CARVED IN STONE

Because of work, I now know much more about haemorrhoids, prostates, and frequent urination. As well as old men and their bowels. And as of yesterday evening, thanks to a coworker, I now also know that another coworker has a flabby white posterior. Which shouldn't surprise me. Presently there is a mental image I will attempt to erase.
I did not need to know that.

[It's been a slow and almost imperceptible learning process. Data has been absorbed. Years.]

This was an hour after I had given a brief explanation of the Chinese seal script and related ancient forms of writing, using the term Oolong (tea) as an illustration. Words written with a soot ink laden reed on silk, derived from glyphs scratched oracularly on bone (ox scapulae) and wooden markers, or traced in clay prior to casting bronze vessels.

Hence the term for an early version: 金文 ('kam man'), literally meaning metal inscription, bronze bell script. In which style the two characters for Oolong appear below.

烏龍

For all those weird caucasians who like tattoos of Chinese texts, I encourage them to have exactly this engraved into their flabby white posteriors. There are two characters, one for each cheek.

If a relative or loved one ever sees it, just tell them it means something spiritual and you've taken a vow. Been sworn to secrecy or something.

They are your totem animals.

It's deep, man.



By the way, over ninety percent of the people I deal with while at work have prostates. At least three of them are keenly aware of that. Two of them take five minutes to micturate.



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