Washington Post, December 24, 2009

Page C4:

Christmas Carol: Dickens's gift keeps on giving: Tale that helped ignite holiday spirit in 1843 still sparks it today: A hundred years later: -

In 1943, I was admitted as a Frosh at St. John's University, Shanghai, China and I had the opportunity to read "David Copperfield" by the prodigious Charles Dickens in my English class.

Carol: "Song ge" or "huan le zhi ge" in Pin Yin system of romanization as the song of joy during yuletide. I would recommend that we have such song in our minds and hearts everyday with laughter for longevity to be centenarians.

Page A10: "Ford expects to sell Volvo soon to China's Geely Group. If the sale goes through, it would be another step in the US auto industry's retrenchment from global operations, as well as another acquisition of such assets by a Chinese company." That is Sino-American Economics in action.

Page A14: Editorial: "With the world mired in economic crisis, there has been much talk of China's dynamism and its apparent relative immunity to the vicissitudes of the market. Some even suggest that this makes it a model of sorts for other nations." Comment: Confucianism teaches morality and ethics with the lifestyle of being hardworking and frugal as a way of life re a model for other nations. Needless to say, we must remember Adam Smith as a philosopher and an economist plus Ben Franklin's focus on labor:"He who has a skill has an estate." Furthermore, the humor of Mark Twain may be our model as well. I try to be a student under the influence of all the teachers as cited from 1947 to date, i.e. more than 6 decades in USA.

Yuletide is the season to be jolly. It is the most wonderful time of the year with love and merriment. Faith, Hope and LOVE are my "modus operandi.

Page C10: Zen mode of Buddhism for "amidofu": "Happy, happy happy, peace, peace, peace and joy, joy,joy." Count all the blessings with prayers during Yuletide and other times as well,preferably everyday for genuine joy in spirit with forgiveness of human frailties for holiday cheer!

Francis Shieh aka Xie Shihao, a lifelong disciple from Shanghai in 1947 with the intent to be a student forever to gain knowledge plus wisdom as an octogenarian. Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009 at 9.46 a.m.