Good morning,
It's a blue Wednesday in Malibu today. You've seen this before. Nothing for the "notable file"; just adding it to the data stream.
There are high winds blowing out of the canyon this morning. Maybe 45 mph? The winds are dry and hot, so there's hardly any ambient moisture. You step into the A/C office building and realize you're sweating a lot.
I moved to a slightly different viewpoint here. You can barely see the peninsula. The red smog buildup is just waiting out there.
When you're walking uphill against the winds it feels like someone pushing you back, not hard, but consistent. I think we're in a pattern here until Friday. They don't put up the flags here if it's too gusty. Yesterday the flags were flying straight out. If it's still blowing hard tomorrow, I'll experiment with video and post it (they're memory hogs though).
On the bus this morning coming up the road, the ocean was silver-white. By the time I got to campus, the phenomenon had ended. Too bad. It only happens for a few minutes on clear days near sunrise and sunset.
As I said yesterday, the ocean seems like a grassy field sometimes. I cropped this one to focus on the seeming pathways and swatches that appear on the surface. I'm sure if you're out there on a boat, you just see wavy water...
Have a great day.
Love,
Pops
Depending on which way you're facing, the Way of Perdition leads to peace or torment. My reflections as I travel on it and change directions from time to time.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Malibu morning picture of the day - Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Here's today's photo. Clear and windy this morning. Nothing at all in the sky at 7:50 AM.
Another ocean shot with a little more sky. Basic blue-on-blue stripes today. Supposed to be 90 degrees Fahrenheit in L.A. today.
Let's see what tomorrow brings. Supposed to be 90ish all week. I"m betting three days in a row exactly like this.
Love,
Pops
Monday, April 28, 2014
Malibu morning picture of the day - Monday, April 28, 2014
Happy Monday everybody. Hope you had a good weekend. For some reason the usual parking lot shots didn't save. I did snap off some pictures of the deer family that grazes on the front lawn.
The sky was basically cloudless this morning, so had the exposure saved it would have been the blue-on-blue that I've posted at least once before. I learned this morning that the auto-focus on my phone camera doesn't do so good in mid-range. As I approached the deer and took a few more, things just got blurry. I maybe need to hold still too.
Here's the mama deer with little guy. It is a young one, it's not just farther away.
Here's the group together. There are a few more outside of the frame down the hill. Mother -and-child thoughts are on my mind this morning. Someone close to me (a first-degree female relative) said they have their first baby on the way. Exciting news and a change of life and perspective for them. Blessings.
My youngest is 21, and like many of her generation, delayed getting her driver's license. She got it. I consider that the culminating act of my role as a supporting parent. When the nest empties out, what's next? Watch this space.
And of course, you mask bad photography by using all that edit-picture stuff that software gives you. Isn't this cheesy?
I took a quick drive down to San Diego to go watch an IMAX movie called Journey to the South Pacific just to see if it could give me any context for my mythical Dog Island in my book. Unfortunately it was more about the tropical fish and turtles in the reef around the islands of West Papua. I'm really more interested in the people and the way of life there--the only human depictions were smiling happy brown people chopping up coconuts and little kids playing in the lagoon. Oh well, it should help the tropical fish store business. Guess I just have to go there and spend time. (In case you haven't figured it out, my story, at least the Dog Island part, is my riff on the cliche desert island gag.)
Rain was predicted for Saturday, but this was all that was in the sky on the way down. This was taken from the rest stop on the Camp Pendleton property between north San Diego County and South Orange County.
After I got out of the theatre at about 5 PM there were a lot of clouds in the sky. They had the effect of giving you very silvery light. This picture really captures how I felt about the scene.
They were prepping for some festival the next day.
This covered walkway gave an entirely different mood just a few steps over.
Sadly, I could not think of anything else I wanted to do in San Diego, so I just came back. I stopped by a hotel in Downey to look at some koi. Someone told me about this amazing indoor pond. I have an interest in koi because I intend to include them in a painting I have planned to do one of these days. According Chinese legend, koi are the nymph stage of a developing dragon. Sorry about the blurriness--again, I am just learning how to use this camera phone. That's all for today.
Love,
Pops
Here's the mama deer with little guy. It is a young one, it's not just farther away.
Here's the group together. There are a few more outside of the frame down the hill. Mother -and-child thoughts are on my mind this morning. Someone close to me (a first-degree female relative) said they have their first baby on the way. Exciting news and a change of life and perspective for them. Blessings.
My youngest is 21, and like many of her generation, delayed getting her driver's license. She got it. I consider that the culminating act of my role as a supporting parent. When the nest empties out, what's next? Watch this space.
And of course, you mask bad photography by using all that edit-picture stuff that software gives you. Isn't this cheesy?
I took a quick drive down to San Diego to go watch an IMAX movie called Journey to the South Pacific just to see if it could give me any context for my mythical Dog Island in my book. Unfortunately it was more about the tropical fish and turtles in the reef around the islands of West Papua. I'm really more interested in the people and the way of life there--the only human depictions were smiling happy brown people chopping up coconuts and little kids playing in the lagoon. Oh well, it should help the tropical fish store business. Guess I just have to go there and spend time. (In case you haven't figured it out, my story, at least the Dog Island part, is my riff on the cliche desert island gag.)
Rain was predicted for Saturday, but this was all that was in the sky on the way down. This was taken from the rest stop on the Camp Pendleton property between north San Diego County and South Orange County.
After I got out of the theatre at about 5 PM there were a lot of clouds in the sky. They had the effect of giving you very silvery light. This picture really captures how I felt about the scene.
They were prepping for some festival the next day.
This covered walkway gave an entirely different mood just a few steps over.
Sadly, I could not think of anything else I wanted to do in San Diego, so I just came back. I stopped by a hotel in Downey to look at some koi. Someone told me about this amazing indoor pond. I have an interest in koi because I intend to include them in a painting I have planned to do one of these days. According Chinese legend, koi are the nymph stage of a developing dragon. Sorry about the blurriness--again, I am just learning how to use this camera phone. That's all for today.
Love,
Pops
Friday, April 25, 2014
Three Loves Seven, Chapter 11, Part 1 - "Second-Class Students"
Dear friends, family, and gentle readers,
In today's installment Clete finally runs a class (the second session actually), but it's really like the last session never ended and they just pick it right back up with all of their contention trying to see what this guy is made out of. No way Qin Qin can be right about this oddball fellow is there? What is the problem with these girls? Can't they just sit and act good? Buncha goddamn princesses.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Pops
In today's installment Clete finally runs a class (the second session actually), but it's really like the last session never ended and they just pick it right back up with all of their contention trying to see what this guy is made out of. No way Qin Qin can be right about this oddball fellow is there? What is the problem with these girls? Can't they just sit and act good? Buncha goddamn princesses.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Pops
Personal
recollection of Wen, the 2nd Phoenix Guardian Princess of the South
U.S. Time: Friday, July 20, 2012
Island Time: Dragon, Month 6, Day 2, Xingqi 5
My little cousin in her role as the Guardian Princess of
History, Prophecy, and Lore asked to interview me on her recording device. She
wanted me to describe our first real class with the Professor. I don’t know
exactly why she wanted my viewpoint. I think she believes I had a particular
interest at that time and wants to capture that bias. I told her I have no
interest in putting anything on record in my spoken voice. I just don’t like my
voice, I sound too timid and tentative to myself. And to say something out loud
will capture something of my feelings. That’s not something I am comfortable
doing. I agreed to write something up for her.
First a word about my dear Mother, the First Princess Feng.
She seems progressive to others, but really, she is about as conservative as
they come. She will always take action to promote my welfare and success, and
the other Seconds as well, and that will appear to be innovative, but she is really
a true conservative. She craves order, predictability, that things are done the
same way every time. I admit now that I am rather the same as her. She fears
change. Had she only known what she was starting when she forced the Professor
to tutor us all.
On the first day of instruction we took our usual seats in
age order. Mother, as the chief educational officer of the Island, had ordained
this logical seating years ago, and it was maintained by Yamada Sensei when she
was here. Age order was always in our heads. Whenever we sat together as a
group, Xiaomei was always on one side of me as the elder and Fei on the other
as the younger. But the Professor would have none of that ordering tradition.
He was a disrupter from the start. It puzzled all of us that he chose the most
academically inept of us, Qin Qin, as his research assistant. I don’t want to
say stupid because she is not. She is impulsive and moves forward without
thinking.
He came into class late. I’m sure that was intentional. He
employs all kinds of manipulative tactics like that all the time. Unfortunately
they work. He even reveals them to us so that we will know how to use them on
others ourselves—but even then I find he has moved my mood and discomfort to
exactly where he wants it to be. He is such a sneak. And so transparent. But I
still love that about him. He issued us an order:
“Everybody
out of your seats and stand against the wall.” We did as we were told. He
continued, “Xiaomei, you sit in the front row, middle. Qin Qin, front row, left
side facing the front, on my right. Wen, front row, your right side, my left.
The rest of you negotiate among yourselves who sits where, but you are not
allowed to sit in remaining age order or reverse. Got that? Go.” We all looked
at each other and were appalled. This was not natural. It was a violation of
all order and caste that we had been trained to accept. Qin, who was standing
next to me, tried to break rank first and stepped forward, but I put her hand
on her shoulder and restrained her.
“Professor
Wong?” I said, “You ordered us to speak our minds?”
“I did!”
“That is just not done here.”
“Bothers you does it? Figured it
would. All the more reason. Get moving.” I think he was being quite brusque
intentionally. I decided to not be intimidated.
“We each consider those desks, our
particular desk, like our clothes.””I
“Time to put on some different
clothes. Someone else’s clothes. You’ll learn something.”
“I’m pretty sure this is not what
Mother had in mind.”
“Little lady, you’d better shut up
your goddamn mouth, because you are giving me NOTHING but encouragement in my
present course of action. Anything else to say?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Would it help you out if I told
why I’ve made these assignments?”
“Yes sir.”
“This course is primarily for
Xiaomei, so I want to keep my eye on her, front and center, and monitor her
progress. Qin Qin has bad eyesight and needs to sit closer because I’m going to
use the chalkboard now and then—she’s on my right because her hearing is not so
clear from her left ear. Satisfied?”
“What about me?”
“What about you?”
“Why am I to be in the front? In
Ling’s place?”
“It’s the prestige place isn’t it?
For the first of the Seconds?”
“Yes.”
“You want the truth?”
“Would you tell me something other
than the truth?”
“If I had a reason to, yepp.” He hit the final 'p' on his "yep" especially hard.
“I want the truth.”
“Now that we’ve had this little
conversation, do you think you can trust anything that comes out of my mouth?”
“No, not entirely.”
“What are you going to do about
that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well golly, you just think about it.
That’s your homework for the next time we meet, which will be tomorrow morning.
You’re coming here instead of your morning group exercise. All of you. Wen,
you’ve been quite assertive here. And I appreciate that. I really do. This is
not what I expected.”
“You ordered us to speak our mind.
I’m being compliant.”
“Damn I wish it was always that
easy. You are putting me in such a good mood. Take your fuckin’ seats.”
“Aren’t you going to answer her
question?” It was Ling.
“Oh, right. This is the truth now.
It’s because you’re the goddamn vice provost’s kid who needs to pass this
obligatory class so, one, I need you nearby to make sure I see everything you
do, and two, putting you in the number one seat indicates to everyone that you
are a priority. You are a VIP whose status results from your connections.”
“I refuse then. Plus, vice provost is not
one of mother’s titles.”
“It is now. Capiche? OK, your turn
to say why you refuse.”
“It is not my place.”
“How did Ling get that place?”
“She is the eldest of us.”
“Birth order? Random. Who has
control over their birth? At least I have reasons.”
“I don’t
like your reasons, least of all for me. Xiaomei and Qin Qin make sense, but
mine doesn’t.”
“Why?”
“I don’t
know. I just know.”
“May I?”
said Nu. “It’s break of taboo. Bad things happen when you break taboo.” He was
making me upset.
“OK Wen.
You and Ling pick up your physical desks and swap them out. Take your goddamn
bulky wooden ‘clothes’ with you.”
“That’s
even worse,” said Nu.
“Why?”
“It’s the
place itself,” said Nu. “To even move Ling’s desk is to cut her out entirely.”
“OK,” he
said walking to the side of the back of the class, “what if I conducted myself
back here? Would you all then get up and move?”
“I think
you’re being intentionally silly,” said Fei, “and disrespectful.”
“Who am I
being disrespectful to?”
“Everybody!
It’s against the way we do things here.”
“But I told
you I run an American classroom.”
“Are we
ever going to start this class?” asked Xiaomei.
“I hope
so,” said the Professor, “but it’s not like I’m getting paid. I just get to
keep my sorry ass from getting kicked off the Island by teaching this class.”
“You know
Doc Doc,” said Qin, “you ordered everyone to speak their minds. Just call back
that order and reinstate the new one and they’ll all do as told. They’re just
like machines here.”
“I am NOT
like a machine,” I said. “Unlike some, I am thoughtful and respectful.”
“Qin Qin …
do NOT call me ‘Doc Doc’ here. Got that?”
She
muttered out a sheepish “Yes sir.”
“Wen, a
little more explanation. Sometimes in life you get an added advantage because
of connections. Today that’s you. BUT the advantage is only temporary, because
you only get to keep the number one spot if you get the highest score on the
next test. The world rewards performance. So do I. The superior person uses all
the advantages they have at their disposal. You want to move down? Turn in some
blank tests.”
“I can’t do
that. That’s preposterous. I only do my very best. How can you even suggest
that as a teacher? That seems very unethical.”
“So you
care more about your personal academic record—and there is none here, by the
way other than my makeshift gradebook—more than maintaining the status quo or
helping out your classmates?”
“The ‘status
what?’”
“It’s Latin
masquerading as English. Vocabulary lessons start tomorrow. Are you aware that
your mother gave me permission to cane you into submission or to incent you to
achievement?”
“You will
not have to do that Professor.”
“I suspect
not. But I never would anyway. I don’t believe in corporal punishment.”
“Then why
do you bring it up?”
“To impress
upon you the level of trust your mother has in me. Frankly I don’t know where
it comes from. She knows nothing about me. That said, I trust you to beat
yourself up. You seem highly prone to self-criticism, the negative sort I might
add.”
He had tired
me out. I had nothing else to say. I wanted to cry for some reason. “I am very
sorry Professor, I will take my assigned seat now and try to be worthy of it.”
I bowed and started to move.
“Tell you
what Wen, impress me. See if you can fine-tune your test-taking results to get
yourself placed back into your rightful seat. We’ll be taking lots of tests but
only now and then will I announce one as a place-ranking test, so it’ll be
random to you. I say it’ll take you four tests to make that happen.”
“Wait, say
that again?” I asked.
“Not going
to repeat. Ask your classmates. You’re going to have to cooperate with them
anyway. Do you have good handwriting? I’m giving you a job.”
“Jie’s is
better. She’s the best calligrapher,” said Fei.
“I’m not
asking Jie. I’m trying shut Wen up so we can get going here. Everybody hand
your assignment in to Wen. Wen, you’re going to compile them into a nice grid
for me. Take your seats. Now go.” Qin, Nu, and I took our places at the front.
The others just fell into age order, but they got the message when the
Professor just stood quietly with his arms folded waiting for the jumble to
complete. After everyone found a place I got up and collected papers.
“I have to
go make some ink to write this report,” I said.
“Do it on
your own time. Why weren’t you ready? What kind of school is this?” He reached
in his pants pocket produced nine Sharpie pens tossing them to each of us.
“Keep them capped when not in use; they’ll dry out. If you’re a field
scientist, always have waterproof pens when you’re out and about. You need to
be able to write on wet surfaces. I have more, but try to make one last
throughout this course. You should all have two sharpened pencils in your pen
compartments too.” He paced around like a lion for a couple of minutes. “It
seems to me that the Second-Row Princesses of Tradition have issues. It was Fei
yesterday. The middle girls. Jie?”
She
startled at the mention of her name. “Dr. Wong?”
“C’mon! Let’s
finish this up. What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing,
sir?”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“I’m
waiting for you to explode. You don’t want to call me out for breaking taboo,
local custom, tradition, or law? For committing religious sacrilege or anything
else like that? Being an asshole?”
“No sir.”
He paused
for a bit, thinking about his next move. “I’m going to come around to each of
you. I am going to give you something valuable. You will point to a place on
your body that you do NOT want to be touched and I will then touch that place.”
This was very troubling and puzzling. He did as he said and then returned to
the front of the room when he was done. “Very good. You all have eight
witnesses to what I just did. I have given you all the power to single-handedly
expel me from your Island with just a phone call. I think I can safely proceed
as your teacher if you wish to continue. Let’s take moment, shall we?”
We were
quiet for a time. The process or ritual really seemed to depress him and he
stared out the window not wanting to look at us. He had shamed himself. I think
he expected a few of us to leave, but we stayed. I thought he looked like he
might even cry himself, but he didn’t. “Where do you wish not to be touched,
Dr. Wong?” asked Xiaomei breaking the silence.
“I have no
such place,” he said. The way he said it that day made me very sad. It makes me
sad to write about this now, so I will take a break.
When we
reconvened, he went over what kind of questions are on a college entrance exam
and the various ways that they are constructed. I believe someone donated their
notes to the archives, Nu I believe, so I don’t need to put that material here.
He told us to be ready to start writing some questions the next time we met.
Then he announced three homework problems.
“But before
I do that, what levels of math are you girls at?”
Ling spoke.
“We are not at different levels. We all got to the same place before our
schooling ended at age 16.”
“Really?
How far?”
“Advanced
algebra and trigonometry. No calculus yet.”
“Trig by
16? Chinese math curriculum?”
“Japanese I
think. The textbook was in Japanese. The math books are on that wall, middle
bookshelf.”
He went
over and took a look. “Wow. German, Thai, and Vietnamese math texts too.”
“Trigonometry
was only a limitation of Yamada Sensei. She was not competent to teach
calculus,” said Ling.
“No
problem. If you’re all up for it, I’ll take you through it. It’s not hard. Here
are today’s homework assignments.
“Time to
see how much math you’ve got at your command right now. One, I need to siphon
500 gallons of water from the pond into a garden using a hose 100 yards long
with an inside diameter of 1 inch. How long will it take at sea-level air
pressure?
“Two, say I
have half an acre of garden space on which I will grow those green melons that
your mothers make into soup. Estimate the yield in one growing season and how
much profit I can expect to make if I take the harvest to a market sell the
entire lot of production.
“Three, your
regular cargo ship leaves here bound for the nearest island. How much faster a
boat must I have to intercept it at the halfway mark, leaving here at one hour
later, two hours later, and three hours later.
“You all
can work in teams or individually or as one big group, but come up with answers
that you can explain, or if you can’t solve them, tell me what you think you
need to know to solve it, and that will serve as a good answer. Are there any
questions?”
“Will you
write them down please?” asked Qin Qin.
“Nope,
let’s see how much you were all paying attention and what you retained.” He
seemed quite pleased that he had created a look of terror on our faces. “See
what you come up with when we get together tomorrow morning. Dismissed.” We all
put away our pads and pencils and newly received Sharpies. As we headed for the
door he asked, “Before you all go, one question. Is anyone willing to tell me
why only Xiaomei is going to college?” We all stared at each other. Qin Qin
lifted her hand and opened her mouth. “Yes, yes. I know. ‘I need to ask Auntie
Lee about that.’ And you know the answer I will get. Thank you and good night.
Ling please tell your mother I will be a little late and not to hold dinner for
me. Thank you.”
I decided
to walk with the others until the fork in the road. I turned to Fei as we made
our way along, “Where did he touch you?”
“Weren’t
you watching?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It seemed
like a private moment. Besides, I was too worried about where I was going to
point on myself to think about looking at anyone else. Jie? Where did the
Professor touch you?”
“Weren’t
you watching?” Jie asked.
“No,” I
said.
“I’d rather
not say then.”
“Why?”
“It’s
private.”
Ba
overheard and chimed in, “Did you point to a for-real do-not-touch place or a
fake one?”
“I’d rather
not say that either,” said Jie. “What did you do?”
“I … I …
I’d also rather not say,” said Ba.
“Did YOU
watch anybody else?” asked Jie of Ba.
“No! Why
would I do that?” said Ba.
“Well, I
watched everything,” said Qin Qin.
“You
WOULD,” said Yi. “So where did he touch me then?”
“Well, I
watched and tried really hard, but I couldn’t really see anything. I had my
glasses off.”
“Oh Qin,”
said Ba. “You’re such an idiot!”
At that
point I had heard enough. “EVERYBODY STOP!” I yelled. “Did anybody watch
anybody else get touched by the Professor?” They all shook their heads. “There
was a room full of us and there were NO witnesses? That sneaky, manipulative,
…”
“I think
the word that you are looking for that he uses all the time in English is ‘asshole,’”
said Ling.
“What kind
of a teacher is that? He knew that would happen! He is smart like a fox.” I was
furious since I was the one who incited him down that behavior. “Did he grope
any of you?” They all shook their heads.
“It was
comforting,” said Nu. “I did not expect that.”
“It was not a bad thing for me
either,” said Ling. "What was your experience Wen?”
He had not
taken advantage of me I thought. “I’m sorry for bothering you all. I’m jumping
to conclusions. I'm getting emotional about this when I should not be.” I didn’t know what to think. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m going
back. I am going to answer his question.” I turned around and they all followed
me back.
The
Professor was sitting at one of the student desks writing notes. He looked up
as we filed in and sat around him.
“Forget
something?” he asked.
“Yes,” I
said, “all of our mothers, and us, are descendants of the founder of
civilization on the Island. We call the founder ‘the Empress.’ In our
tradition, none of the direct female descendants of the Empress may leave the
Island until a certain signifying event occurs. That event has not yet
occurred.”
“I see,” he
said taking it in. “What is this event?”
“Will you
promise not to use this knowledge ever to harm us or our mothers?”
“I can only
promise not to cause intentional harm or hurt. I’m a teacher. I hurt people
sometimes trying to do the right thing. Do you understand?”
I looked
about. Fei spoke, “I think that counts as taking responsibility where he can.”
“Well,” I
said to Fei, “you live in the Hall of Justice so I guess that’s as good as we
can get.” I turned back to the Professor. “We await the coming of the Great
Prince of Southern China to be reunited with his wife and child.”
“You’re
leaving something out,” said Qin Qin.
“She’s
leaving a LOT out,” said Nu, “but I think that’s enough.”
“That’s
fine. Don’t tell me anymore than you want. So it’s a myth of return then?”
“It’s not a
myth,” said Jie, “it’s true. And it’s not a ‘return’ because he has never been
here before.”
“I don’t
mean ‘myth’ as fictional. I mean it as a symbolic story that is true to its
essence. A myth is more true than any true story.
“I don’t
really get all that,” said Yi
“I’ll put
it on our class agenda then Yi. You’ll get it. So. What happens if a descendant
leaves the Island?”
“Early
death," I said. "Actually all female descendants tend to die early. Those who do not
leave die not too long after that descendant’s daughter reached maturity and
child-bearing ability.”
He looked
at all of us. “Your mothers then. All of them.”
“Yes,” said
Jie.
“Hm. And
Xiaomei? She is being allowed to leave the Island and go to college to …” he
waited for us to fill in the blank.
“To see if
she can hasten the coming of the Prince,” said Ling.
“I have the
title ‘Questor’ given by the Security Council,” said Xiaomei.
“Why you?
And not one of the others?”
“They consulted
the Sea Witch and the witch later had a dream about me.”
“A dream
you say?”
“You
probably think that we’re very backward and superstitious, don’t you?” asked
Xiaomei.
“That would
not be a method of scientific inquiry unless one were study the process of
dreaming, but I’ll reserve judgment for now. I have to give you all credit for
trusting me with this.”
“You slip
up and you’re history Doc Doc,” said Qin Qin. “We know how to get rid of you
now.”
“Yeah
thanks, I’ll remember that,” he said.
“What are
you doing there?” asked Yi who was peering over at something he was writing out.
“When I
took a Chinese language class years ago, the teacher gave everybody a Chinese
name for use in class. I already had one. For the record, in your dialect, it’s
Wang Zhi.”
“Wang?” I
said. “That’s your family name? Which Wang surname is it?”
“The one
that looks like the word for ‘king,’” he said. I saw Qin Qin nodding
thoughtfully.
“Anyway,”
he went on, “since I am running an American classroom, I am giving you American
names.”
“REALLY?”
said Ba. “What’s mine?”
“You WOULD
have to ask first. Your regular name does not sound like anything melodious as
a girls name in English. I thought I would just translate it and call you ‘Eight.’
If that bothers you I could make it ‘Kate.’”
“Eight is
fine! I like it.”
“Me! Who am
I?” asked Yi.
“You are
Eve. The mother of all mankind.”
“Eve. Hmm.
Not bad. Not hard to remember either.”
“How about
me?” asked Xiaomei.
“May is
already an American name. But I thought
I’d call you ‘Mary,’ a really common American name, but, the mother of God. Hey, aren’t you girls going to be late for your dinner? Your mothers will have my
head.”
“Doc Doc,
you can’t stop there,” said Qin, “you have to give them all out now.”
“I suppose.
Qin Qin, you are Jenny. Ling, you are Linda. Nu, you are Newton.”
“Newton?”
“It’s a man’s
name or an American family name, but the name of one of the greatest scientific
minds to have ever lived. Hope you don’t mind. I think it suits you.”
“I will try
to be worthy of it.”
“Fei. Your
name is also an American name too. I suspect you would want to retain the same
sound. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“But you
have your choice of spelling. F-A-Y-E or or without an 'e' on the end or only with an 'e,' Fey.”
“Is there a
difference in meaning?”
“Fay with
or without the ‘e’ means to fit together, but it has the meaning of being like
a fairy or an elf, or of being able to see into the future or into the spirit
world. F-E-Y means negative spiritual things or things relating to death.”
“American
fairies fly don’t they? In stories?” asked Fei.
“Yep. They
do.”
“My name
means ‘to fly’ soI’ll take the spelling F-A-Y-E then.”
“Excellent
choice.”
“Jie? I was
just working on yours. I was thinking a name with a soundalike component like
‘Angie’ or ‘Gina.’ Got a preference?”
“I don’t
know that I like either one,” said Jie. “But I trust you to select a good one.”
“OK. Angie
is short for Angela, but I think what fits best is ‘Angel.’ A higher spiritual
being.”
“Angel. I
love it,” she said.
“And you
Wen. Scion of the vice provost. Your regular name is so short that I want you
to have something that takes a long time to say and sounds impressive.
Gwendolyn. It means blessed ring.”
“Gwendolyn,”
I said. It came out so easily. “Thank you,” I said.
“Did we get
everybody? I think so.”
“Oh
Professor, I prepared that grid you wanted,” I said. I went to my desk and
pulled off the sheet of paper I had been working on. I made a quick additional
column with what we had just gone over and then handed it to him. It seemed
very perfunctory information to me, but he had a strong reaction.
He said
simply but firmly, “HOLY SHIT.”
Island Name
|
Class Name
|
Age
|
Year
|
Island Year
|
Parent Name
|
Age
|
Year
|
Island Year
|
Occupation
|
Ling
|
Linda
|
20
|
1992
|
Monkey
|
Lee
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Water Guardian
|
Nu
|
Newton
|
19
|
1993
|
Rooster
|
Mu
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Dragon Guardian of the East
|
Xiao Mei
|
Mary
|
19
|
1993
|
Rooster
|
Lum
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Wood Guardian
|
Wen
|
Gwendolyn
|
18
|
1994
|
Dog
|
Feng
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Phoenix Guardian of the South
|
Fei
|
Faye
|
18
|
1994
|
Dog
|
Qi
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Chilin Guardian of the West
|
Jie
|
Angel
|
17
|
1995
|
Pig
|
Ting Ting
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Tortoise Guardian of the North
|
Yi
|
Eve
|
17
|
1995
|
Pig
|
Da Na
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Earth Guardian
|
Ba
|
Eight
|
17
|
1995
|
Pig
|
Da Mei
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Metal Guardian
|
Qin Qin
|
Jenny
|
16
|
1996
|
Rat
|
Lian
|
53
|
1958
|
Dog
|
Fire Guardian
|
© Copyright 2012 Vincent
Way, all rights reserved.
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