July Rhapsody (Nam yan sei sap / 男人四十)

You should stay in the water longer.

Took you the whole morning to read 28 pages?

Bad eyes.

So early?

Early? You'll be graduating from university soon.

Alright, wait till I get my pay check.

I'll get you a pair of glasses.

So that you won't be so uneasy.

Please don't, let it be.

Give your eyes a rest.

Look at the view.

Look.

Since Mom is not here...

My students taught me a new phrase.

What phrase?

"Pork chop".

"Pork chop" is out, Dad.

Don't say it, others will laugh at you.

Look at that boat.

How much would it cost?

Around $300,000 to $400,000.

All my classmates have boats like that one.

They're a drag.

Yes.

Dad.

You fought with Mom again?

No.

Fights are normal.

Your Mom doesn't fight.

I'd rather spend the time on that brat.

He failed all 6 subjects in his exam.

You never expected him to get into university.

What else can he do if he doesn't study?

Work.

He doesn't know a thing. What can he do?

Yue didn't go to university either.

Isn't he quite happy now?

Yue is not my son.

If you treat him as your student

maybe you'll worry less?

1587 A.D. Hmm...

Do you think someone will write about

a father and a son chatting at the beach?

No one will read it.

You never know.

A story about a housewife

or a fishmonger

may have historical value.

2001...

July 29, Sunday.

This is my Dad.

Whenever someone says we're alike, he'll say

"I don't want him to be like me."

He seldom tells stories.

When we were young,

he used to read us Chinese poetry.

But today, he suddenly starts

to tell a story.

Who is Wu? Wu works for the King of Chai.

He is a minister.

Does Wu have something to do with Mencius?

Wu is a friend of Mencius

and he is his "squealer".

That is, his informer in Chai.

Mencius was well-prepared before he met the King.

"The King, seated aloft...

beheld a man passing by with an ox."

So the King went to worship

at the temple. He sat there.

He could sit any way he liked. Like this...

Or I guess, like this.

He saw a man with an ox walking by.

"The King beheld" means the King saw.

"King asked: To where the ox goes?"

Notice there are two "chi"s in the passage.

The first "chi"...

is a pronoun, representing everything

the King saw.

And the second "chi"...

is a verb.

A verb

meaning "go".

The sentence means "Where is the ox going?".

"In reply: For consecrating the bell."

What does "consecrating" mean?

It's what you see in the news nowadays

when politicians paint the eyes of dragons

at opening ceremonies.

They used to use chicken blood.

Now they use red paint.

In the old days, whenever a new bell was made

people would kill a cow

and drip its blood on the bell.

This ceremony consecrates the bell.

"King said: Let it go."

See the word "tze"?

It means give up.

He said...

Let go of the cow.

Why did he want to let the cow go?

"I cannot bear its tremors."

What does "tremor" mean?

It means trembling.

Cows tremble too.

When we see gangsters

we tremble.

"Love and respect the elderly.

Protect the children.

Do this and the world is yours.

Book of Poetry says: Be kind to widows...

and extend it to your brothers, fief and kingdom.

A King extends his kindness to others.

Thus, one will be able to protect the world.

If not, one cannot even protect one's wife.

Ancient sages surpassed others because

they extend their kindness to others.

So how can you be kind to animals

and not to your own people?

By weighing, you know its weight.

By measuring, you know its length.

It is so with all things.

Please measure your own heart."

That's it.

We've finished the most boring chapter of the term.

I know. Preaching is boring.

That's why priests do standup comedy now.

I saw it. Not funny at all.

Not funny?

You should have told me!

I bought the tape.

Any new recommendations?

Sure! "Gold Finger of the 22nd Century".

It's porno!

In this weather

with your figure, watching this kind of tape

will make your nose bleed.

Mr Lam is sore!

Lozenges, anyone?

Here, Mr Lam, gum.

Thank you.

Our next class will be a lot more interesting.

Really.

Luxun

He's out!

What, out? You have no taste.

Luxun is very modern.

He was one of the first Chinese

to study and shop in Tokyo.

He was living in Kanda.

Just ten stops from Shibuya.

He speaks fluent Japanese.

You guys only know konnichiwa and arigato.

Anyways.

It's sayonara now.

Thank you.

Goodbye class.

Goodbye Mr Lam.

Bye.

The fish is overcooked.

- Really? - No good.

Sorry.

And you said you didn't add anything into the soup?

- Yes... - Bullshit!

I'm so sorry...

Tell the chef.

I will.

How about complimentary dessert

and a fruit platter?

- That sounds more like it. - Please wait.

All telecom salesmen are cheats!

A thousand-dollar phone...

comes down to a few hundred dollars in less than 2 months

You can't make a living out of selling cell phones.

Business is tough.

Trust this guy.

- What model are you using? - This one.

- Look. - A "shaver"?

I thought it was an antique!

You think so?

I think a "shaver" suits you most.

Why?

One day, I bumped into this guy

with dyed blonde hair, red tinted glasses

and shiny plastic pants. Really scary!

You sure it was him?

What's so strange about it?

Our Yue is always that cool!

Are you jealous of my hair?

Bald, if you can drive a golden convertible

why can't I dye my hair blonde?

Right. get him!

Hey guys, it's 10 pm already.

I need to go to school tomorrow.

Alright, let's get back to business.

The school board only has $5,000,000.

We hope to raise $4,000,000 more

from some of our prestigious classmates.

We're only rebuilding a swimming pool.

Why do we need 10 million?

We're talking about a pool fit for the Olympics.