Humor has always been hard to translate across cultures. COVID-19 seems to have become a new “international language” because people around the globe “understand” how to “talk the language” about COVID-19.
My family back in Taiwan shared a joke about COVID-19 with me last night. I laughed because it’s a very Taiwanese, silly, kind of joke. I wonder how many of you think it’s funny?
Before I share the joke, let me give you a little background about the Taiwanese culture. The practice of Buddhism is a large part of the culture. People study different Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and some practice to “connect” to certain celestial beings.
The joke goes like this.
The Jade Emperor, the Ruler of the Heaven, was having a COVID-19 prevention conference. He noticed a lot of the major deities were absent. He then asked the deities present what had happened.
The Jade Emperor: “Where is the Thousand Hand Kwan Yin Bodhisattva?”
The deities present: “She’s still washing her hands!”
The Jade Emperor: “How come the Four Faced Buddha is not here, either?”
The deities present: “He only gets 3 masks per week, he cannot attend the conference.”
The Jade Emperor: “But what about Guan Gong, the God of War, and the Protector of Warriors?”
The deities present: “His face is always red, and has a temperature over 99.5. So, he is in self-quarantine.”
The Jade Emperor: “What happened to the Deity of Good Health?”
The deities present: “He is at the press conference, leading COVID-19 prevention studies…”
I hope this joke puts a smile on your face. If it doesn’t, it’s your “fault” for not being Taiwanese 😊
This morning I woke up feeling stressed out. My body was tense, and it felt “overcrowded”. Stress never feels good, because ill emotions activate ill physical reactions.
So, I resolved it by doing my self-care. I practice. I chant, I meditate, I pray, I practice our arts, to “cleanse” and open up everything, and release junk to create space for the “good feelings” to reside in me, to connect to my inner self.
I am grateful that we are surrounded by a supportive and compassionate community. We are in a safe place. We are surrounded by love.
COVID-19 has shaken us all up. I hope you have a self-care routine you practice and take seriously. Without taking care of oneself, one has nothing to share.
Much love to you.
I thought this was really funny! I cannot pretend to see it from the Taiwanese perspective, so may be way off from intended joke but I thought it was really funny. Thanks for the laughs! Got over some of the stress I was feeling when I woke up by attending to some of my chores and then stretching and stationary drills . That led to Tai Chi postures and kicks and Northern Shaolin drills and form segments. Thank you for your inspiration. The area is small but has amazing view today and the weather felt wonderful today so nice option. Dirt pad is pretty well packed and level now. I needed fresh air and exercise 🙂 Happy its spring time. Thank you Sifu!
Thanks for sharing your joke. I have been watching webinars up to my eyeballs. Hope to see you in May! Don’t worry about getting video lessons it’s a huge undertaking for you. I can’t remember if you are a nonprofit or not but I can donate April’s tuition. Hugs, Lisa
Lucky kwan yin has endless compassion… all that hand washing sounds exhausting!
Thank you, Lisa. Greatly appreciate your support!