Chinese New Year greetings: John Fu & Warren Buffett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning's email brought a dramatic, red, Chinese New Year greeting from John Fu in Copenhagen.  He was a college student when we met in Xian, China eleven years ago.  Determined to get his next degree in the English-speaking world (he was a proficient translator in 2000),  he got his MBA in Denmark where he now lives and works as a business consultant.  We had hilarious experiences with Chinese government officials he helped me to interview in Xian.  I wanted to know how they were dealing with garbage issues. Did they have a problem?  Mayo, as they say in Chinese.

As we sat in a cab on our way to Xian officialdom,  John asked what was in my backpack.  Unzipping the green bag, I pulled out the world's smallest kitchen composter and a red knit worm to explain my kitchen composting mission.  "Oh, so this is your religion," was his insightful reply.*

Dedicated capitalist that he is, John will surely be delighted to be headlined with Warren Buffett performing at a charity fund-raiser.  If you can read Mandarin, let me know how the translation works.  When I went to YouTube for the embed code, I found such ugly, racist comments!  Opened another window on why the U.S. is in deep stuff politically and socially.  Of course, you already knew everything about that from at weeks of the Republican side-show that dominates every TV news program. 

But I digress.  Busha Full of Grace raised my consciousness about the Year of the Dragon.  Currently this spunky, knitting Grandma is nanny to a Chinese family. To expand her knowledge of the celebration, her search led to the ten important facts she posted.   "No sitting in a bedroom" knocked me out;  Number 10, "Songbirds are Good," was more expected.

                                                         ****************************************

*To honor my "religion," John Fu had a chop mark made  with "compost"  in Mandarin.    For "This Dirt Museum: The Ladies' Room," my 2001 installation, I  enlarged the image,  added the word in Spanish. It had a prominent spot in the show and still hangs in our apartment.  Shown here with a few of the 150 red worm interpretations I knit for the exhibition.  [You too can have a chop; order here.]

Though amused by the idea that my intense practice of transforming  kitchen green waste into a useful, earth-enhancing amendment might be considered highly spiritual, perhaps a "religion," John's response has grown on me.

When we moved to our retirement community, a woman in the mail room invited me to join the Green Team.  What a vintage designation my NYC self thought.  Not that at all I discovered.

 We now live in Portland, Oregon, sustainability-intense city where you never forget your reusable grocery bag.  [See latest "Portlandia" episode.]  Once again we kitchen compost.  I am very involved in encouraging neighbors to do likewise.  No longer do red wigglers in our living room transform the stuff, but the intention is the same.

 

Comments

[pdxknitterati]

Gung hay fat choy to you, Naomi!

[Dianne]

Love this post. I too belong to the red worm religion. The worms in my garden beds are as big as little snakes. Lots of good stuff here.

Arlington VA like Portland (its sister city, I think) is into the green big time. We copied your buses too.

David is so frustrated with the Republicans he says he is going to work in Obama's re-election campaign. We shall see.

Tell me more about your retirement community. Dianne

[Hattie]

We have signs downtown for Chinese New Years. We loved it in SF when we were kids.
As to Warren Buffett as a music maker: His talents lie in other directions. But at least he isn't a groaner!
Fascinating post. I'll look over the links later when I'm a little less busy.

[Anne]

I am setting up a new composting system with 30 gallon galvanized cans sunk into the ground with holes drilled for worms to enter the can. I am hoping it will work, and if it does I will blog about it. I heard about it at an art workshop I attended last weekend.

Ugh, the Republicans. Can't bear to watch.

Your post has made me think that I must find some way to enjoy the Chinese New Year. There must be something going on in Bellingham.

[FOLKWAYS NOTEBOOK]

If my memory still serves me right, Buffet's video, was a reminder to me of Nero's fiddling while Rome burned. Is there some underlying meaning to the video? You have wonderful posts -- I've added quite a few minutes of pageviews to your blog today. -- barbara

[ellen]

I've been watching the Republican Clown Car out of the corner of one eye; can't bear to pay too much attention because even a little bit of attention makes me scared and sad.

I've become a dedicated composter since I moved to Cape Cod. Unlike the middle of Oklahoma, there is no "away" here where you can throw things. A visit to family this month showed me how much my habits have changed and how little I throw out these days.

I've haven't stopped by for a while - love your new format: so fresh and bright!