Christmas time is here…it took me a while to get into the Christmas spirit this year. There’s not a whole lot of it here. After our Christmas party Saturday night for the foreign students and then I received some a card from my friend, I got a little bit of Christmas cheer in me.

Now, it’s the day after Christmas but that doesn’t mean the Christmas season is over yet. Here’s a photo of my Charlie Brown Christmas tree. This plant died about a month ago. Just one day I didn’t water it and it dried up. Yes, the plant was on the window sill and yes it was extra sunny that day. One day the pot fell and broke, but I still never threw the plant out. A few days ago I got the idea to decorate the tree. It’s nice isn’t it? My friend gave me two oranaments as a Christmas gift (not seen in the photo). It’s a pair of a Chinese couple on their wedding day, dressed in red, the girl sitting on the box of gifts with a double happiness on it and the boy holding a red rope with a fancy knot in it. When I put one of the ornaments on the tree it hung over just like Charlie Brown’s tree.

Speaking of which, I watched A Charlie Brown Christmas last night with some friends. Among us, Japanese, Korean and American, we watched the movie in our mutual language, Chinese. The kids’ voices are funny.

This year’s Christmas was great. Of course anything beats getting hit by a car and running out of fuel on your scooter in the same day. Yesterday, I joked that I should be careful when going outdoors. I had super bad luck last year. But, it doesn’t matter now.

Life is good. A New Year is upon us. Let’s make the best of it.

今天我学校要举办首届留学生汉语才艺大赛，有些学生要唱歌，有些要演短剧，我跟两个同学是主持人，还要参加比赛。 我跟两个日本同学要演一个短剧，构思是我想出来的，本子是我和我的中国朋友一起编的，故事挺逗的。你自己看看吧。。(There’s a singing and acting competion tonight for foreign students. Just one rule, only Chinese. Two other students and I are the host of the show. I’m also going to act in a play with two Japanese classmates. It should be fun. I came up with the idea for the story and my friend and I wrote it together. It’s pretty funny. I can’t promise a translation anytime soon though.)

一位潇洒的隐者，走在乡间的路上，碰见了两位漂亮的姑娘，他们之间会发生什么有趣的故事呢？

———- - -
道具：馒头，饭盒，脸盆，布鞋，草帽，大襟，唐装，斗笠，竹竿，包袱

第一幕
(隐者从台口走向台中心;姑娘1在台偏左耕地)
隐者：鞋儿破，帽儿破，身上的袈裟破；你笑我，他笑我，一把扇儿破, 南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，南无阿弥陀佛，哎嘿 哎嘿。(隐者抬头看一下周围，脸上迷茫)
隐者：(自言自语)唉，我应该怎么走呢？(在周围寻找人，回头发现姑娘1)
隐者：(向姑娘1招手)嗨！
姑娘1：(微笑看着隐者，礼貌地挥挥手，然后继续耕田)
隐者：(思考的动作，又继续挥手)嗨。。。嗨！(招手示意姑娘1过来)
姑娘1：(明白了，放下工具，跑步到隐者面前)
隐者：姑娘，请问一下，鸡公山怎么去？
姑娘1：(疑惑HUO4看着隐者)
隐者：请问一下，鸡公山怎么去？
姑娘1：(用方言说)先生，请问你有什么事？
隐者：(挠挠头)哎，她说什么呢？
姑娘1：请问你有什么事？
隐者：哦，你会说普通话吗？
姑娘1：你到底说什么呢？
隐者：(低下头叹气)哦，我的神啊。我怎么跟她说啊。
(姑娘1转身要走，隐者拍姑娘1的肩膀把她叫住)
隐者： 我想去鸡。。。公。。。山。。。
姑娘1： (很不耐烦地说)对不起先生，我还有事，我先走了。(转身走了)
隐者： (拉住姑娘1的手)等等等。(拍着自己的胸口)我是个旅行者，(摆动手指表示走路)我想去鸡公山，鸡公你知道吗？(扮演一只鸡，手舞足蹈)
姑娘1：哦，原来你走了一天了，肚子很饿，是不是？但是我没有鸡，只有两个馒头。(跑回田里，拿出两个馒头，跑到隐者面前，伸手把馒头给隐者)
隐者：不不不。我说的是鸡公山(比划一个山)。
姑娘1：哦，你想去鸡公山啊。(拖住隐者手，手指指向鸡公山的方向)沿这条路直走，路口左转，再路口右转，下个路口再右转。。。
隐者： 好好好好，谢谢谢谢。
姑娘1：咦YI2，怎么那么快就明白了。(很开心地回去耕地)
隐者：(摇头，继续走)

第二幕
(隐者心情很低落慢慢地走半圈，姑娘2上台跟隐者迎面走来，隐者看到姑娘2很兴奋，准备上去问路，但是突然想到姑娘2可能不会说汉语，叹气自言自语说“唉，可能她也不会说普通话”，他继续走路。)
姑娘2：(看隐者似乎有事，用方言说) 先生，需要帮忙吗？
隐者： (听不明白，摇摇头) 反正妳听不明白我说什么。(就走了)
姑娘2：(用普通话说)我明白，我明白！
隐者： (转身) 真的？太好了！
姑娘2：你有什么需要帮忙的吗？
隐者： 妳知道鸡公山这个地方吗？
姑娘2: 知道，知道。
隐者： (这时候隐者非常开心)哈哈哈，太棒了！那妳知道怎么去吗？
姑娘2：(摇摇头)不知道。
隐者： (心情又低落了，低着头叹口气)为什么会这样?
姑娘2：你还需要其他帮忙吗？
隐者： (摇头说)不用了，不用了。
(姑娘和隐者分开走了)

第三幕
(隐者更加低落地走5，6步，猛然抬起来头开始想，对着观众说)
隐者：对了！这个姑娘会说普通话，但是不知道怎么去。那个姑娘知道怎么去，但是不会说普通话，如果我。。。。。(转身跑回去找姑娘2)
(姑娘2正在洗脸，隐者找到她，兴奋地对她说)
隐者：那个姑娘不会说，但知道在哪里，妳会说但不知道在怎么去，所以我想。。。
姑娘2：停！ 别着急，你到底想说什么。
隐者： 请妳帮我一个忙。妳跟我来，跟我来。(隐者拉着姑娘2的手往姑娘1跑过去)
(到台中站定，找一找姑娘1，发现姑娘1，隐者招手)
隐者: 喂！
(姑娘1跑步过来)
隐者：(隐者对姑娘2说)我想请你做翻译。帮我问她，鸡公山怎么去。
(姑娘2跟姑娘1商量，姑娘2点头说“哦，哦，明白了”。姑娘2转身对着隐者说)
姑娘2：(边说边动作)沿这条路直走，路口右转，再路口右转，下个路口再右转直走就到了。
隐者： 哦，知道了。太感谢妳们了。我先走了。
姑娘1+2：一路平安！
(隐者转身又很潇洒地走了)
姑娘2：(用方言说)说这么多他记得住吗？沿这条路直走，路口右转，再路口右转。。。
姑娘1：什么！你一开始跟他说是右转吗？！可是我跟妳说的是左转。
姑娘2：是吗！那我们赶快去追他！
(姑娘1+2跑步下台，边跑边喊”等一等，等一等！”)

福 / Happiness . My Balcony Door

I saw a sweatshirt hanging to dry in the laundry room, it said “Life is Good.” When you can agree to that then you can probably find happiness in life.

I have a lot of friends to write. I’m a holla at you..

可遇而不可求..

You can happen upon something but can’t ask for it, or seek for it.

Did you ever think you could have fate with a book? In old times in China it was believed to come across a good book, horse or dog one had to destined to meet with it. The first books I looked at when I was in the school library for the first time were comic books. I came across a series of Peanuts comic books. They are so awesome, a collection of Peanuts comics throughout the years, laid out day by day and have both English and Chinese. When I was travelling throughout China over the summer, I brought one book with me, a Peanuts comic book. So, when I found these books in the library, I thought it was fate. Now, I’m taking my time to read the books, now on number three of ten. It’s a great way to get my head out of my textbooks to relax and study at the same time. I never knew how funny Peanuts was.
—> Read more comics, it’s good for you.