The Sun Is Setting in the West

Poyang Lake

According to Daoist concept, the earthly existence is a shadowy reflection of the celestial reality.

The dark mass looming on the western horizon is not gigantic hills, but a massive piece of cloud. A scene of yin-yang division between the dark west and the rest of the sky that is rather bright appeared in the heaven above Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province in a late winter afternoon after more than half a month of wet and gloomy climate a decade ago.

A Talk about the Change

Woman: The climate is changing so fast …

Man: Yep.

Woman: … It becomes so windy.

Man: Noted.

Woman: Because we fart too much …

Man: Maybe.

Woman: Since we eat too much …

Man: Somebody certainly does.

Woman: We need urgent action …

Man: I see.

Woman: We must reduce our food intake!

Man: I’m glad you eventually think so.

Woman: I propose we both reduce 50 percent of hotdog daily intake.

Man: No, that won’t do. Currently, you have 10 hotdogs a day, I only have one; after the cut, you will still eat 5 a day, and I can only have half of a hotdog – I won’t be able to survive on that.

Woman: Okay, I have the second option: we both eat one less hotdog a day.

Man: Are you kidding? Do you want to starve me to death?

Woman (irritated): Then what’s your proposal?

Man: I reduce 30 percent of hotdog consumption and you reduce 90 percent, in this case, you still eat one-third more than me but considering your greedy-eating history, I prepare to give you a bit more time to adjust.

Woman (enraged): Hi man, listen to me, all human beings have equal rights and equal obligations, which is the essence of democracy, why should I cut more intake than you?! Are you against human rights or democracy?

Man: ???