Chi and XX

Last night we had dinner with with Xu family at 2 Blake. We live at 24 Blake at the opposite end of the street. Blake Court is not the most neighborly of neighborhoods, but last night's dinner with the Xuses countered the trend. Xiaochiang and Selena are from mainland China. Both are non-citizens, but their 6 month old son, Gordon, is a red-blooded American by birth. He is very good natured and, Selena says with conviction, "very smart." We don't doubt it. Xiaochiang and Selena are smart, too. Selena is an accountant with an import/export firm in LA that conducts trade with China. Gordon's dad, whose supercool initials are XX, is an assistant professor in the medical school. Over a delicious homemade meal that included seaweed soup, we discussed international trade, currency exchange, politics, and the world economy. At some point, our conversation shifted to kung fu and tai chi (complete with an awesome demo by Gordon's grandpa). Xiaochiang knows a lot about the Chinese martial arts, their underlying philosophies, and the value of these traditions for promoting health. I was fascinated, but through it all I wanted to know what Xiaochiang thought about chi--the Chinese word for universal energy that flows through our bodies. Given his dedication to the advancement of science, did he think chi was real? Xiaochiang seemed to discredit stories about instant diagnosis or healing by chi gong masters, but I could not tell what he believed about chi itself. Even now, I still wonder: Is chi a real entity? If the existence of chi were confirmed it would present a major challenge to Western science--more so, I believe, than to monotheistic faith. No doubt the universe holds mysteries that, once discovered, will shake our current assumptions. We need not fear: Truth that is strange is still truth. Earthshaking ideas? Bring them on.

Pulse

When medical trauma is potentially fatal, medical professionals quickly check the victim's pulse. A steady heartbeat is good news: Life abides. In much the same way, healthy lives are experienced as steady rhythms--sowing and reaping, the progression of seasons, and the recurrence of holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. Our daily routines--meals, chores, shopping cleaning, and relaxing--are wave sets that tell us it's alright. Calamities and disasters, on the other hand, break up the rhythm and bring pain. Is life cyclical? Eastern philosophy would say so, but the Western mind tends to see experience as a linear progression--a steady upward climb. The Eastern view has much to recommend it. We gather with those we love for a time, but must say goodbye for a while. My mother has been visiting this weekend. After a fully pleasant 48 hours here in the southland, she will return this afternoon to her home in the Bay Area. Fortunately, we will see her and the rest of the Nor Cal Gang a month from now. When we gather, we'll enjoy each other's company, eat together, and laugh excessively. When it's time, we'll return to our semi-separate lives. We will do so optimistically, confident in the expectation that we will soon meet again to enjoy each other's company. In this cyclical way, life and love are affirmed. Together, we feel the pulse and know that all is well.

Replete

Ants come in many varieties; honey ants are particularly interesting because among their various forms is a type called repletes. The repletes have extra large capacity abdomens that can swell to several times their body size. This anatomy allows them to transfer nectar. The workers are repletes because they are replete--filled to capacity and seemingly beyond. Our lives can be replete, too. On any given day, responsibilities, opportunities, and commitments can pile up and overflow the 16, 17, or 18 hours allotted by the day/night cycle and the need for sleep. Today is replete with good things. My mother is visiting from San Bruno, arriving yesterday afternoon on a flight from SFO. After dinner last night we drove to Irvine's Great Park (under construction, therefore only semi-great) to dance to a live swing band. This morning we will head to Laguna Beach where Stephanie and my mother will sensibly set up chairs on the beach at Shaw's Cover, sip hot coffee, and watch two mad men submerge in scuba gear and re-emerge 45 minutes later. After lunch we will meet up with Hilly and Allison and drive to La Jolla to enjoy the company of Kiely, Bob, Amy and James. I'm told that barbecued steaks are on the menu. Replete, indeed. The honey ants got one thing right: They filled up on nectar.

Dessert in Disneyland

Our anniversary celebration at Disneyland and California Adventure stretched to more than 15 hours, finishing after midnight. In typical fashion, we moved constantly to maximize fun. This meant interleaving rides, meals, and shows within the narrow time windows marked on our fast-passes. At the end of the day I felt victorious--we did it! We started with Soaring Over California. It's my sister Janet's favorite, and I see why: It credibly simulates flying over our incredibly beautiful state. Stephanie bravely rode the California Screamin' roller coaster--loop-the-loop and all. Rushin' River Rafts, Captain EO, and World of Color filled the hours. The centerpiece of our day was dinner at Club 33. Disneyland's private club is marked only by a plain wood door marked by the numerals 33. Pushing a button next to the door, we announced our arrival to the hostess. Once let inside, we took a small ornate elevator to the paneled dining room. Our five course dinner was spectacular. Each exquisite course was was paired with fine wines from California, Argentina, and Italy. Our dinner stretched to a leisurely two hours. Afterward, with permission from our waiter, we opened a corner glass door to a narrow balcony. Below us, crowds gathered by the water's edge in anticipation of Fantasmic, the classic Disney light show. We had already enjoyed two desserts, one a gift of the chef in recognition of our anniversary. The third dessert, a kiss, was not on the menu, yet it surpassed all the fine fare of Club 33.

Launching Year 33 at Club 33

Today, Stephanie and I begin our 33rd year of marriage. (It's anniversary number 32.) We are headed to Disneyland and California Adventure. No detailed plans, except I want to see the revived Captain EO, with Michael Jackson; Stephanie wants to see the new World of Color. The planned highlight of our day is dinner at the fabled Club 33, a hidden and members-only restaurant in New Orleans Square. Call this a pre-event briefing; I will follow up with an account and wrap-up.

Balboa

The reference is not to the Spanish explorer, but to the dance. Balboa is one form of swing dancing, which also includes the Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Jitterbug. The dances can be used in any combination even during a single song. Balboa is distinct, though, because its movements are minimal and the basic footwork is a shuffling action. Others forms of swing, such as Charleston, are quite vigorous. In Balboa, the dance position is a classic ballroom embrace, but extremely close. With small but precise foot movements, the couple moves gracefully over a tiny area of the dance floor. This is by design; it's an adaptation to the packed dance halls of the 1920s. Because of crowding, the wild swing-outs of Lindy Hop were just not possible; if attempted, they could get dancers kicked out of the hall. Balboa is distinctive in another way: The Lindy Hop and Charleston originated among African Americans on the east coast, but Balboa was invented, probably by white dancers, in the Balboa Peninsula Pavilion, about five miles from where we live. Stephanie and I took a class in introductory Balboa last night. The instructor warned that if couples contacted each other incorrectly it could be creepy. Though our technique was imperfect, I didn't feel that way at all. I hope Stephanie agrees.

Do One More Thing

Life is problem solving, and problems are not solved by the application of sure-fire rules. Instead we have guides that are good bets, but never guarantee success. Psychologists call them heuristics. In chess, one important heuristic is to control the center of the board. The four squares in the center are critical because they offer protected access to the rows, columns, and diagonals that emanate outward. That's chess, though--what about life? In facing the ambiguities and dilemmas of daily life, wisdom is the paramount resource. Expressed in psychological terms, wisdom can be seen as a compilation of heuristics, such as: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and innumerable other good-sense aphorisms. Extraordinary people are sometimes asked to reveal the secrets (i.e. the heuristics) of their success. Sometimes the answer is pedestrian, such as, Make a to-do list. Simply being clear about near-term goals builds a trail of effective work. When asked her secret, a female executive offered: Do one more thing. When you think you have done enough, up the ante just one more chip. Finish an additional item on your list. Such tiny investments, over time, will accumulate. Effectiveness will then build upon itself, just like compound interest.