Just Past the Horizon

A few days ago my friends and I were at the gym getting in our last workout before we take off for the Tiger Leaping Gorge. We stood around, flexed for the mirror, and talking about our respective plans for the future. We'd stop every so often and go do another lift. I'd gotten to the gym first, so I was done first. I messed with the other guys while they were trying to finish their workouts. Dan was trying to do some nearly vertical sit-ups. I put my finger on his forehead and pushed him every time he tried to come up. Henry found some little two pound weights and started setting them on Dan's chest when he came up.

While we were finishing up, Jackie came into the room. The gym is virtually empty now that all the students have gone home for spring holiday. There isn't anybody around who needs help with training so Jackie has two options: sit in his office, or come talk to us.

"So," he said. "Where are you going?"

It took us a minute to process that he meant for vacation.

"We're going to go to the Tiger Leaping Gorge," Dan told him.

"Ah, very beautiful. Be safe," he told us. "What are your years?" he asked. He was referring to the years of the Chinese calendar, like pig, rabbit, tiger, and the like.

"I'm a Tiger," I told him.

"Rabbit," Dan said.

"Dragon or pig, I can't remeber," said Henry.

"Oh, you must be very careful," Jackie said, looking at me and Dan.

Right now it's the year of the tiger in China. Chinese new year is on February the third, and after that it will be the year of the Rabbit. (I think it changes every year because of the lunar calendar the Chinese use) From what I've heard, it's bad luck for it to be your year. I still haven't figured out why.

"Yeah," I said. "I've heard it's bad if it's your year. We figure that I'm going to slip and fall down into the gorge and that Dan will die in a plane crash on the way back from the trip." Henry and Dan chuckled, but Jackie remained somewhat serious.

"In Hunan province this year there is a story; three police man died. They go to pull over a car. The men they pull over were very bad, and had guns. They turn around when policemen behind them like this, and bang,bang bang to the police car. Three out of the four policemen died. The first one born in 1972, and the other two born in 1986."

"They were all tigers," I said, knowing my own birth year.

"Yes. The policeman who got away, he was not a tiger, so he was safe."

We made a few more jokes about how Dan and I were going die tragically on the trip, when Jackie broke in again.

"Ah, but there is a way to protect from bad luck."

"Oh?" I said.

"In your country you have superman? What you call these? He wear them here." He pointed down to his hips.

"Underpants."

"Yes. Like superman, you need to get these. Red ones will protect you from the bad luck."

I've talked to some of my students about this. You'll notice that during Chinese holidays red comes out everywhere. Red is also a popular color on old buildings and in certain social situations. There is an old story that in ancient China there was a town that was plagued by a powerful monster or evil spirit. To frighten the monster away the townspeople hung red paper on their gate which protected them from the monster. That is why red is considered to be a protective color, and a color of good fortune.

Lesson learned:

Remember horror movie fans. If you're ever chased down by some slathering, mewling horror from the black gulfs between space and time, you just need to whip down your trousers and flash him with your red underpants.

Welp, I've got to go. It's 5:07 on Sunday afternoon here in China. Henry, Dan, and I are leaving for the airport at six. We'll be on our plane at around ten. I've packed my I pod and a few books for the trip. I'm going to spend the next week and a half hiking through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, and hopefully visiting Shangri La. I'll not be back till sometime in early February, so I'll catch you all then.

Later.