Having gone through a good deal of
hardship, a man can easily understand the Buddhist doctrine. And he can take an
unfavorable situation calmly.

飽經憂患自悟禅，任凭浪高穩坐船。The mostly spoilt youngsters today are too
fragile to overcome any setback.

今之後生多嬌慣，弱不禁風仆沟坎。

The heat and light of the sun in the summer should be fully used. We may dry our washed clothes quickly in the hot sun. And the sunlight can be used to heat water. Solar cookers have been invented and put to use. The electric source of the road lamps can be converted from the sunlight through the solar panels installed beside. I still remember the way of producing salt in summer in our native village. First, made the water filter through the salty soil and caught the drips below. Then exposed the new liquid in a large shallow saucer made by a plastic sheet under the sun. Later salt would come into being.

At present the whole country is carrying on
a vigorous campaign against dark and evil forces. The chiefs of our school are
summoned to attend some meetings concerned with it now and then. Some of my
colleagues are occupied in preparing writing materials on the matter all day
long. All over the school yard are different kinds of slogans about the drive. We
can see a great deal of relevant propaganda on the blackboard at the back of
each schoolroom. The teachers will be severely punished who open After School Tutorial
Classes. Since yesterday all the school staff have been assigned to be on duty
in turn, night by male and day by female.

A long time has passed since the last time I
went to the market buying vegetables because our garden can supply more than
what we need.

園圃菜蔬足，市肆久不顧。The leaves of some radish seedlings have almost
been gnawed away by the insects. Then I diluted some insecticide with water and
sprinkled it on the greatly damaged young plants.

苗葉囓將盡，稀劑以扶傷。It’s really hard to be kind to the willful and
arrogant youngsters.行善難，

偏遇恁任性刁頑。A warm-hearted person can move a cold-blooded one after
making unremitting efforts. 一片痴心終不改，

三尺堅冰亦釋然！

The forecast rain didn’t come except for a few drops.
Unusually warm. The ice of the skating rink had almost melted off. A stretch of lower playground close to the rink had been soaked through for a large amount of water had seeped into that part. This would not have happened if an extensive piece of plastics had been spread on the bottom of the rink. The cabbages are still left outdoors with coverings.
Loading the collected empty beer bottles on the back seat of my bike, headed for Mr W’s. He’s a shopkeeper at his village. Once I overheard his saying that some of his customers had failed to return the beer bottles with the brand name Snowflake.

It was quite by accident that the plastic
basket I carried bumped against the rim of the wing mirror of the white car
parked by the roadside that day when I walked back to the bungalow with son. I thought
son had been keeping so close to me on our way that I had to give him room but
ignored the car beside us. We continued our way for a few steps when the driver
alighted blaming me mildly for my carelessness while checking over the mirror with
entire attention. I stopped immediately and retreated to him making a humble
apology. Then I expressed my willingness to compensate him for the scratch left.
He let me go after receiving ¥100.

It is a pity I can’t withdraw the large sum
accumulated from my Medical Insurance Card, which is only permitted to pay the
expenses of drugs. The other day I heard at a pharmacy that flour and oil can
be bought at the drugstores in Changchun with the card. It satisfied me to a
degree. But it is very inconvenient to do the shopping. Recently I happened to
buy some medicines at a newly-opened chemist’s shop, which is quite different from the other local ones. That is I
have to leave my card there for days for a formal receipt after buying drugs. I
learnt it’s a branch store of the main in Changchun, so I can purchase flour and
oil without leaving for the provincial city.

Some of the Bhutanese habits are quite similar
to the Chinese ones, for example, they also like eating dumplings and love chilies
especially.

不丹的一些习惯和中国很像，比如他们也喜欢吃饺子，尤其爱辣椒。

Contrary to the Chinese idea of male superiority,
females are worth more than males in Bhutan for women can inherit most of the
property of their families and men only a little.

但他们的社会是“女尊男卑”型，女子会继承家里的大半产业，男子只会得到一点，这和中国的社会思想习惯有所不同。The most interesting thing here is that women
take husbands, i.e. all married men are live-in sons-in-law.

最有趣的是，这里的女子是要“娶”男人的，也就是说所有男人结婚都是“倒插门”。As long as her husband agrees, a woman can take
several more.

女人还可以同时嫁给多个男人，但是要丈夫同意的情况下。

I’m glad mother has got better and can leave her bed
and move about now. But her legs are very weak which results in her unsteady
walking even with the support of her cane. I often warn her not to go outdoors
in case she may moisten her trousers when urinating in the yard. She turned a
deaf ear to my warning not only getting out but sorting something out from the
clutter behind me. In such circumstances, I would immediately bark her back to the
room. She doesn’t know she shouldn’t do anything now. If the status quo could
be maintained, we would be extremely satisfied.

Out of regard for the high divorce rate
today, I advise the young singles not to marry too early and quickly. Every one
desires to seek a companion through life. We all envy those devoted couples who
have accompanied each other until the end of their lives. A lifetime marriage
cannot be harvested easily. It needs both sides of the couple to be virtuous.
The young might as well learn from the old couples who have celebrated their
golden wedding anniversaries or diamond wedding anniversaries. Both sides
should not change their original intentions in spite of what has happened. That
is to say, loyalty is the most important. In addition, tolerance, considerateness,
responsibility and filial obedience are also necessary.