brainylady

     

"Did you miss me last week?" asks the Formosa Five. "I'm back!"

:: FIVE LOCAL SUPERSTITIONS ::
(Because each Chinese word can have many different meanings, superstitions in Taiwan are often based on homonyms.)

The number 4 is unlucky because it sounds the same as "death."

The number 9 is good because it sounds like "long-lasting" or "eternal."

Clocks are never given as gifts because "to give a clock" sounds like "attend a funeral."

The word for "fish" sounds like "surplus," so fish is equated with abundance.

Pineapples are lucky for business because the Taiwanese word for "pineapple" sounds like "prosperity comes."

"Am I crazy?" asks Brainylady. "I bought mystery yarn!"

There's a guy who sells yarn on the sidewalk a block from my office. (Don't you wish you had a yarn vendor on your street?) Yesterday, I bought four good-sized balls of really pretty blue ... something. There was no label. Looks like cotton. Does anyone else out there ever buy unlabeled yarn just because it's pretty? Is there a cotton test? I figure I'll just knit a big swatch and put it through the wash to see what happens. Barring any laundering disasters, I'd like to make a toddler-sized summer sweater with it. I considered trying the infamous boatneck shell, but I figure mystery yarn may not be the best for that. Plus, I'm afraid I may not have the patience to knit a grown-up-sized garment yet. Since I don't get too much time to knit, I prefer quicker things.

There was a funny column in The Age yesterday about celebrity eugenics. Just think of the possibilities!