tugan blog

Individuality

I longed for a short hair style. However, he prefers long hair. I don’t particularly mind my appearance, so, I kept my hair long as he wished. This year, I decided that I should give it try and have my hair cut. He and I went to a hairdresser’s.

I told him that I like him to have long hair and I like his hair. So, the hairdresser didn’t cut his hair short but kept the length and shaped it into a style, the professional phrase is “graduation”. I had my hair cut short to chin length. So, we both left the hairdresser’s together, like two sisters or two fashionable brothers.

Back home, I cycled past my neighbour, Noel. He was doing his garden.

“Hello, Noel.” I said.

“Hello, Mariana.” He answered.

I thought that he was old and had forgotten my name. I didn’t mind. I often call people the wrong names. Then we chatted for a while. He then asked:

“Do you know tugan who lives in that house?” He pointed to the house which is my home.

I then laughed. I told him: “I am tugan.”

“Are you?” He looked closer and stared at me, “Oh, I forgot what you used to look like but you don’t look like tugan.”

“I had my hair cut. That could make me look different.” I laughed.

“Oh, you women like playing about with your hair and confusing us around you, don’t you? So, you are not Mariana.”

I like chatting with Noel. His wife is 91 years old. She once told me: “We old generation are tough because we passed though the war.”

My hair style has changed and I feel very fresh. However some changes could be terrible, especially those changes which are not designed by our own will. Though we haven’t experienced the war, we are facing other difficult changes - unemployment, competition and addiction to luxury.

I once heard my boss mention that these days how difficult it is to select a student. All the candidates have a record of A* in every subject, and their Curricula vitae are equally excellent. Even more, their interview replies are the same. This is a standard world, super dooper.

We need changes among us and within us. Then life would be colourful.

土干：入秋时节侃裙裤

很多中国小男孩到了英国学校很孤独，没朋友，觉得受歧视。可他们不知道原因出在哪里了。其实，可能是他们多穿了两条裤子。

在北京工作时，陪英国专家参观游玩，我发现，他们对国人穿几条裤子的事情特别感兴趣。比如，司机开车，发动机很热，司机就会把裤腿卷起来，先卷外裤，然后是毛裤，然后是棉毛裤，一层又一层。专家不仅详考中国的科学进程，也细问京城古迹，但更不忘记追问人为什么要穿这么多层裤子。

冷，才多穿。我的回答就是这么短。可专家还是百思不得其解的表情。

后来去英国，我就发现自己的怪异了。人家都穿一条裤子，我怎么穿三条呢？我减去一条，马上感冒，于是又加一条；等健康了，再减一条。就这样反反复复。我的意志让我在十几年的磨练中，终于达到融入英国社会的可喜的一步——大冬天只穿一条裤子。

你会发现，在冬天的北京，家长带着小宝宝出门，宝宝被小棉袄小棉裤裹得严严实实的，可小屁股是露在外面的。可你要是在西方的冬季，你会看见小宝宝的小屁股被包得严严实实的，小腿和小脚丫光溜溜地露在外面。你问北京的家长，他们会告诉你，屁股不怕冷；你问西方家长，他们说腿和脚不怕冷。

小婴儿真够卑微的，家长说你不冷，你就不冷，管它是屁股还是腿脚呢！其实这事明摆着，屁股和腿脚都不怕冷。有实例为证：爱斯基摩人就能在零度时，不穿衣服睡觉。

在英国，女人冬天也穿裙子，不是那种穿了靴子厚袜子再穿裙子，而是只穿一层让腿的颜色都能露出的薄丝袜。我工作一段时间后，一位男同事说：我们什么时候才能看到你的腿呢？女人不露腿，男人不喜欢。我现在有时也穿裙子上班了，果真男同事们多了些耐心。这么说吧，你穿裙子上班，犯了严重错误，男领导都不批评你。穿着裙子走到大门口，门官先生还为你开门呢。要知道开门不是他的工作，他的工作是安全检查。一次，我和一个男同事一起下班，我们一起去大门口，那门就自动开了，门官微笑地点头招手。出了门，那男同事愤怒了：太气人啊，他从来不给我开门呐，都是我自己辛苦掏钥匙啊。我说：你从 Tennis Court Road 那个门走，那里的门官是女士，准给你开门。

可见，男穿一条裤，女穿一条裙，世界能变得亮丽些，温柔些，友好些。看了我这篇，你不要马上耍单儿（北京话，冷天穿很少的衣服叫耍单儿），这实在是一项任重而道远的大事。没有七、八年的努力，没有对俊美的向往，你几乎成就不了它。

这也不是没有希望。如今家长，自己没成就事情，就往孩子身上施加压力，什么学琴学舞学画，忙着呢。其实，有几个孩子能学出个四五六呢？我觉得倒是要好好学耍单儿。可是我们的家长很少注意这一重要而简单的事情。老子云（接受令胡冲提示，不用“说”）：“千里之行始于足下。”一点儿一点地减少衣裤，你一定能耍单儿成功的。

耍单儿，不仅美观，还有利健康。有科普书论述如何把握孩子穿衣是否适度，方法是摸小孩的后脖颈，后脖颈是温乎的，全身体温合适，后脖颈热，就要给孩子脱衣服。书上提的孩子是指那些不会说话的小小孩，他就是想多穿，他也说不出来啊，这时候的孩子比较好塑造。书上说，不要摸小孩的手，当孩子的手热时，已经太热了。脖颈热，而手脚凉，那是不要紧的。这跟中医有些对立，中医说寒从脚起。但我们还可以说这个寒是什么意思，脚温几度时属于寒。

事实证明，身体偏热特别适合病菌的繁衍，小孩容易感冒，拉肚子。等长大了，他（她）想美也只能捂着美。爱，我这话题终于又转回来了，不容易。

同志们，入秋时节，春捂秋冻，让我们一起练耍单儿。

男人一条裤，女人一条裙，够暖［注］。

［注］在零度以上的时候。