Hemingway reading reaction pp. 32-37a

What is the most striking quote you read today?  Type the quote (with quotation marks and a page number) and explain what was so interesting to you about it.

"Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts." (pp. 32) This is what the old man has in mind when the second day is almost gone and he is still pulling the lines while being pulled by the fish. He might be exhausted physically, but he persists telling himself that he is strong and confident and a good match with the great fish. He is a fan of "the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel." (pp.32) Then he thinks about a fighting cock which can endure the pain of a spur and the loss of an eye and continues to fight. Mentally inspired, he is determined not to let go till he kills the fish.

Again, we know he is alone in the ocean. Besides the prayers he has just prayed though he is not religious, he is trying one way or another to strengthen himself, not physically, but mentally, because the fight between him and the fish is a more of a mental one than a physical one. As he recalls only a couple of lines thereafter to gain more confidence, he once won "the hand game with the great negro from Cienfuegos who was the strongest man on the docks."(pp. 33) That hand game lasted one day and one night. When physical strength is not a problem, the decisive factor will be mental will. No wonder he is an old strange man.

Let's go on unfolding the fishing story next week.

Birth Announcement 弄璋之喜

Boy Job M Li was born to Shujie and Ling on Monday March 10, 2013 which is the 3rd anniversary of his parents' engagement. He has a little pretty toddler sister 16 months older. What a blessing! Praise the Lord for the new life. Job, good job!

预产之日为3月11日。

近日碌碌，未能及时备制讲课录像以供河海大学教职申请之用，然上帝之恩丰哉，从不误事，终助余于主日即3月9日晚独往磐石教会行政楼草草录完，心中轻松良多。是夜，妻觉阵痛，临盆在即。

翌晨，阵痛加剧。午时，疼痛难耐。予匆忙扫除屋子，约于申正狼吞饭食，便驱车偕妻奔向医院，时约申时二刻。

护士已候多时，上马检查，宫口已开四指。产程急进，如箭在弦。酉时，医生姗姗而来，约于酉时三刻人工破水，时已七指有余。宫缩持续，痛如刀割，欲用麻药而未用之时，宫口已近十指，遂弃麻药之念。

未及戌时两刻，始屏息收肌以娩出婴儿。虽痛楚难忍，然上帝之恩丰哉，约一刻钟有余，妻成功分娩，确为弄璋之喜。撕裂之伤约有一至二度，男婴乌发赧颜，体重七磅又十五盎司，身长廿一英寸。

如今已十一日有余，妻之元气恢复神速，儿之状况健康异常。荣耀归主，平安赐我。

Hemingway reading reaction pp. 27-31

• What is one emotion you felt while reading today?  Describe how you felt and the specific section of the reading that inspired you to feel that way. 

Having worked for the whole afternoon, the whole night and now the whole morning, the old man is suffering a failure of strength. What's worse, his left hand is now cramping. Plus, he is feeling lonely (pp. 30). No man, especially in his age, should be alone, especially on the sea. Here, I feel lonely, too, for him and for myself, because I am like the old man fishing on the sea, exhausted and helpless, but still wouldn't let go of the great fish which I think is hooked.

Then when the fish finally comes up to show how big he is, the old man is seized by raptures!!! True, who wouldn't be excited at the spoil-soon-to-be that is way beyond one's expectation? But wait, the prey is not yet his spoil. At the end of his wit, the old man, though not religious, begins to say "Our Father and Hail Mary", even adding a promise "to make a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Cobre" if he catches the fish. He said his prayers several times just to make himself feel a little bit better, only for a short while (pp. 31). Reading between these lines, I am full of complicated feelings. On one hand, we human beings would like to rely on ourselves more than external powers; on the other, we feel we are badly in need of help to overcome the challenges we are facing, don't we?

So much for today.