Solar power

 

Solar power

One day recently Barry was doing something vehicular when he was approached by a young Chinese woman from Hong Kong. She was attempting to persuade people to install solar roof panels. Barry politely declined, explaining his reasons, then continued chatting to her. He has collaborated with Chinese people on many occasions in different countries and told her he admired their work ethic. She replied, ‘Yes, no benefits.’

As she departed to try her luck with others along our road, she handed him a solar-powered ‘Good Luck’ cat ornament. In direct light, it waves its left paw ceaselessly.

In Chinese culture, the left side is perceived as fortunate, associated with honour and higher status, except for left-handedness, which is considered abnormal or weird. Left-handed children were traditionally made to use their right hands for writing, just as they were in many other cultures. UK teachers stopped trying to force left-handers to be right-handed as recently as the 1970s.

The ‘lucky cat’ sits in our conservatory, inanely waving its left paw throughout the daylight hours. Neither of us appreciates its smug expression and endless movement, and we have decided that the first child to express a liking for it can take it home.

Delving a little further, in an unsuccessful attempt to decipher the Chinese characters on the cat, I discovered that the lucky cat’s origins began in Japan in the seventeenth century. The maneki-neko or ‘beckoning cat’ was depicted as a Japanese Calico (black, white, and orange) Bob-tail. Now they come in many colours.

White is for purity and positivity, black is to fend off evil, red is for good health, and yellow or gold for wealth. Any touches of pink are for romance. The gold bell or coin at its neck also symbolises wealth.

I think ‘our’ cat has the lot, though it is principally white!