More Chinese mysteries solved.

I had a wonderful discussion with a Chinese teacher - and have learned a few more things about these complex people.

Several weeks ago I attended a conference in Hangzhou, and my room mate was a Chinese teacher. Oddly during the night she had a shower (flooding the bathroom) did not use any towel or bathmat, and disappeared in the night. I had many questions about this experience. Did I do anything wrong? Nothing I recall. But even then, I was told that a Chinese national could not room with a foreigner. She could not do it.

My Chinese friend added further to the mystery. My friend, whose name I will not use, but for this exercise will refer to her as C, gave me some explanation.

Chinese girls in particular are very suspicious of the linen used in hotels. They don't believe that the linen is clean. So they take their own towels. (So my mystery room mate used her own towel when she showered.) C said that she could never get into a bed in her night attire in a hotel, but would go to bed fully clothed. Just take off her shoes and coat.

No doubt the Chinese teacher was very uncomfortable with a foreigner for a whole range of reasons. It is surprising that knowing that, that the conference organisers would choose to put us in the same room. For me, it worked out OK for I did not want to share, but would have had to pay a lot more money to be alone and I had already paid a lot to attend the conference.

As it turned out I did have the room to myself, without paying extra. I had understood the cultural difference would have made the young Chinese girl uneasy, but it is interesting to have more information on this.

Strange but true.

A picture with many stories

It was Sunday December 28th - cold and wet miserable day in downtown Shaoxing. We'd stopped to watch part of the wedding procession that was in progress but had stopped - they'd "lost" the bride's car.

In the background you can see the brass band on the back of the small truck. It is tradition in Shaoxing for this little band of merriment to play while leading the procession of 6 - 8 prettily decorated vehicles around the city. Rain or Shine - it doesn't matter. Of course you can see it was raining and the musicians had their uniforms protected by an assortment of waterproof garments.

They were stopped out the front of McDonalds, waiting for the bride's car. They were playing "Oh, Susannah, oh, don't you wait for me....." and my friends and I stopped to take a photo, and the band played on and soon we "dancing and singing with the music" much to the amusement of the ladies on cleaning duty in the street.

My friend from Shanghai was not familiar with the wedding tradition and she was fascinated. The muso's kept playing, we took photos and danced and the cleaning trio thought we were all quite amusing.

Moments later, more vehicles appeared - the bride looking very beautiful in her very un-Chinese weddng gown, and vehicle with the photographer standing up with his head and shoulders through the opening in the roof of the car continuing to take the movie of the events.

This wedding procedure is traditional Shaoxing at its best.

More laughs in my Chinese adventure.

Chinese Culture

One thing that I have been searching for is Chinese Culture - performance. We managed to get to the Opera one night, but it was hard going. And people who saw us there, and those who know we went were quite curious. Why would we want to see this?

I recall at the Dragon Boat Festival - where there is a public holiday - there was not a sign of any Dragon Boat despite all the water (lakes, rivers, canals) around here. Not a teensy bit of Chinese culture - at least nothing I could find!

At student events there is little - until last night that is. I was not officially invited until very late, and by then I had found out one of my students was singing and had announced I would like to go.

It was billed as "Chinese Ancient Custom Festival." I think I was the only foreign teacher there.

It started with the Lion Dance - two very clever young men in the Lion's costume performing some great acrobatics and great gestures of the Lion.

That was followed by an array of performances - Chinese traditional music with the musicians in costume and not the usual jeans and sweater! Traditional Chinese stories performed in exquisite costume. I chatted to the man beside me (a Chinese PE teacher) and told him that this is what I had wanted to see - real Chinese cultural performance.

I had another commitment at 8 pm so left before the event has completed ,but in time to see my student sing a traditional Chinese song!

A great night, and I am so glad that I was able to see it. Why don't they invite the foreign teachers? Mainly as they do not understand that despite the language difficulty we can appreciate the colour, the music, the spectacle of Chinese culture.

I hope I can get to see more of it!!!!