the Women's day. So, maybe it's true as god won't get messed around by bad weather on her own festival. Anyway, I was walking along the northern side of the lake with friends.
'Finally you came out of burrowing.' ( sounds I'm like a rat.)
'because, I'm short of stock.' ( of vital energy from the nature!)
It happened to be sunday, and sunny day. No wonder the lake side was even more crowded than days before. Families, friends and tourists, and moreover, wedding. Thinking to ourselves, these newly-weds were really blessed, with good weather.
On the north of the lake, there are many old villas which had been private houses belonging to rich silk merchants and government vips. Of course, with great lake view. And many of them, after all social chaos, have became run-down, but several ones have been turned into hostels, hotels and restaurants, and are being managed pretty well. Among the clusters of them, one is newly repaired and opened to public. It used to be a buddhist temple, Amber Temple; but after the project, only the front and courtyard remained as tranquil as for a temple, with most major buildings used for exhibitions.
The on-going one: Taiwan minority and grandfather of Lian Zhan, formal party president of Taiwan. From the info, actually hardly are the exhibits related to the building complex but it's okay, not only to learn some new 'humane cultures' information but also, to sit and relax at a very peaceful place to escape from the hustle outsides.
We continued westward. Soon we observed in the distance some big white ducks swimming in the lake. Ducks, geese? And we walked a little closer, we concluded they were white swans.So the lake is a 'swan lake' now? (A new word from my friends, in Japanese, a swan is called 'white bird'白鸟 pronounced HA-KU-TCHI-O )
We couldn't bear the crowd or just the sight of them. We sneaked again off the main road and into a park, which is famous for cherry blossoms in April and lotus in July. Even though it's now too early for flowers, the tall sycamore trees, greening willow, and sprouting hibiscus still create a green world to wander around.
Out of the park, one friend suggested going to the nearby tea plantation for some more walk, while the other said firmly no, concerning few buses and taxi possibly available after we finish and there must be very busy there too with so many of locals driving there. Both were firmly determined, and me, the easiest going, had to follow the woman gods' will of course on today and respective of their both opinions, I waved goodbye to them and headed home.
A nice day, a nice walk, and a nice and democratic opinion-sharing godly festival. ( no wonder in the west, women don't crave for woman's day earnestly.)
'Finally you came out of burrowing.' ( sounds I'm like a rat.)
'because, I'm short of stock.' ( of vital energy from the nature!)
It happened to be sunday, and sunny day. No wonder the lake side was even more crowded than days before. Families, friends and tourists, and moreover, wedding. Thinking to ourselves, these newly-weds were really blessed, with good weather.
On the north of the lake, there are many old villas which had been private houses belonging to rich silk merchants and government vips. Of course, with great lake view. And many of them, after all social chaos, have became run-down, but several ones have been turned into hostels, hotels and restaurants, and are being managed pretty well. Among the clusters of them, one is newly repaired and opened to public. It used to be a buddhist temple, Amber Temple; but after the project, only the front and courtyard remained as tranquil as for a temple, with most major buildings used for exhibitions.
The on-going one: Taiwan minority and grandfather of Lian Zhan, formal party president of Taiwan. From the info, actually hardly are the exhibits related to the building complex but it's okay, not only to learn some new 'humane cultures' information but also, to sit and relax at a very peaceful place to escape from the hustle outsides.
We continued westward. Soon we observed in the distance some big white ducks swimming in the lake. Ducks, geese? And we walked a little closer, we concluded they were white swans.So the lake is a 'swan lake' now? (A new word from my friends, in Japanese, a swan is called 'white bird'白鸟 pronounced HA-KU-TCHI-O )
We couldn't bear the crowd or just the sight of them. We sneaked again off the main road and into a park, which is famous for cherry blossoms in April and lotus in July. Even though it's now too early for flowers, the tall sycamore trees, greening willow, and sprouting hibiscus still create a green world to wander around.
Out of the park, one friend suggested going to the nearby tea plantation for some more walk, while the other said firmly no, concerning few buses and taxi possibly available after we finish and there must be very busy there too with so many of locals driving there. Both were firmly determined, and me, the easiest going, had to follow the woman gods' will of course on today and respective of their both opinions, I waved goodbye to them and headed home.
A nice day, a nice walk, and a nice and democratic opinion-sharing godly festival. ( no wonder in the west, women don't crave for woman's day earnestly.)
Mar 6, 2009
March 6
Thank God. He finally decided to learn from Lei Feng to do some good deeds by showing a big of stopping the rain on 6th. So beginning from 10 am at the lakeside, it was like a big party gathered with so many of people walking and chatting, obviously excited by the big break in rains and secretly assured, I guess, after they finished laundry and with dry clothes at last, they might not smell mildew even without the cover of perfume.
The lake and the sights were all familiar but like old friends long-time-no-see, are so dear . Even although the breeze was still chilly, spring is unstoppable for the trees especially the early willows are already turning green. And the most beautiful season of a year in Hangzhou is soon to be unveiled.
Mar 4, 2009
an idler
The rain was down-pouring again. 19 days already, and everybody,feeling like fungus, must keep wondering what goes amiss with holy god.
A little comfort for me to take in: I am idle and have no tours to work for. So possibly I could stay at home warm and dry, roam from one room to another between Tv one, to Tv two, and computer for show and music tunes. Happy and a little bored.
March is a season with many interesting days and festivals here, besides women's day on 8th. For example today the fifth is a day for remembrance of a soldier named Lei Feng, who was praised and honored by Mao as a selfless and modest person. He died at age of only 22 years old when he was helping others. And one year later in 1963, Mao began a campaign 'Learn from Comrade Lei Feng' and declared March the fifth an official day 'Learn from Lei Feng Day'. On this day various communities and schools arrange teams to help clean up parks, schools, and other community locations and provide services like fixation of small electronics and hair cuts for the elderly etc.
So where do they perch on such a rainy day?
Another news, partially related was there was a heated discussion from end of Feb about abolishing free bus rides for senior citizen during rush hours.On every workdays during rush hours, buses are always full of commuters, and meanwhile the seniors, for sakes of morning exercises, breakfasts or food shopping tend to fill up buses superb packed. Moreover, the young generation are kinda obliged to follow social code to give those gray hairs their seats, as a manner of chivalry or learning from Lei Feng.
So the discussion is: senior citizens are suggested to be either flexible with their timetables or they have to pay the normal bus fares during peak hours.
A little comfort for me to take in: I am idle and have no tours to work for. So possibly I could stay at home warm and dry, roam from one room to another between Tv one, to Tv two, and computer for show and music tunes. Happy and a little bored.
March is a season with many interesting days and festivals here, besides women's day on 8th. For example today the fifth is a day for remembrance of a soldier named Lei Feng, who was praised and honored by Mao as a selfless and modest person. He died at age of only 22 years old when he was helping others. And one year later in 1963, Mao began a campaign 'Learn from Comrade Lei Feng' and declared March the fifth an official day 'Learn from Lei Feng Day'. On this day various communities and schools arrange teams to help clean up parks, schools, and other community locations and provide services like fixation of small electronics and hair cuts for the elderly etc.
So where do they perch on such a rainy day?
Another news, partially related was there was a heated discussion from end of Feb about abolishing free bus rides for senior citizen during rush hours.On every workdays during rush hours, buses are always full of commuters, and meanwhile the seniors, for sakes of morning exercises, breakfasts or food shopping tend to fill up buses superb packed. Moreover, the young generation are kinda obliged to follow social code to give those gray hairs their seats, as a manner of chivalry or learning from Lei Feng.
So the discussion is: senior citizens are suggested to be either flexible with their timetables or they have to pay the normal bus fares during peak hours.
Mar 2, 2009
umbrella
A record of painful 50,000 job-seekers, mostly new graduates showed up at the talent fair on 1st March, praying for their luck in the heavy cold rain.
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