You're So Money! (and you don't even know it)

In May, I went to a Chinese co-worker’s wedding. First, my co-worker, Apple, told us to “save the date.” Later, she passed out invitations. So far, it was all normal. After giving everyone their invitation, Apple took the foreigners aside and told us that we’d be singing during her reception. Now, none of us are good singers. She knows this from the time the school forced us to sing at an assembly. So, everyone thought it was weird that she was asking us to sing at her reception. Chinese wedding receptions don’t even really have dancing or music.

I, immediately, offered to read a poem to avoid singing. The other foreigners were game. They picked a song and started rehearsing.  The whole thing just seemed strange to me. Why did Apple want us to be so involved in her wedding? It didn’t add up.

It turns out that foreigners, particularly Caucasian foreigners, are considered classy in China. At the least, we signify money. This is because we are clearly from abroad; there really aren’t any homegrown white/black/brown people in China. So, this means that we have enough money to travel. Since the average salary in China isn’t very high (maybe $10,000 a year in Beijing for a pretty good job) our ability to travel makes us comparably wealthy.

In addition to showing wealth, Apple’s connection to us shows off her education. While some foreigners speak Chinese well, many do not. Apple’s ability to communicate with us shows off her fluent English. Therefore, she is well educated with connections to wealthy people.

My co-worker isn’t the only person in China loading up events with foreigners. Some companies do this too. They will hire foreign people to pose as investors, potential clients, employees, etc. to bolster their image. I really wanted to try this but, then, I read about how the Beijing police held a fake casting call where they arrested a bunch of foreign models for working without the proper documents. Since I’m in China as a teacher, taking an acting gig as a fake foreign investor would violate my visa. So, I refrained from doing this. I don’t want to end up on Locked Up Abroad.

In the end, I went to Apple’s wedding and read from First Corinthians13:4-8. It may be common in the US but, it’s new and fresh in China.  Plus, I was totally foreign and classy while doing it.

Here is an interview with two foreigners who rent themselves out in China.

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Question: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands?

Before I came to China, I read several books on Chinese culture. One question I had was if Chinese people bowed. According to the books I read, Chinese people both bow and shake hands, depending on the situation. Well, that’s wrong. I’ve been in China for 10 months now and I haven’t seen any Chinese people bow as a greeting or as a goodbye. In fact, they bow as often as Americans do. The only time I’ve seen a Chinese people bow is at the end of a performance.

While Chinese people don’t bow, they do shake hands. The handshake, however, is different than in the US. Americans like a firm, hearty handshake. That kind of handshake would make people uncomfortable here. In China, people use a gentle, brief handshake. The best I can think of is that the handshake is more like what I’ve experienced with old ladies at church, a sort of soft, clasping of the hands. It’s not the type of handshake you would do at a business meeting.

Since I read that people bow in China, I went around Beijing bowing like I did in Korea. I did this for a few days. People gave me the same looks I would have gotten in the US; until I finally got the message and stopped. Don’t be like me. It makes people think you’re crazy. 

President Obama and Former President Hu shake hands in 2011.

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Photo: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/16/china.us/ 

Jiminy Cricket!

A few months ago, my class went on a field trip. While on the bus, I noticed an odd, chirping sound. It sounded familiar but, I couldn’t place the sound. Then, the students started chanting “Gwa! Gwa!” I asked my co-teacher what the kids were saying. She said they were saying “cricket.” That’s when I realized what the chirping sound was – the bus driver had a small jar, mounted on the dashboard, with a cricket inside of it.

My husband, Luiz, also saw a man with a cricket. They were in the bank and a big cricket jumped out of the man’s pocket and scampered away. Luiz said the man chased after it and put the cricket back into his pocket.

Crickets have been kept as pets in China for a very long time. No one really knows exactly when it started. A cricket home was discovered in a tomb from around 960 AD. However, it’s thought that cricket keeping started well before this. During various periods, crickets have also been kept as pets in Japan and parts of Europe.

Crickets are kept as pets for a few reasons. Some people like chirping sound and put them in special cricket homes designed to amplify the sound. Others like to race or fight the crickets. There are even special cricket breeders.

It seems like crickets as pets is something for middle aged and older men. The bus driver fit this description. So did the man Luiz saw. Other types of people probably have crickets too but, I’ve just never seen them.

I don’t think I would have a cricket as a pet. I don’t like insects and I’m sure my cat would kill it. But, to each his own. 

A cricket in a cage.

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The only cricket I would keep as a pet. 

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Cricket in Cage Photo: http://mariespastiche.blogspot.jp/2013/03/pet-crickets.html

Jiminy Cricket Photo: http://www.disneyclips.com/imagesnewb/pinocchio_jiminy.html

The NBA in China

On one of my first days at work, one of the Chinese teachers asked me “Where are you from?” I told her Miami. To this, she replied “I really love Dwayne Wade.” It surprised me that this young, Chinese woman knew who Dwayne Wade was; especially since I wasn’t entirely sure who he was. (I knew he played in the NBA, I just had to check which team.) Later, a man trying to scam me into buying some of his art also asked me where I was from. When I told him Miami, he started telling me how much he loves the Heat.

It turns out that Chinese people really like the NBA. I expected soccer to be the Chinese national sport but, it seems to be basketball. China has their own basketball league and NBA games play on TV here. I also see a lot of people wearing t-shirts and jerseys from various basketball teams. I read that an estimated 300 million people in China play basketball.

If you ever need to make small talk with a Chinese person, ask them about their favorite basketball team. This will surely break the ice. 

I went to a very nice shopping mall. They had screens on the ceiling displaying messages people texted in. My co-teacher translated the top message for me. It says something like "Fight On Heat. LeBron James MVP. Go Heat." 

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Buzz Cut Babies

Walking around Beijing, I noticed that a lot of babies have shaved heads. Most young babies have, naturally, very short/sparse hair but, these babies are sporting buzz cuts. At first, I thought it was because I arrived in Beijing during August, the hottest month. I assumed the very short haircut was to keep the baby cool. Then, I noticed that the haircuts didn’t disappear with fall or winter. So, I decided to investigate.

In China, the hair a child is born with (womb hair) is considered bad luck. So, traditionally, most of the hair is shaved off for good luck. Often, a little tuft of hair is left at the top of the head. Now, many people do not shave their baby’s head. They often just do a symbolic trim for the occasion.

The head is shaved for the baby’s Full Moon Celebration. This is done when the baby is one month old. The Full Moon Celebration is, basically, a party for the parents’ friends and extended family to meet the baby. Traditionally, mom and the new baby go through a resting/confinement time until the baby is one month old. During this time, they do not usually receive visitors.

The Full Moon Celebration sounds fun. There is food, gifts, etc. Plus, the baby gets his/her first haircut. I haven’t been to one but, if invited, I would like to go.

There are other occasions when Chinese children get really short haircuts. The second month of the lunar year is supposed to be a lucky time for a haircut. Shortly after we came back from our Chinese New Year vacation, several of my male students got buzz cuts. The girls didn’t get such drastic cuts though. They all appeared to have cut an inch of so off of their hair.

Well, now I know why, no matter the season, there are a bunch of buzz cut babies walking around Beijing. 

How cute is this kid getting his Second Month of the Lunar Calendar haircut?????

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Photo: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572289/Fringe-benefits-Children-undergo-traditional-lucky-haircuts-China-dont-happy-it.html

Dragon Boat Festival

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. It’s a legal holiday so, it’s a day off. I tried looking up what this holiday is about but, I found the internet confusing. Apparently, depending on where you are in China, there are three possible reasons for this holiday.

Qu Yuan

From what I’ve read and been told, Qu Yuan’s story is the most commonly cited story for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Basically, Qu Yuan was a poet and government official, from the ancient state of Chu, who opposed an alliance with another state, Qin. After the alliance went through, he was banished. During his banishment, Qu Yuan wrote a lot of poetry and gained respect and fame from those around him. Eventually, Qin overtook Chu. Distraught, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. (Although, I have also been told that the drowning was accidental.) When the locals heard Qu Yuan went into the river, they raced their dragon boats out to save him. When they couldn’t find him, they dropped zongzi (sticky rice balls) into the river so the fish wouldn’t eat and desecrate Qu Yuan’s body before the people could find it.

Wu Zixu

Wu Zixu was an advisor to the king. He gave the king some advice and the king ignored it. Apparently, he really pressed this advice and the king accused him of sabotage. So, Wu Zixu was forced to commit suicide. His body was later thrown into the river. When it turned out that Wu Zixu was right and not a traitor, the king was upset and committed suicide.

Cao E

Cao E is a girl who is considered a model for filial piety. Her father was their area’s local shaman. The story says that while her father was performing a ceremony for Wu Zixu, he fell into the river. Cao E went into the river to save him. Apparently, she looked for three days. On the fifth day, their bodies were found together. Both drowned.

From my research, it doesn’t matter which story you believe started the holiday. People seem to celebrate the same way, regardless of the story. The main way to celebrate is to make zongzi, a sticky rice dumpling. People also participate in dragon boat races. All in all, it’s a rather laid back holiday.

Zongzi - My Chinese co-teacher made the dumpling by the blue arrow. I made the dumpling by the red arrow. It's hard to wrap everything up nicely. As you can see, my co-teacher's leaf wrapped dumpling is even and triangular. Mine is definitely not. 

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Watch someone who knows what she's doing make zongzi.

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Wedding Gift Gaffe

Over the weekend, I went to my first Chinese wedding. To prepare for the wedding, I picked out my outfit, bought a card, and visited the ATM for the gift.

At the wedding, I approached the gift table with my card/cash gift. At the table, I gave the card, in an envelope, to an attendant and signed my name in the guestbook. As I walked away, I noticed that the woman looked extremely confused. I saw her staring at my card, with a perplexed expression. Then, she put my card over to the side and got the attention of the woman next to her. She showed the woman my card and they both stared at the envelope and examined it, confusedly. This went one for a few minutes. They finally shook their heads and put the card into a box full of other envelopes. This is when I realized what confused the women.

At all weddings, it is expected that you will bring a gift. In China, the gift is almost always cash. That cash is supposed is to be placed in a red envelope and given to the people at the gift table. Every single other guest of the wedding brought a red envelope with cash in it. I am the only guest who brought a regular greeting card in a non-red envelope. All of the other envelopes were small, rectangular, and bright red. My card was in a large, square, shimmery off-white envelope. It really stood out.

When I bought the card, I knew that Chinese people use the red envelopes to give gifts of money for Spring Festival. I also thought they might be used for weddings but, I didn’t realize just how ubiquitous they were.

Now I know that if I go to another Chinese wedding, I should use a red envelope. FYI, if you ever got to a Chinese funeral, bring a cash donation in a white envelope. This is because white is the color of mourning and red is a happy color.

All of the other gift envelopes looked something like this.

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Photo: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/quizzes/2013/07/130718_royal_baby_quiz.shtml

May I Offer You a Hot Beverage?

Two weeks ago, my class had Cooking Week. During this time, we discussed our favorite foods and I taught the class about 20 food and cooking related terms. The highlights of the week, however, were when my class made and ate some Western style food.

For Cooking Week, I picked two simple foods – cereal and smoothies. My kids are young and we are cooking in our classroom, not an actual kitchen. So, we needed things that are easy and kid-friendly. This is why I went with cereal and smoothies. These foods do not need any cooking, kids like them, and they are quick. Plus, the necessary ingredients are widely available in China.

For the most part, our cooking activities went smoothly. The kids really enjoyed it. I did notice that a few kids weren’t really eating their cereal. When I asked why, they said it was too cold. My co-teacher then said “I forgot about that. We should have warmed up the milk.” I reminded her that the kids were eating Cheerios and bananas on a hot day so, the milk could be cold.

The next day, we made smoothies. Making smoothies is usually simple but, this involved some negotiation. First, we had to hide the smoothies from the school doctor. She believes that milk and fruit are dangerous together. Once that was taken care of, I had to convince the director that the smoothies really did need to be cold. I wasn’t going to use ice in our smoothies because the tap water here isn’t safe to drink. I didn’t want the kitchen to not realize we were going to be ingesting the ice and accidentally make it with tap water. So, I decided to freeze the bananas for 24 hours.

Freezing the bananas was a controversial decision. Everyone believed the smoothies would be too cold and make the children sick. In fact, the director even brought the milk and frozen bananas to my classroom about two hours prior to our cooking time so everything could “warm up.”

When I planned my Cooking Week activities, I made a crucial mistake. I overlooked Chinese people’s aversion to cold drinks. They really don’t like them. In restaurants, I have to specify that I want cold water or the waiter will bring me a teapot full of almost boiling water.

From what I’ve gathered, there are a few different theories as to why Chinese people really prefer hot beverages to cold beverages:

- As I previously mentioned, the tap water is unsafe to drink and has always been. So, maybe the hot water was seen as safer and cleaner.

- Some people believe that drinking a cold drink while eating will cause your body to spend energy warming up the drink, thus leaving the body without enough energy for digestion.

- There is an idea floating around that drinking cold things will cause the fat in your food to solidify and clog up your insides.

- According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, cold water disrupts the body’s balance.

Now, I’ve been to other countries with unsafe drink water (ex. Colombia) and the people there did not drink hot water. They just boiled their water and then put it in the refrigerator to chill. Or, they drank bottled water. So, I’m not completely convinced about this theory.

I really can’t say exactly why Chinese people prefer hot water. I’ve asked a few and all they could tell me was “It’s healthier this way,” or “Cold water gives me a stomachache. “ However, with summer here, I wish I knew.

Sheldon and the Chinese have something in common!

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Photo: http://theprovisionroom.com/2013/06/26/what-shall-i-bring/

Supermarket Scuffle

Living abroad forces a person to reevaluate their expectations and standards. What was once commonplace becomes rare and exciting. Conversely, what was once unthinkable can become common. China has certainly done this for me.

In my neighborhood, there is a grocery store called Wu Mart. It looks like a knockoff of Wal-Mart, albeit a darker, dingier knockoff. However, as a whole, it’s fine. It has meat, vegetables, fruit, milk, eggs, bread, etc.  It doesn’t have a lot of stuff I like but, hey, it’s China. Why would they? Anyway, I used to go to the grocery store and expect to find everything in one trip. Now, I go to the grocery store and expect to see a fight. Going to Wu-Mart is like going to a boxing match.

I don’t know what it is about Wu Mart that makes people violent. But, it does. During my nine months in China, I have seen several fist fights at Wu Mart. I’ve also seen dozens of screaming matches. Yesterday, I saw a crazy woman clutching a stranger’s leg, while sitting on the ground and sobbing. The police had to remove the woman to get her off of the random man.

I’ve thought long and hard about why Wu Mart makes people so angry. I can’t tell why. I’ve even observed a few fights to try and see what set the people off. I usually can’t tell because I don’t understand the language. Wu Mart doesn’t make me angry but, maybe it’s under some power lines or over a magnetic field that affects some people. I just don’t know what it is. Whatever it is, grocery shopping at Wu Mart is always an adventure.

I've got to train like Rocky...

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...to shop at Wu Mart!

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Rocky Photo Credit: http://billcoyne.net/cardio-alternatives/

Wu Mart Photo Credit: http://barfblog.com/tags/wu-mart/

Calendar Magic

Today is Monday. Typically, this means that yesterday was Sunday. In China, however, this was not the case. In China, yesterday was Friday. Well, it was for work purposes at least. The Chinese are magicians when it comes to the calendar. They can change the days and the overall order of the days like magic.

The reason yesterday was a work Friday is May Day aka Labor Day. May Day was on Thursday, May 1st. To give people a little holiday break, work and school were canceled on Friday. Saturday was a regular weekend day. Anyway, to make up for Friday being off, Sunday became a work/ school day for most people. So, we had a three day weekend, which will be followed by a six day week.

The Chinese refer to these special, working weekend days as Makeup Days. Personally, I would rather just work the regular days and keep my weekends off. But, I guess this takes away the magical way Chinese people have with the calendar. Oh well.

Happy Labor Day! Yeah, I'm going to need you to come in on Sunday.

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