Books are not welcome during Chinese New Year
So, it’s the end of another month. There were two things I did this month that I was happy with.
I showed up most days for my daily appointment with God, altho’ there were a few days I didn’t and had to play “catch up”, but I’m pleased to say I’m all caught up now, and ready for the new month with Him. This daily appointment may seem trivial, maybe even funny, to some, but it’s very important to me, because it keeps me grounded amidst all that’s going on around me, especially when I read the news.
Then, I finished reading three half-read books carried over from last year – The Camel Bookmobile (Masha Hamilton), Atonement (Ian McEwan), and A Loyal Character Dancer (Qiu Xiaolong).
Of the three, McEwan’s Atonement was easily the best read, and completely blew me away. The other two were different – non-Western settings for both (Kenya and China), and non-Western writer for A Loyal Character Dancer.
In fact, I enjoyed reading so much this month that I considered bringing a book along on our Chinese New Year visits to our uncles and aunts. Then I realised it wouldn’t be a good idea as the Chinese word for “books” sounds like the Chinese word for “lose”, a taboo word for many Chinese, especially during Chinese New Year.
I was then reminded of an incident many years ago when my third uncle was visiting us and I’d asked him to bring back a book that my cousin his son had wanted to borrow from me. Third uncle refused, and it was later, after he left, that father explained why. Third uncle was on his way to the 4D shop so he definitely didn’t want to be carrying “bad luck” (the book, or “lose”) along with him!
