WANG Wei (701~761) is one of my favorite poets. On this 9th day of the 9th lunar month, long, long time ago, he wrote this famous poem. It became an instant classic and spread all over China.

王維《九月九日憶山東兄弟》
獨在異鄉為異客， 每逢佳節倍思親。
遙知兄弟登高處， 遍插茱萸少一人。

In Chinese numerology, the number 9 stands for masculinity (Yang) and 6 for femininity (Ying). The double-9 day is the 9th day of the 9th month on the lunar calendar. In a branch of Daoism that values the masculine energy. The practitioners will climb up to the very highest point of the hill by noon to absorb all those energy from the Sun, the ultimate symbol for Yang. Since most of the Daoism practitioners are respectable members of the society. Many common citizens copy this behavior. After centuries, it becomes a tradition to climb up mountains on this day. It is also the day to pay your respect to the old, since Daoists tend to age very gracefully.

While you are up there, pick a branch from this fragrant Rutaceae plant and pin it on your clothes. Its aroma is know to expel bugs and enhance your health.

In this foreign land I am a lone stranger
Holidays make me miss the family most
Far away my brothers must be reaching for the height
Rutaceae branches on lapels, one extra

According to China Daily, Beijing's average income per capita is US$2,508 per year. That is about the same purchasing power of US$7,550 as the person is living in US.

US poverty line is US$9,800 for a single person. The definition of poverty line is 3 times the annual cost of a nutritionally adequate diet. About 13% of US population fall below that line.

As an employee, you work for a company and receive pay. As a consumer, you spend money and receive goods and services. If you have savings, you invest and hope for a good return. How you play these roles pretty much decides your financial future. China, as a key player in globalization, affects all three.

For the whole society, Citizens of developed countries are better off because of globalization. US benefited from globalization greatly. Interest rate is low, that makes doing businesses easier. Prices are low, since China provides cheap merchandises, that makes consumers' lives easier. Supply chain get moved offshore, that makes the costs lower, and companies make more profit, stock prices go up.

But these benefits are not distributed evenly. Few pockets of population suffered. Depressed wages makes those without an investment portfolio poorer, even considering the lower prices. Interesting investment opportunities are abroad, domestic new ventures are harder to start. Governments, particularly US, do not really know how to handle this. You cannot wait until they figure this out for you.

As an employee, you must accept that you are competing and collaborating with people who are far away, not necessarily share your values, and not really respect your ways of life. Relentless improve yourself until you are the best in the world. Be adaptable and flexible so that you can switch lanes quickly, without knowing which lane to switch to before hand. Protectionism does not work, since trade barriers raise prices faster than your wages. It also weaken the “protected” industry and accelerate their demise.

Invest smartly. Those companies who exploit globalization will profit from it; others will peril. Put your investment money on the right companies. Reap the benefits from globalization, not be the victim of it. Influence your employer to be global conscious. Make sure you are on the right side of the equation, no matter what your employer does. Oh, yes. This assumes you have money to invest, based on the fact that you spend less than you earn.

The truth is that globalization can be good for everyone, but not always. Fate is in your hands, the best the government can hope for is not damaging the whole society. Push yourself to learn. Save and invest smart. You will be OK.

After the October holiday (really the mid-Autumn festival), China enters the crab season. If you are in the country, the hairy crab (大闸蟹) is a must have. (Do you visit San Francisco without going to the Fisherman's Wharf?)
Not just any hairy crab, the ones from Yang Cheng Lake (阳澄湖). They are so prized, each one now carries a seal of authenticity. Allegedly, the seals are temper-proof and installed when the crabs are harvested. Do remember, this is the country that you can buy anthentic DVDs for US$2 each.

Now, at least, you need to pretend to enjoy it like a pro.

Order them steamed, or “naked,” so that all flavors of the crab are fully presented without any enhancements. Order the Chinese rice wine, warm. It is common to add the preserved plum into the cup, but I drink them straight. All half-decent restaurants will serve the crabs with vinegar that are dark like soy-sauce.

The crab should be served whole. If you find yourself staring at it like having Artichoke the first time, don't despair. First, pick it up with your hand and examine the underside. If the “bottom” is round, it is a female crab, a pointy bottom means male. In the fall, insist on female ones. Obviously, you need to check all the limbs and the hair. The crab should look normal and healthy, with a good yellow-red color.

Ask the server to open the crab and clean it up for you. Others may do it themselves, but you should not bother with this trivial procedure. The crab should return to you with the back shell flipped and some creamy paste like stuff in juicy. That is the best part. Don't you get grossed out. Drip some vinegar, spoon them out, and taste the creamy, salty, and best of the seafood flavors. Yes, it is high in cholesterol, but who cares. (And it is your only legal way to get out of eating this part.) The rice wine goes very well with this stuff. It is so heavenly that Chinese wrote thousands of poems on this feast. Having crabs, under the full moon, drinking wines, appreciating the chrysanthemum blossoms, writing poems with friends. Lives do not get better than this.

Oh, the rest of the crab? Use the small dental instrument to get the morsels out. If the restaurant did not provide them, the pointy chopstick works too. Using hands are perfectly OK. Vinegar is optional and wine is a must. (Chinese believe that crabs are “cold” in their nature and wine will compensate and balance the coldness.)

If you are not in the country, I guess you will just have to settle for the Dungeness or lobsters.

The 8th full moon is the Autumn festival in China — October 6th this year. A celebration after the harvesting season is common in many cultures. China, a pioneer in agriculture, has developed rich and complicated traditions for this festival. It begins with few folk lores. The one I adapted for my kids is a tragic love story.

Long long time ago, there were 10 suns in the sky. It was so scorching hot that crops could not grow and people languished. A young man, HouYi (后羿), took his bow and arrows, climbed up to a high mountain, and demanded improvements. When the sun laughed and refused, HouYi shot them down to the sea one by one. At the end, he gave the last sun strict orders to rise and set regularly. Days and nights became regular and everyone was happy. People were so grateful, they made HouYi their king. Soon, HouYi married this beautiful woman ChangEr (嫦娥). They lived happily in the palace.

Years went by and HouYi became a tyrant and a bad king. People suffered from his bad governance as much as they did from the 10 suns. ChangEr tried to influence HouYi to no avail. Most horribly, HouYi learned the existence of elixir of life. He sent the rabbit. It ran westward for long, long time and found it.

YouYi had a grand party to celebrate his imminent immortality. ChangEr stayed behind and understood she is the people's only hope. After HouYi fell asleep drunk. She stole and drank the elixir. Immediately, she floated to the sky and ended up on the moon. The rabbit sipped from the bottle and followed her.

ChangEr becomes the loneliest being ever. She lives forever with only rabbit as her company.

To this date, if you watch closely, you can see the beautiful ChangEr in the moon. Particularly on this 8th full moon of the year, the anniversary of her ascension.

Poet SU Shi (苏轼) wrote a famous poem on this story. I will not do justice translating it.