Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs/Hon/Fr/Dr Manners…
Is it appropriate to give my Sifu a gift for the holidays?
I bought him one, because, well, actually I didn’t even consider not giving him one until I sat down to wrap it. He’s done a lot for me, far more in value than I even come close to paying him for, and he’s been unfailingly nice and endlessly willing to share his knowledge with me for over a year now.
But, I dunno, is that cool? Also, is it cool that I bought him a spiritual book? When he’s, like, a god in that topic compared to me? (Wow, that may be the weirdest pun I’ve ever made.) He has a small, carefully-stocked library of books for sale or to flip through in the kun…but he doesn’t have the one that’s meant the most to me in my life*. So I figured even if he’s read it or already owns one, it would make a good addition to the library. Still, cool or not cool, to suggest something for the Master’s reading list?
I know I can count on you guys. You can always count on vague groups of anonymous people for the truth, because they represent about as good an approximation of "what everybody thinks" as you’re likely to get without having funding behind you. ;)
pd
*The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, if you didn’t know already.
5 comments
I definitely had to look up “Sifu”. Yay google (and the wikipedia hit that resulted).
Seems appropriate, to me. Rock on. :)
Thanks! And you’re right, that Wikipedia article was pretty neat. ;)
Do it!
Even if it don’t mean much to him, he’ll definitely pass it on to someone it will have meaning for, and he’ll appreciate the gesture you make by giving. I know, because my students sometimes give me gifts I can’t use and I do just that - pass them on. So do it, dammit.
I’m doing it, I’m doing it! *lol* Actually, on the whole Internet, not one person’s told me not to, so at the very least if it goes badly, I have a clear place to lay the blame. ;)
Giving you Sifu a Xmas present is always a good idea, although, you must be aware of some of the strange Chinese traditions/beliefs, such as, never, ever, give your Sifu any type of cutting implement. No scissors, knives, swords or even beard trimmers. Handing your Sifu a cutting instrument is symbolic of severing your ties to him. Also, time pieces are a big one. It is very unlucky to give your Sifu any sort of time piece, long story behind that one.
Another excellent thing to do is to give your Sifu Hung Bao, or “lucky money”. If you’ve ever been in a chinese gift shop and seen those cute little red evelopes, that’s what they are for. Put a few bucks in one and give it to him along with whatever gift you’re giving him. The amount does not matter, could be $5 could be $100, it’s the gesture that counts.
In Chinese society, the only people who recieve Hung Bao is Sifu’s, Lion Dancers and Pall Bearers. Strange, but that’s the deal. Money is symbolic of energy, in order to give it, you must put in the energy to get it and giving it in a Hung Bao enevelope is a gesture meant to bring good luck to an occasion.
Hope this helps.
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