一年一度送礼烦 (木愉）

一年一度送礼烦

木愉

圣诞来了，头痛的事情之一是送礼。当然不是送家里人，而是送上司。在东方的故国，逢年过节送礼给上司，是一种讨好；在西方的美国，圣诞送礼也是一种讨好。在故国送礼，也许是单向的，在西方送礼，则可能是双向的。正因为是双向，反倒让人费尽心神。总想送点上司欢喜的，不能让上司心里不快，还得破费送你。

圣诞还远着，我就开始为送礼苦恼着了。想了很久，决定把从家乡带来的蜡染画送出去。蜡染画是裱上去的，看去还精美，像是有品味且独到的艺术品。每年送礼，都是陶罐之类，那是妻子到一家艺术品专卖店里选购的。送来送去，上司不烦，我倒是先烦了。所以，今年转送蜡染画，就觉得有了些新意。

临到送礼前夕，妻子过目所送礼品，认为礼品都是蜡染画不好，送给每个人的应该不同。这样，她就把买来的一个大玻璃盘子给我看，建议我送给顶头上司。蜡染画则送给大上司。我反正没有更好的选择，就接受了她的安排。

有了礼品，要送出去也是一件难事。让人看到送礼的过程总是有些尴尬，所以，就要人不知鬼不觉地去完成这个使命。以往总是要等到同事都走光了，只有上司在或者其办公室空着的时候，送去。这次，因为还送另外三个同事，而那天恰好就只有这三个同事在，上司们去开办公会去了。于是，就第一次堂而皇之地提着一大袋礼品送出去。送出了礼品，心里顿时为之一爽，就像在三伏天忍受了一个月污垢的折磨，总算洗了澡。

顶头上司是个女的，独身。她那天专门到我的办公室来，要我到她的办公室去一趟，我去了，她关上门，然后当着我的面打开了我送的礼品，马上就赞叹不已，说太漂亮了，我赶紧不失时机地加上一句：“是德国货。”她说，她从来还没有收到过这样精美的盘子，圣诞时要拿出来一用。笑着，谢着，她又给了我一个拥抱。

大上司那边却没有反应，我不知道他是喜欢还是不喜欢，心里有些惴惴不安，却又觉得覆水难收，只好一任它去。

第二天，到办公室去，桌子上摆着一个贺卡封，里面夹了一张洗车卡，可以洗车一年。我去感谢，说，这个礼品很实用，我很高兴。她说，她从来都是很实用的。有一次，她送给她妈一本书，她妈还吃了一大惊。

第三天，到办公室去，桌子上又摆了一个铁皮盒，里面是一张50美金的购物券。那是大上司的。他的礼品总是如此简单而公式化，省事，却不是我们这些手下人可以袭用的。

一年一度送礼烦，今年这道门槛好歹又算迈过去了。

Mu Yu's Musing just been created -- check it out

Hi, I've just created this blog for Mu Yu's writings for his fans, me included! It was great fun to have many of you at our home last Friday. We missed our friends who were on the roads and could not join us.

Thank you all for the generous spirits, delicious treats and good wishes for my mom's birthday. It was a very special day for her and me.

Happy New Year to you all; may the new year bring you good health, new discoveries, many more music, dances and books!

Nu Shu Documentary, etc. Friday at 7PM December 28, 2007. 竹林子's Home

When: December 28th, 2007, Friday, 7pm till whenever
Where: 1043 Graywell Drive, (331-1270)
What: Holiday Celebration

Hi. Let's get the holiday celebration started by watching a documentary and admiring the real Nu Shu (only copy at IU!). Food and drinks will be provided. Please come for conversations, fun and discoveries.


Nu Shu: A Hidden Language of Women in China
A film by Yue-Qing Yang
Canada/China, 1999, 59 minutes, Color, VHS/DVD, Subtitled Order No. W00655
In feudal China, women, usually with bound feet, were denied educational opportunities and condemned to social isolation. But in Jian-yong county in Hunan province, peasant women miraculously developed a separate written language, called Nu Shu, meaning "female writing." Believing women to be inferior, men disregarded this new script, and it remained unknown for centuries. It wasn't until the 1960s that Nu Shu caught the attention of Chinese authorities, who suspected that this peculiar writing was a secret code for international espionage. Today, interest in this secret script continues to grow, as evidenced by the wide critical acclaim of Lisa See's recent novel, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, about Nu Shu.

雪的作业

写一下你和女友的友谊(亲姐妹也行），字数不限，一段或一篇都行。

Yoyo bookworms,

老同也罢，“非同”也罢，亲情永驻，友谊常在。

I have created a shared doc for the homework. You will find your name there and write whatever you like.

Cheers.

My 2 cents

Due to the "high demand" I suggest we continue our Cross Country presentation. How about we set about 15 minutes aside each month and let one single person tell her experience, starting with 雪 in January. It is not required. Anyone who wants to just sign up by making a comment in this post.

1. 雪 (January, 2008)

追踪报道（Cross County ）

大家可以试着做一下王阳留的功课，记一个简单的旅途笔记，对详细资料有兴趣的话再和笔者联系，笔记可作为我们这次读书会的一个小小的文字记载。假如是一个景点的话，也可以三言两语简单的描述一下，谈谈你的感想。或分享一下旅途对你人生的影响。

Louisville(Children’s Museum)-----Nashville( Ice Show, Parthenon-----Birmingham(Japanese Garden, Avemaria Grotta----Huntsville, Alabama( U.S. Space & Rocket Center)--------New Orleans(Conventional Center, Zoo, French Quarter, Mardi Grass)

Hawaii

Ice Show

New Orleans

万卷书，万里路

正像竹林子所说，“读万卷书，行万里路”。昨晚的读书报告会是一个精彩的实证。
感谢Yoyo2为大家提供的的好机会. 还是那句话，“Kowtow to Yoyo2"。
唯一不足的是，因为时间的限制，大家感到余兴未尽. 那就只好有话在这里说了。