Job Discussion Forums

[kimo]

My students here in China will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival tomorrow, September 11th, and as prelude last night the Beijing sky offered one of those clear evenings that seems to be becoming less and less uncommom here at this point near the the 40th Parallel. Visible to the naked eye Mars hung brightly just to the southwest side of the moon. On the southeast corner of the nearly full moon itself with my binoculars I could actually make out high ridges that formed an uneven boundary with the dark night sky. If you have the chance take a look.

The significance of the this year's festival's date in recent history is not lost on my students and I hope to use the moon as a metaphor for discussing different points of view about events. Without prejudicing your view anymore, I would like to hear from those of you on different points of our globe.

[khmerhit]

Interesting.

As it happened, I was walking behind (another) family of Chinese Canadians last nite, or the nite before last perhaps, and the father was pointing out the moon and 'mahs' to his children. Being spoiled and chatty little empresses, they took no notice of their father and mother.

but when i looked up i could see that mars was indeed quite bright, and looked orange, tho im not too sure because im short-sighted. It was hanging about five feet horizontally to the left (or south-east) of the moon.

BTW, reliable sources tell me that if you work for a newspaper, hospital, emergency service or the police, chances are you will be busier than usual during the full moon. That's what they say, anyway!

[woza17]

Kimo,
How many boxes of mooncakes have you been given so far? Last year I got 8, this year only 7. I am not fond of the mooncake but I do love the boxes they come in.
I have just twigged to the fact that the boxes make their rounds from one hand to another. It would be interesting to follow the box of mooncakes from when it leaves the shop and to how many different people this same box is given to, until finally someone actually decides to eat them.
Cheers Carol

[cheryl]

I freaking love mooncakes!! We:re having the autumn equinox holiday next week. I wonder if they give out mooncakes here in Japan. i miss mooncakes.

[richard ame]

Hi Kimo
That means who's there or who is it in Turkish, btw, anyway the signifigence of tomorrows date is not lost on me or other people in that place called America however the previous posters didn't connect.I presume you are looking for some second annivsary insight about the whole global perspective relating to the waging war against terroism by one country thats going to save us all from dying in tall burning buildings or have I got the wrong idea . If its more about our cosmic view of planetry bodies I have to report its too cloudy at night can't see squat .

[kimo]

How about the cosmic view that there is more to September 11th than just one event.

I love mooncakes too. Good ones that is. Only received one box.

[dyak]

Way more from what I've read.

[once again]

If you get the chance, check out the Haggan Daz ice cream moon cakes..the idea sounds horrible, but when asked by students if I like moon cakes I tell them only the HD ice cream ones and vouchers for them arrive every year..be warned though..they are expensive..and probably not worth paying the money yourself!

[voodoochild]

what the hell is a moon cake?

[richard ame]

Hi
Indeed Voodoo just what is a mooncake and who cares and just what is this thread about apparently nothing to do with the signifgence of todays date .Frankly I'm bored with the whole 9/11 thing anyway .

[Wolf]

What happened two years ago today was a bad thing. No doubt.

But, I didn't rain on anyone's parade (Mid Autumn festival being a happy occasion) because a) the first bad thing in the world that cost 1000s of lives didn't happen in NYC on Sept 11, 2001 (How many people in China were killed in wars between 1930- 1950, for example?) b) it's supposed to be a happy time c)I've got a sore throat and don't feel like long debates today d) the WTC's demise is about as far off my students' radar as Mid Autumn Festival is off the radar of many USians. Why stir it up when everyone wants me to be happy?

Okay, I have no emotional attachment to what happened in NYC (or Okinawa or Cambodia or Nagasaki or Bosnia ....) but had I been killed in that attack, my ghost would be pretty peeved about all the politicizing that ended up surrounding my "death."

PS I just discovered mooncakes. Yum! I eat a pretty unvarying diet (healthy but unvarying) and these things are a wonderful treat! My FAO gave me enough mooncakes so that I could journey from Lorien to Mordor on foot by only eating them....