The local cafe has recently acquired a new employee devoted to customer happiness ~ Gordy, the resident Koi fish 🙂

Adorable little guy, he swims around in his bowl quite contentedly, entertaining children and adults alike.

Having attempted to keep koi fish myself and discovering a problem wherein they kept dying, I asked the owner how they have kept him alive so long.

One of the beauties of Chinese culture is how often they answer simple questions with ancient proverbs or philosophical explanations.

The owner’s enlightening response was that the key lay in finding moderation.  The Koi fish are like people~they are a little strong and a little weak. They have particular environments that they need to survive. If it is too clean and easy, they will be lazy and unhealthy.  If it is too dirty and difficult, they will be depressed and find it hard to breathe. They need balance to survive.

So every day, he changes Gordys water. But where I would change the water completely, they balance clean and dirty water. They dump out half of the old water and add half with new/fresh water.  This way, the water is a lot like the local ponds that Gordy comes from ~ a little fresh water (from rain and connected waterways) and a little dirty water (from algae, dirt, and other natural dirtiers).  In this natural environment, Gordy grows both strong and happy.

Go Gordy! Live Long and Prosper!