Last leaves falling, winter’s stage is nearly set
Enjoying the last week or so before the central heating comes on irrespective of whether or how I want it; the last month is always the golden window of sleep quality for the year (even with Arthur’s mid-night musings).
After mentioning the paper money thing last week, I was on my home on Monday only to have the footpath blocked by someone burning plastic, zero response when I asked what impact this might have to pedestrians and particularly young children. I asked my students what they thought of it and they were rather indifferent, saying that they people who do it will die off in a couple of generations and they’re not that bothered by it. I do feel in general there is a rather meek (maybe this is me being unreasonable, and it should read cool-headed and impartial?) attitude to a range of social “phenomena”, in part due to a lack of concern and awareness of their immediate environment, and in part due to a sense of well what can I do about it. I looked on Taobao (China’s Amazon) to see what range of items there were to send to one’s passed away loved ones in the other-realm: heated toilets, iphones and cars being a few of the top hits. Brings to mind: “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”, in China you can just get around this by “posting” the stuff latter!
Zhouzhou’s mum has made a nice little Dragon-horned hat for Arthur. Teeth are beginning to come up, so he’s been a little grouchy this week. Off doing the radio show last Friday (photo below of the building from outside), was paired up with a lass from Israel who essentially just ignores the tones when she speaks Chinese (this someone speaking monotone English). One of the 3 topics was on “top attractions not to go to worldwide” couldn’t help mentioning the Titanic museum in Belfast (which I remember being 25 quid for the cheapest ticket to essentially see a couple of films and displays).





