More spring in Nanjing

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Magpies bring you good luck and crows bring you bad luck. Luckily, I see magpies all the time. Of course, I've always been lucky. A few weeks ago, while walking through the old campus, I heard a lot of squealing and squawking in the air. A magpie was attacking a bat. This was about three in the afternoon so I had several questions. Why is a bat out at three o'clock? Usually I see a lot at dusk. Why is the magpie attacking it? Do magpies eat meat?

A magpie is about 4 times as big as a bat. It was a lengthy battle. The bat flew out of a tree; the magpie attacked from a nearby roof. They battled a minute or two then each retreated to the starting places. The magpie had a friend in his corner, sitting with him on the roof. After a few more attacks like that, the magpie chased the bat into his tree. Branches rustled a lot and the magpie flew out alone. The bat never came back out. I left.

Bats are also considered good luck. They are one of the common sidewalk designs seen in the formal gardens in Suzhou, or the Confucious Temples. I've seen them in every Confucious temple I have visited. Smooth river pebbles are used like mosiacs stones to have a white background and a black bat with wings spread.

Flowers are blooming everywhere. The heat has started along with the humidity. I find it very, very warm here; I guess I depend too much on air conditioning.

New subject:
English Corner at the Police Academy

My friend, Kristen, needed another native English speaker to go with her to the Police Academy for an English corner. (That's the name for an event geared at English conversation.) I went with her. Most of the men and women in my "corner" had never spoken with a foreigner before. Half of the group are English majors and will be detectives. The other half will be regular police. The first question was about the private prisons in the U.S. Luckily, I had read one article about the private prisons and how awful they are. I tried to moderate my descriptions. The TV show "Prison Break" is very popular here and that's the image that most people have of American prisons. I watched one full series so that I could talk about it. After the prison discussions I got the regular questions, "Do you like Chinese food?" "What do you think of President Bush?" etc.

The police here don't carry guns. They are trained to speak softly and to negotiate. Foreigners are treated very well; at least, that has been my experience.

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Upcoming blogs: the provincial opera and visiting the western desert.

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Photos

Magpies
Magpies bring good luck. I was told that these are magpies. Dear family birders, are these magpies?

father and son reading
The good weather brought people outdoors. I think this little boy will grow up as a reader.

shopkeepers knitting
These women are shopkeepers in Fuzi Miao, the Confucius Temple shopping area. On a Wednesday morning, few customers, they knit and chat together in the sunlight.

another camera
These two women were enjoying the blossoms, too. The landscapers know what they are doing on this campus.

potted plants
In addition to plants put in the soil, pots are often arranged by entrance areas, like this.

shamrocks up close
I don't see any four leaf plants here. (A four leaf clover is good luck.) Of course, I think these are shamrocks.

Kristen and me
Here we are, Kristen and Susan, teaching English at the police academy.

we had a good time
Our group had a good time with English. We laughed a lot.

more serious shot
The student here were more serious for the snapshot.

armed guards
These men drive the man/woman who fills the ATM machine here. They got their guns out of the truck and posed for me. I wanted the picture because I rarely see guns in China.

Comments

[John Miller]

Magpies
They are definitely magpies ... they seem to be worldwide ... Mary and i have seen them in the western US ... but I don't know if they are all of the same species ... as there are different varieties of crows

[Mariana]

spring
I think you're having a great time! I love to see the pictures and read about what you're up to. You looked cool in your red jacket with the people in blue behind you.

[Amy]

Great journal!
Thank you Susan for this wonderful documentation! You have a knack for capturing people and places in your pictures--love the picture of father and son reading. How fascinating to hear of your teaching at the police academy. Looking forward to more.

[H Romaine]

Nanjing and Nashville
It's alarmingly cool here too. Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner are back together at the Opry. WSM650. Next weekend I'll be in Atlanta, visiting friends, and church at Oakhurst Presbyterian, and reunion with Great Speckled Bird folk at Tom and Stephanie Coffin's...how shall I signify for you? What's the country or rock scene like in Nanjing. Can you recall the Maoist faction in misdirection in Atlanta protest? Did the death of the 'Christian fraud' Faldwell make headlines there like here? Soon we'll all join them in that cold earth, And only flowers will testify to our passage here, Flowers called children, and flowers of errant spring. You couldn't have picked a better place to plant them, than Nanjing!!! Best travels, Howard Romaine

[Gailey]

Magpies are common in NM, too - at least where I lived! Here I just see crows - but only sometimes (whew! if it is true they bring bad luck)... Your narratives and photos are always so wonderful in telling of the the things you see and do.