Gung Ho Pak Choi*!
Happy (Chinese) New Year to you, Dear Reader. Apparently this is the Year of the Monkey and the period of celebrations last from yesterday's New Moon through to the full moon in a couple of weeks' time. You may well have seen reports of the major congestion at a Chinese railway station over the weekend as people tried to get back to their family homes for the festivities. It made our Christmas travel chaos scenes look paltry.
Actually, what with around one in three people worldwide being Chinese, it makes me wonder quite how the Western system of everything - calendar, clothing, etc - seems to be so predominant these days. Maybe Chairman Mao had something to do with it in China, though the Chinese seem to be busily reconnecting with their traditional past these days - at least in as far as the Communist party will permit!
In honour of the occasion, have a video of Chinese piano wonder Ji Liu playing John Cage's Four Minutes and Thirty-three Seconds - one of the better pieces of late 20th century classical music!
Tee hee!
Meanwhile today we are battened down against Storm Imogen. Unlike all the others this one is hitting the south of the UK. I daresay Scotland and the North are breathing a sigh of relief. We've had amber warnings since last night - for winds of 60-70mph inland and up to 80mph on the coast. Apparently winds have been gusting 90mph and more in Really Exposed places, like the north coasts of Devon and Cornwall.
H told me there was a tree on the line near the station to which he travels to work, but they weren't saying on which line. Unless people at our local station knew it was going to be a case of 'travel and see', or maybe get seriously held up! Quite possibly this afternoon the storm will be worse, so getting back home again could also be interesting. Lead boots are in order, maybe with full-scale waterproofs.
And Finally - one for all those who reckon that 'Immigrants' are a Bad Idea (and that's putting it mildly!)
Mathematics, by Hollie McNish.
Y'all have a good day now, and don't get too blown away!
*Sorry, I don't know the actual words but they sounded a bit like this to me!
Actually, what with around one in three people worldwide being Chinese, it makes me wonder quite how the Western system of everything - calendar, clothing, etc - seems to be so predominant these days. Maybe Chairman Mao had something to do with it in China, though the Chinese seem to be busily reconnecting with their traditional past these days - at least in as far as the Communist party will permit!
In honour of the occasion, have a video of Chinese piano wonder Ji Liu playing John Cage's Four Minutes and Thirty-three Seconds - one of the better pieces of late 20th century classical music!
Tee hee!
Click to viewMeanwhile today we are battened down against Storm Imogen. Unlike all the others this one is hitting the south of the UK. I daresay Scotland and the North are breathing a sigh of relief. We've had amber warnings since last night - for winds of 60-70mph inland and up to 80mph on the coast. Apparently winds have been gusting 90mph and more in Really Exposed places, like the north coasts of Devon and Cornwall.
H told me there was a tree on the line near the station to which he travels to work, but they weren't saying on which line. Unless people at our local station knew it was going to be a case of 'travel and see', or maybe get seriously held up! Quite possibly this afternoon the storm will be worse, so getting back home again could also be interesting. Lead boots are in order, maybe with full-scale waterproofs.
And Finally - one for all those who reckon that 'Immigrants' are a Bad Idea (and that's putting it mildly!)
Mathematics, by Hollie McNish.
Y'all have a good day now, and don't get too blown away!
*Sorry, I don't know the actual words but they sounded a bit like this to me!