Karesansui

[Matt Lau]

My first reaction was, "Wow, that's beautiful!"

Then, I saw the Buddha.
I think that I can understand the wife's displeasure.
It's a cultural faux pas, but I personally wouldn't expect you to know.

In the future, you may want to consider having a "scholar's stone" (an irregularly shaped stone meant to mimic the mountains of a certain region of China) as the centerpiece/holder.

Personally, I think that the wife really made a big stink of things.

[Harold Burrell]

I'm not sure why but the gift was poorly received. The doctor's wife was at the office when I delivered the gift and said, "That thing is not going in my house!" She's from Japan and is a Taoist. I thought maybe there was something offensive there.

When the doctor came out of the examining room I called him over to show him. He looked at it, emotionless, for several minutes. Finally he said, "Maybe it will grow on me", and walked away. My head was spinning. I thought maybe I should take it back to the car and leave. But that "never take back a gift" thing was ringing in my head. The expression on my girlfriend's face was one of shock. I didn't know what to do so I just left. Just before I walked out the door one of the patients in the waiting room said, "Well, I think it's beautiful!"

I called the doctor yesterday and left a message on his phone telling him I'm sorry "for coming into your home and re-arranging your furniture" and said I'd be back Tuesday to "clean up my mess and put your house back in order." He called back later that day but I missed his call. He said he'd call later.

Lesson learned: Just because you like it, doesn't mean anyone else will.

For days before delivering this I was having bad vibes about it, like something just wasn't right. I looked at it sitting on the table in my home waiting to be delivered and it made me feel so at peace. I thought my desire to keep it was conflicting with what I knew was right, to give it as the gift it was made to be. But I knew that wasn't what was really bothering me. Something just seemed wrong. On the drive there I told my girlfriend, who came along to help me carry everything in, that I felt conflicted about this. She reassured me the doctor will love it. "He loves everything you do!" When we walked into the lobby outside his office we saw he had begun a large karesansui on the floor of the lobby. The conflicted feelings in me grew. Then when we walked into his office I looked around and saw there was really no place to put it. Another bad sign. We ran out and bought a table for it and set it up. It didn't look right. But I went ahead with the gift giving effort.

Later I realized I should have followed my gut feelings. But then I probably would have felt bad for not giving him the gift. I guess there was no winning this one. Oh well. Lick your wounds and move on.

Conflicting religious symbols...or views...or whatever...I'm sorry, but this really bothers me. You put a lot of time and effort (and love, I might add) into this project and they treated you like this???

I don't care what their "excuse"...like I tell my church folks...It is never OK to be a jerk.

[paul cottingham]

Conflicting religious symbols...or views...or whatever...I'm sorry, but this really bothers me. You put a lot of time and effort (and love, I might add) into this project and they treated you like this???

I don't care what their "excuse"...like I tell my church folks...It is never OK to be a jerk.

+1. It is the thought (and love!) that counts isn't it? I don't think it is reasonable to be upset at you because you didn't understand some subtlety here.

[Julie Moriarty]

My first reaction was, "Wow, that's beautiful!"

Then, I saw the Buddha.
I think that I can understand the wife's displeasure.
It's a cultural faux pas, but I personally wouldn't expect you to know.

In the future, you may want to consider having a "scholar's stone" (an irregularly shaped stone meant to mimic the mountains of a certain region of China) as the centerpiece/holder.

Personally, I think that the wife really made a big stink of things.

I thought it was a pretty big stink too but what can you do? As far as anything from China, the wife is from Japan. I think I need to steer clear of that too.

But now I get to showcase one of my pieces in my own home!

[Harold Burrell]

...the wife is from Japan.

Hmmm...perhaps she would better appreciate the gift of a Godzilla.



OK, Harold...that was uncalled for...go to your room.