你忙嗎 Are you busy?

I think without exageration I can state that this has been my busiest week of recent years. It's also ironic that in one of my recent Chinese lessons, one of our sentences to learn was: nǐ máng ma? 你忙嗎 Are you busy?

It all began last Friday. During the day I had to get my room ready for WASC, which is an inspection of the school that takes place every few years. Friday evening, 大師 began a five-day teaching that was netcast to 三寳寺 each of the 5 days from 7:00pm until 9:30pm.

On Saturday, I got up earlier than normal to do my UC Extension Chinese class homework. I just finished in time to get ready and was off to class. The UC Extension Chinese class lasts from 9:30am until 1:00pm.

My 三寳寺 Chinese class runs from 2:00pm until 3:30pm, so I had to rush over to 三寳寺 located near Van Ness & California streets from my UC Extension Chinese class located near 3rd & Mission streets.

In the 三寳寺 Chinese class we were introduced to BoPoMOFo [註音], the phonetic system used in Taiwan. In order to be able to make sense of it, however, the 註音 were anotated with Hànyù Pīnyīn [漢語拼音], which has become the de-facto international standard.

After class, not having a chance to catch my breath, I had to run off to catch a bus for Golden Gate Park, where I was to meet Brandon for a stroll in the park at the corner of Fulton & Stanyan streets at 4:30pm.

I made it there just at 4:30 and Brandon and I began our stroll. I told him of my future plans. As usual, he had quite a few questions to ask and I've since provided him with a myriad of websites to peruse. We finished off our get together with an early dinner at a Thai place on Haight. He was kind enough to drive me back to 三寳寺 for the second of 大師's five-night teaching.

At 9:30 the teaching was over and I made my way home where I lay my head to rest at a little past 10:15pm.

Sunday morning, I once again got up early to make my way to 三寳寺 for the regular Sunday morning English Dharma study class. This class session was extraordinarily good, because we read the chapter in about how one studies the Dharma. It has a lot to do with ridding ourselves (at least temporarily) of our analytical minds with its preconceptions. As a language teacher, it struck me that method is also the best to employ when one learns a new language - one won't get very far in one's studies making assumptions about the new language's features based on one's native language's features.

After spending some time with my 三寳寺 Dharma brothers and sisters, I had to head off for Washington High School to attend the "meet & greet" with the WASC visiting team, who were going to evaluate our school. The "meet & greet" was pleasant enough, I guess, but I still am not too keen on meeting people under such circumstances.

After the "meet & greet", I was off again to return to 三寳寺 for the third of 大師's five-night teaching. At 9:30 when it had finished, Ursula, the same 菩薩 who delivers the food for our Wednesday Union of Students for Buddhahood meetings, offered to give me a ride home. She continued to do so for the remainder of 大師's 5 nights of teaching. She is an absolutely wonderful person dedicated to the 佛法.

Monday was the first day of my jury duty and the court letter had instructed us to call or visit the court website the night before to see if we had to sit for jury selction. So, before going to bed Sunday night, I checked the jury-duty website to see that my group 617 was off the hook for Monday.

Monday and Tuesday I taught my classes as usual but on both days had fairly painless late afternoon meetings with the WASC team. Thereafter, also on both days, I would make my way to 三寳寺 for 大師's netcast.

Checking in at the jury-duty website, I noted that I was also off the hook for Tuesday.

However, when I check for Wednesday, I noticed that my group had indeed been selected to come down to the Hall of Justice Jury Assembly Room at 850 Bryant Street at 2:00 Wednesday afternoon. So, I taught my classes in the morning and taught Dharma to the Union of Students for Buddhahood at our regular Wednesday lunchtime meeting and then I was off to the Hall of Justice.

No sooner did I check at the Jury Assembly Room than I was called to go to a courtroom for possible selection. After roll calls and other procedures, the judge told us that given the late hour (mid-afternoon!), she wanted us to come back Thursday for voir dire, a.k.a. jury selection.

So, I had to call in for a substitute teacher for today. I hope I'm not called to serve on a jury. Despite the judge's speech on it being a citizen's duty to serve on a jury, I personally do not believe that there is true justice in America. So, I would regard serving on a jury as a waste of time.

I hope the reader has a good idea of what I consider my busiest week in years.