Chinese sayings: 38 (樂以忘憂 / 乐以忘忧 lè yǐ wàng yōu)

樂以忘憂 / 乐以忘忧

lè yǐ wàng yōu

“happy in-order-to forget worry”

I have my own term for it:  distraction therapy.

    I go for activities which give me a lot of pleasure and joy, such as healing (giving people massage and Longevitology energy adjustment to relieve aches and pains, and to improve well-being), gardening (weeding and watering the plants on a vegetable allotment), foraging (wild garlic, wild leek, wild spinach, nettle, dandelion).

    These activities get me out of the house, help take my mind off the horrible and stressful things (and people) in life, and I get a great sense of satisfaction in having made people’s lives easier in some way.  Living a useful life, as I call it.

longevitology.org.uk 

Still clumsy as a septuagenarian (London)

 

The wild garlic season has started.  It’s a short season, lasting about three months, so I try to go and pick as often as I can, for the exercise and the therapy as it’s so meditative, then give it away to students and friends.  (A robin there also comes to keep me company, singing to me from the branches aloft.)

    Shanghai-based student is back in London on a maternity cover stint, which means he’s only around for a short while.  He was driving to Bristol to see his parents, so I thought I’d catch a rare lift for my wild garlic to give to his mother, who’s also my student.

    Delivered the wild garlic to his office in the City, which is in a glass-fronted block with a huge double-storey foyer (both seem to be the trend in the last couple of decades at least).  Big reception desk — three on duty yesterday, not the usual lone one whenever I turned up at 5.30pm for the lessons.  At least three porters standing around.

    As I was leaving after handing over the wild garlic, people were coming back to the building from lunch, going through the revolving door at a brisk pace.

    I went up to it and stood there looking at the feet entering it, watching for a gap.

 

    Forgetting that I had approached it from the side, which means that I wasn’t actually standing by the opening, I stepped forward as soon as I saw a gap.  An almighty SMACK BOING rang through the foyer.

    Everyone stopped and turned to look at the source of that noise.

    The porter nearest me asked if I’d like to sit down.  No way was I going to let them have a good look at me and remember my face, no way.  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

    Of all the places and the time of day to walk into a glass wall, I had to do it with so many witnesses around.

    I will have to wear a balaclava or a burka/niqab next time I go to that building…

(London, 2025)

Read also O-chyo-ko-chyo-yi 

https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2011/07/o-chyo-ko-chyo-i.html

Makes sense (London)

Took mainland Chinese friend to go and pick wild garlic and wild leek.  

Saw that she was not picking the leaves that were in good condition, and asked her why.

Her answer: “If even the worms don't want them, would I?”

Haha, makes good sense.

(London, 2022)

True charitable spirit: 03 (London)

The Friday cook at the Islington Chinese Association is a lady called Hou jiě (Sister Hou). 

During the wild garlic season, I was picking wild garlic regularly and giving bunches away to people, mostly the ones at the centre, including Hou jiě. 

One Friday, I went in with another lot of wild garlic, and offered a bunch to Hou jiě.  She said, referring to her assistant Bobby (whom I’d not spoken to before — I’d only seen working him around the kitchen), “You’ve already given me some.  He hasn’t had any yet.  Give them to him.”  So altruistic.

I then went out to the reception and offered some to the reception volunteer.  As I was filling a bag, Bobby came out and said, “She’s my wife, you’ve already given me some, so let someone else have this lot.”  So kind and generous.

It’s such a caring place.

(London, 2022)