Long Day Done Did

Monthursday done for this week

You may call it Thursday but whatever day it is, it is my long day of the week.  Starting at ten in the day, finishing at nine in the evening, means I spend a long time away from my son.

 

Confucius Movie

Last night for my English corner, I was hoping that at least one of the students had gone to see the movie about Confucius, so I could ask them for a review of it.  Alas, none of them did.  One did hear a review which said the movie wasn't realistic. 

 

Everyone, it seems, still wants to see Avatar.

 

I asked the students about Confucianism, and they told me that it was not a religion but that is was used by the Emperors as a way of wresting control of the people away from Buddhism. 

 

What was the genius of Confucianism?  I then asked.  No one could really tell me. 

 

Was this because its' ideas have been so taken for granted that we have forgotten there was a time when no one had thought of them?

 

Stay at homer?

Asking the students if they had a stay-at-home lifestyle or liked to go out, I got the inevitable sometimes, I am, sometimes, I am not responses which really didn't answer my question.  One student, who did admit to having a stay-at-home lifestyle, did so because she lived on the 16th floor and it was too much of a bother to go out.

 

In No Uncertain Terms

Tony, in public, becomes very shy.  When a stranger, tries to be friendly to him, he will abruptly turn away from them.  It bothers me that he does this when the pretty girls at school want to be nice to him.  But conversely, it is nice that he wants to be with me -- I know in the future he won't want to be caught dead with me.

 

No seat on the bus

Having Tony in my arms when boarding a crowded bus, I can always count on someone yielding their seat to me.  But my wife is not treated so nicely.  She tells me that she often has to stand and hold Tony because no one will yield her a seat -- this happened to her yesterday.

 

Inexplicable.

 

Are the Chinese so concerned with giving a good show to the world that they neglect their own people?

 

Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) Dinner Tomorrow (Saturday)

Our School slash company will have its' annual CNY slash SF dinner Wedsaturday evening at some hotel on Jiekang Road -- the road that runs around the downtown city core.  There will be a series of performances by the staff, for which they have been rehearsing. 

 

Meanwhile, the foreign trainers will sing Auld Lang Syne and Gongsi Facai!  They haven't rehearsed yet.

 

I had to translate a speech that the big cheese of our company will be delivering Saturday night.  In it, he quoted Premier Wen, thanked God, mentioned the movie 2012 (did the Chinese build an ark in it?), and talked about how life gives us experience.

 

Expect, and demand, video and photographs.