Chinese sayings: 55 (苗而不秀)

苗而不秀

miáo ér bù xiù

"seedling but not showy"

    This is from the Analects.

(from googling) The Analects were compiled by Confucius's disciples and their followers over roughly 200–300 years, primarily during the Warring States period (c. 475–221 BC).  While initial collections began shortly after Confucius's death in 479 BC, the text likely achieved its final form during the early Han dynasty.  Recent, earlier manuscript discoveries date back to before 300 BC.

(traditional character version) 《論語·子罕》：「苗而不秀者有矣夫!」原意指莊稼只長苗而不抽穗。後用「苗而不秀」比喻天資雖好，但沒有成就；也比喻徒有其表，華而不實。

(simplified characer version)《论语·子罕》：「苗而不秀者有矣夫!」原意指庄稼只长苗而不抽穗。后用「苗而不秀」比喻天资虽好，但没有成就；也比喻徒有其表，华而不实。

(google translate) Quote The Analects of Confucius, Zihan: "There are indeed crops that sprout but do not bloom!" Originally, this meant that crops only sprout but do not produce ears of grain. Later, "sprout but not bloom" became a metaphor for having good talent but not achieving anything; it also means having only outward appearances and being flashy but not substantial. Unquote

    I see this saying being a good summary of my life in terms of having some talent but not achieving anything.

    My performance at school and at work had been good, but I had never wanted to go for anything high.

    At age 13, I was offered a class monitorship but turned it down, much to the surprise and incomprehension of my form teacher, who asked for an explanation.  After all, it was a prestigious post which would also earn me an extra point on my school record.  I said, "I don't like bossing people around."

    At age 29, my name was recommended by three academics when a merchant bank director came to SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) looking for a new or to-be graduate in Chinese or Japanese to work for them in Hong Kong or Tokyo.  The three academics were the then-Head of Chinese, the then-Head of Japanese, plus my classical Chinese tutor whose daughter had worked for the merchant bank in Hong Kong and come back after a few years with enough money to buy a flat in Notting Hill cash down.

    My first thought, instead, was, "I don't want to be wearing a pin-striped suit and high heels five days a week."  I chose instead to remain at the TV documentary film company which had just taken me on for their 12-part series on China (The Heart of the Dragon), after which I drifted into part-time teaching, again only because I was approached by the person who was then standing in for the co-ordinator of the evening programme Mandarin classes.

    How would life have been if I'd chosen to go and work for the merchant bank?  Born to be a drifter...

The guardian angels in one's life: 02 (The senior colleague)

I was taken aside one day by a senior colleague who asked what I wanted to do with my life.

    That is a difficult question for a drifter to answer.  I said I was just happy to carry on with being a part-time teacher, having no ambitions at all in life.

    What I didn’t know at the time was that she was preparing me for taking over her post after her departure for her home country (a year or so later, which was not known at the time by anyone except herself).

    I said I didn't care about titles and all that.  She said having a first degree was not enough for modern-day employers, if I wanted to survive in the jobs market, suggesting that I go for at least an MA, if not a PhD.

    The next question was what to study.  She proposed Education or Linguistics since I like both.

    Being a Libran (described by some people as “the unbalanced balance” sign, constantly yo-yo-ing), it’s difficult for me when presented with a choice.  (I’m very good, however, at managing other people’s lives and making decisions for them...)  Well, this senior colleague had pointed out the way for me, and narrowed it down to two subject options.  All within five minutes of a face-to-face conversation.

    As staff could attend for free, I thought I’d try out the basic Linguistics course on the university’s evening programme, and see how I’d feel about Linguistics on an MA level.

    With the balls set rolling for doing post-graduate studies and which subject to pursue, the ball was now in my court to act on it.  (Enter the next guardian angel, in the next blog.)

(London, 1991)