Today's mood: 警觉 (jing jue - alert)
Threat level: squirrel
Today we went to the park. I thought maybe a calm walk, practice my flashcards while Shifu sniffs grass. 我想错了 (wo xiang cuo le) - I was wrong.
Thirty seconds after arriving, Shifu saw a squirrel. Not just any squirrel - apparently THE squirrel. His 死敌 (si di - mortal enemy). A squirrel he'd never met before but immediately decided must be stopped.
Next fifteen minutes: 5kg Shih Tzu pulling a grown man across wet grass like a sled dog. 很有决心 (hen you jue xin) - very determined. The squirrel? 完全不在乎 (wan quan bu zai hu) - completely unbothered.
Lessons from the Park 公园的教训
Watching Shifu, I thought about something:
He doesn't worry if he can catch the squirrel. No plan. No thinking about past failures. 他就是跑 (ta jiu shi pao) - he just runs.
Maybe there's something to this. Not for squirrel-chasing specifically. But for life. Sometimes you just need to run toward the thing, even if it's up in a tree and you don't have thumbs.
Chinese has a saying: 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (bu ru hu xue, yan de hu zi) - "if you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger cub?" Shifu understands this. The squirrel is his tiger.
Park Stats 统计
- Squirrels spotted: 3
- Squirrels caught: 0
- Other dogs greeted: 5
- Treats consumed: 太多了 (tai duo le - too many)
- Chinese flashcards reviewed: 0 (谢谢师傅...)
We'll go back tomorrow. 那只松鼠没机会了 (na zhi song shu mei ji hui le) - that squirrel doesn't stand a chance.