Deunaw

[muckefuck]

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, today is the ninth day of the ninth month, the date of a lesser-known festival. Traditionally, one is supposed to (1) take a bag of cornel-wood, (2) climb to the highest point around, and (3) drink chrysanthemum wine while (4) watching the moon rise. Obviously, the originators weren't thinking ahead to the day when they'd colonise Chicago because (1) trees of the Cornus genus are rarer here than English-speaking cabbies, (2) looking for an elevated spot is like looking for puddles in the Atacama, (3) I can't find chrysanthemum wine--or any other variety of Chinese wine--for sale anywhere, and (4) ain't nobody going see the moon rise over this town tonight.

So what's a romantic Sinophile to do? Tonight, monshu is taking me to a Korean barbecue house on a hill. There will be moon designs in the decor, baekseju on tap, a modest rise under our feet, and we'll just have to scare up our own kind of wood afterwards.

Comments

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

I am squeaking fondly in your general direction.

[aadroma.livejournal.com]

I can't find chrysanthemum wine--or any other variety of Chinese wine--for sale anywhere

Wow ... that'd be even harder than trying to find the freakin' Tej. You'd think at least ONE of the four'd be possible /_\

I'm very envious about you going to a Korean barbeque house -- I have such a taste for it. monshu's ingenuity there amazes me. ^_^

[vokzal.livejournal.com]

What kind of wood do they make practice martial art staffs out of?

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

A lot are simply made from bamboo.

[vokzal.livejournal.com]

The one I bought isn't. It is a mystery white wood. Just wondering if it might be cornel or some such.

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

They make them out of all kinds of woods---some dealers have an entire range, and the price goes up according to the hardness of the wood. If I had to pull a guess out of my ass, I'd say yours is most likely white oak. That's pretty commonly used.

[d3l1r1um.livejournal.com]

For some reason I think this is just adorable. Gave me warm fuzzies :)

[his-regard.livejournal.com]

Is there a purpose to carrying the bag of wood in this little ceremony?