Rice harvesting

Last semester we watched as the rice was planted in the fields around this part of China. Now it is harvet time. Some fields are not quite ready, and others are being harvested. Around Longmen we had a chance to see different stages of the harvest. In the fields, the rice is harvested in differing ways. It appears that the smaller fields are harvested manually, and other places a machine takes off the heads of the rice.

In this field - a small one - you could see a little of the process, including the burning off of the stubble. in a court yard in the ancient city women were raking the rice to keep the drying process going. I would imagine they would rake it up and night and put it in bags, and do the same again the next day. Very labour intensive this way.

Day Tour to Wuzhen and Haining (2)

One place that we visited at Wuzhen this time was the Rice Wine Factory. The Rice wine is made in the same way as it has been for centuries and there were many pottery barrels on display.

There was a man filling tiny china cups with the brew and we could all have a taste. It was powerful stuff. Cleared the head! Fascinating to see it all.

I don't think anyone bought any of their packs of wine - I didn't want to as it mean I had to carry it for the rest of the day. I quite like Rice wine - in small doses. It is cheap. Less than $AU1 a bottle.

The language challenge

One of the things that I have asked is for a map of the college/university. The reason we were not given one was that it is in Chinese - and I have offered to work with a student and translate - so that we can give new teachers a guide to where they might need to go.

Several times in the past couple of weeks I have had challenges. For example, one day I was told that there was a special dinner that night which I was instructed to attend. (Getting notification at short notice is a feature of life here!!!) But this event was to be held in the "staff canteen". I was most surprised as for the four months that I have been here, I did not know there was a "staff canteen." No where in the information give to us is there any reference to this building, which oddly enough is very close to our apartments! Now I know where it is!

On Thursday I had a note stuck to my door by someone from the International Exchange office requesting that I attend "The Student's Centre" between 1.30 and 2 pm on Friday. The Student's Centre? What and where is that???

I was given instructions by one of the students and proceeded to arrive at the appointed time, only to find this huge building locked - in fact one door had a chain lock on it. We could see people inside - so we did a circumnavigation of what turned out to be the "stadium" where basketball and gymnasium is held. The entrance is a small door on the side of the building.

When I returned to my apartment later, there was a phone call. In broken English I was told that I had to get "fooda" from the office - and it was ten minutes before the office closed. So I went down the five flights of stairs and walked the 1/2 klm to the office and was given two vacuumed packed Chinese delicacy. It appears that this is special food for The Dragon Boat Racing Festival which is this weekend.

I managed to meet up with my Chinese teacher along the way seeking instructions on what to do with it. "It is delicious" I am told. No English instructions. It seems one boils it in water in a saucepan for 20 minutes and then you eat it. I have two varieties, but have no idea what the difference is. Do you think they would give us some English information? I wish!!!!!

Things happen that we don't understand and we are used to "being in the dark" about a lot of things. It is too hard for some staff and students to explain.

More of the mysteries of China.