Oops 2

Last week the Shanghai Daily carried an item about a bizarre incident that took place in Eastern China. A man was struck by lightning just as he lifted an iron bar over his head to swear that god would punish him if he had taken money from his friend.

The man, who was identified as Xu, had borrowed 500 yuan (US$73.21) from a close friend surnamed Huang three years ago. Xu, who lived in Fuqing City, Fujian Province, later forgot all about it, but Huang remembered and complained before other friends that Xu had taken money from him.

Last Tuesday, Huang took a wooden rod and rushed to Xu's home asking him to return the money. Xu too confronted Huang with an iron bar and stood his ground. Huang then told Xu that he should swear before god that he was not in his debt. Xu lifted the iron bar over his head and said if he owed Huang money, the god would punish him. Just then he was struck by lightning.

He was later taken to hospital, and doctors said his injuries were not serious.

I am in a reasonably good mood today hence the silly-ish posts. My father went into hospital for an operation which seems to have been successful. Unless something intervenes he will be discharged later today. At his age (82) there is always the worry that procedures could have an adverse outcome. While he doesn’t teach judo anymore (he did until well into his 60s) he is still in pretty good shape.