汗流浹背 (Hàn liú jiā bèi) (1) to sweat profusely (idiom) (2) drenched in sweat [This story] Originates from the “Book of Han – Yang Chang (楊敞)’s Biography”: He was greatly terrified, not knowing what to say; only his back was soaked in sweats, that is all. Explanation for “浹”: soaking wet, sweating a lot, soaked…
Month: October 2022
021. The Enchanted Princess
021. The Enchanted Princess (La Princesa Enchantada) A knight was traveling the world in search of adventures when one day he met on his travel four animals, a lion, a greyhound, an eagle and an ant, disputing over a freshly killed wild beast which they had found in the middle of the field. Since they…
Hán dān xué bù (邯鄲學步 – 邯郸学步)
邯鄲學步 (Hán dān xué bù) (1) to copy the way they walk in Handan (idiom) (2) slavishly copying others, one risks becoming a caricature Legend has it that two thousand years ago there was a young man from Shou Ling (壽陵) in the State of Yan; his real name was unknown, so people called him…
SUP – 2022/10/15 – Whitehouse Pool To Giacomini Wetlands
Whitehouse Pool is a (very) small park in the Point Reyes National Seashore that can be used to launch your kayak or SUP to the Giacomini Wetlands at the southern end of Tomales Bay. It has a very large parking lot, a couple of mobile bathrooms (e.g. porta potty), and one picnic table. For me,…
020. The Priest’s Soul
020. The Priest’s Soul (El Alma Del Cura) A married couple had a son which they had been longing for in a long time. Shortly after his birth, the parents were curious to know the child’s fate and decided to consult with a fortune teller who was very famous in that area for the accuracy…
Guò hé chāi qiáo (過河拆橋 – 过河拆桥)
過河拆橋 (Guò hé chāi qiáo) (1) lit. to destroy the bridge after crossing the river (idiom) (2) fig. to abandon one’s benefactor upon achieving one’s goal Source: “History of Yuan [Dynasty]: Che Li Te Muer’s Biography” (元史·徹里帖木兒列傳) The imperial censor Pu Hua mockingly said to Youwang: “Participating in politics is like crossing a river then…
SUP – 2022/10/08 – Bodega Harbor From Doran Park
Bodega Bay is about 75 minutes away from my place in Richmond CA. It is situated north of Tomales Bay and has a natural harbor that is well protected from ocean swells, making it ideal for SUP or beginner paddlers like myself. No one had organized any trip on Facebook for a while, then two…
019. The Count Abel And The Princess
[WARNING: There’s a scene in this story that may not be appropriate for young children, and could be disturbing to some. Please keep this in mind should you decide to press on.] 019. The Count Abel And The Princess (El Conde Abel Y La Princesa) There was a young count named Abel who was in…
Gè dé qí suǒ (各得其所 – 各得其所)
各得其所 (Gè dé qí suǒ) (1) each in the correct place (2) each is provided for Source: “The Book of Changes (I Ching) – Latter Set of Commentaries” (易·繫辭下). Made the deal and left, each got what he wanted (交易而退，各得其所). Explanation: this means that each person or each thing has been properly arranged for and…
018. The Strip of Skin
018. The Strip of Skin (La Tira De Piel) A man had two sons, one of eighteen years old and the other sixteen. One day, the younger one said to his father: [Father,] I want to leave home to [go] look for a position as a servant. The father consented and the boy went [away]…