Astrological Calligraphy

Andy Hill

When I was teaching in Gaoqing county, two other foreign teachers and I were taken to dinner by several people from the education bureau. It was in a brand new hotel and restaurant, very swanky. We ate sea cucumber, duck tongue, and turtle, among many other delicacies, all washed down with liberal amounts of baiju - China's own favoured white liquor - and cigarettes. Every dinner I've ever been to in China had a week's worth of baiju and smokes packed into it.

After we were stuffed, tipsy and languid, word came around that in a large suite down the hall there was a party of sorts happening, so we wandered over and peeked in. As it turned out, that evening a famous artist from Gaoqing was in town and was a guest of honor at this party. He was a tall, thin bohemian guy with long hair and beads around his neck and wrists. He waved us in and everyone seemed very happy to have three foreigners on hand to witness all of the festivities.

He was famous chiefly as a calligrapher, we gathered. The man had many large sheets of paper, brushes, and ink wells, and he was making them for everyone. He would write a little message and then sign it. I had never really watched someone write calligraphy before. I was transfixed by the graceful, lilting movements of his arm as he applied the black ink to the white paper. 

When it came to be my turn, a woman there who spoke English translated a little for him. A calligrapher asked me when I was born. He said, "Ah! A dog! In the zodiac you are a dog, and so am I." He seemed very pleased with that, as was I. My little poster/greeting said, "From a dog to a dog - don't worry so much!" 

It was out of the blue because I had been dealing with some serious, ulcerating anxiety during that period of my life, especially that week, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I thanked him profusely and we took a couple of pictures together. He continued making the pieces for each person. We had some more baiju and smoked some more cigarettes, and soon it was time to go.

When I got back home, I hung the piece on my wall, and it has remained with me since then. Whenever I start to freak out about something, I stop and stare at that poster, remember his beaming smile and the movement of his arms when he made it, and I feel my heartbeat return to normal.