[Ads-l] Quote: May you live in interesting times (Chinese curse?)

[W Brewer]

Asked my wife about this topic. She came up with the following recent news
event in Taiwan.
     A Buddhist nun recently got angry at the mayor of Taipei City and
cursed him saying: "Hope Taipei doesn't have disasters." This cynical wish
caused quite a stir in Taiwan.
     Background. Apparently, the Tzu Chi Foundation (a Buddhist charitable
organization), allegedly managed to buy some public land. When, the mayor
of Taipei, Ke Wenzhe, wondered how this was possible, Shi Zhaohui, dean of
Social Sciences at Xuanzhuang University, and a Buddhist nun, responded
hexasyllabically with "Pan4 Tai2-bei3 wu2 zai1-nan4", lit. "Hope Taipei no
disaster"; i.e. something like "Let's hope disaster does not befall
Taipei." Quite a brouhaha.
Apple Daily (Ping2-guo3 Ri4-bao4), 16 March 2015, 18:32.
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20150316/575243/

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