Chinese Whisky is apparently now as good as Scotch Whisky ; China's Li Na and Scotland's Andrew Murray both came 2nd at the Australian Open; and this weekend falls smack in the middle of Burns's birthday (25th Jan) and the Chinese New Year (Feb 3rd) . And as if that isn't spooky enough for you: It's going to be the year of the RABBIT - which is how Chinese people pronounce ROBERT .
The link between all these ChinoScottish (dis)connects is clearly and unequivocally The Mustard Seed in Faringdon - but to explain HOW and WHY is beyond the bounds of this simple email. Douglas Adams puts it very simply : "When you try to take a cat apart to see how it works then what you get is a non-working cat" .
So: Sorry. There's not going to be a full-blown explanation of all the Holistic links in this email . We don't want non-working cats.
But - at LEAST we can list just a couple of the reasons why Rabbie Burns would have been a Frequent Shopper (with a Loyalty Card) at the Mustard Seed :
- - Rabbie's Birthday is the SECOND most celebrated birthday on the Planet (guess who's first! )
- - Rabbie - like most Scots - had an eye for a bargain. Then - at the age of 29, the Poacher turned into Gamekeeper and he became an Exciseman (preventer of smuggled & untaxed goods). Quoting from a letter to his uncle <make sure you read this out in broad Scots!> "Previously - I WAS engaged in the smuggling trade, and God knows if ever any poor man experienced better returns — two for one! — but now I am thinking of taking out a license and beginning in fair trade.'
Is this the earliest reference (1788) to "Fair Trade" that we can find ? (There's a challenge for you ! )
And Rabbie's BOGOF reference of "two for one" is also a wistful observation of his partner's propensity to give birth to twins.....
Burns's poetry (when it wasn't about women's breasts! ) was very radical; and strongly supported the underdog and the dispossessed.
He most certainly would have wanted to banish UNfair trade - and would have applauded our wholehearted support for the Mustard Seed :
For a' that an' a' that
It's coming yet for a' that
That man to man, the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that
It's coming yet for a' that
That man to man, the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that