Why?-- Chun Jie Edition

"Why?" is a question that comes up often here in China.  Why are all security guards in China either 12 year-old boys or 70 year-old retirees?  Why are condoms always sold front and center, right next to chewing gum and Snickers bars at the check-out line?  Why is it that one mooncake will be wrapped in fifteen different layers of packaging, when it's just the same nasty mooncake that's sold on the street?  Why do we have to pay for pharmacy goods separately from our grocery items?

Many of these 'why' questions are left unanswered, or with the ubiquitous shrug and, "This is China."  Neither is very satisfying, but it's what we've got.  Actually, "it's what we've got" is also a pretty common answer.

Anyway, in my few years of living here, I have found a few very satisfying answers to my 'why' questions related to Spring Festival (Chun Jie 春节) or Chinese New Year, as it's often referred to back home.  Here are my findings:

Why the fireworks?  Every year, China erupts into mass chaos at midnight to ring in the New Year.  Fireworks are sold at street corners for two weeks prior to the big event, and the volume of fireworks has led to a few hazards in the past.  That seems commonplace enough, but what most people don't know is that the fireworks, firecrackers, noisemakers that sound like bombs, and every other irritatingly loud noisemaker will go off before every meal time over the course of the following week.

I've learned that the reason for this is that fireworks, firecrackers, and noisemakers aren't just something Chinese people use to celebrate.  The light and noise from these things are meant to scare away evil spirits that, I suppose, are only active at the one major holiday of the year.  These 'evil spirits' are also more present at meal times, which is why the works are always set off just before meals also.

Why the red paper around the doors?  Ah yes, the red paper around the doors.  For those of you who don't know about red paper around the doors, they are sort of like China's version of Christmas lights that stay up year-round.  Walk up any apartment building stairwell, and you'll see fading, tearing strips of red paper stuck to the door frames, usually emblazoned in some sort of Chinese greeting in gold foil. 

Turns out that this tradition also stems from the same vein of guarding from the evil spirits.  Red is the color symbolizing good luck in Chinese culture (hence, why red is freaking EVERYWHERE in this country), and they are keeping bad luck out and good luck in.  I find this absolutely fascinating because it totally mirrors the story of the last plague on Egypt, when the Israelites were able to keep the Angel of Death from entering into their homes by painting the red blood of a lamb sacrifice over the tops and sides of their door posts.

Why the TV specials?  Ask any Chinese student what they do at New Year's, and you'll probably receive the same answer:  watch TV.  CCTV puts on a number of New Year specials featuring magic shows, some song-and-dance numbers, a lovely hostess in a flashy outfits, and cross-talk... which is sort of like China's version of stand-up comedy.  These specials will often go late into the evening, and I have to admit that I've never seen anyone get so excited to watch TV until 3 AM.

From what I understand, there isn't much to do on New Year's.  Everything is closed, the dumplings have been wrapped, boiled, and eaten, and the fireworks have been set off.  At that point, there's not much else to do but gather 'round the old telly and be entertained.  I heard that this year's specials left much to be desired, but then again-- I haven't been one for hours of Chinese kitsch and comedy I don't understand.


For how long I've lived here, I've learned comparatively few answers to all my 'why' questions.  The truth is that even many Chinese people don't know the answers to these questions, but that is part of the beauty of living here.  To simply exist in a seemingly insane system of traditions and ways of doing things, and appreciate the aspects you enjoy, and learn to deal with the aspects you don't.  In any case, here is to wishing everyone a joyful new year!  新年快乐 xin nian kuai le !

The Year of the Dragon

Happy New Year, everyone!

I suppose for folks living in China, it is obligatory that I post something about Chinese New Year's on our blog.  We're now almost at the official end of Spring Festival Week, which went by too quickly, as holidays often do.  It's still been an amazingly relaxing time, free from classes and full of slept-in mornings.

Considering that Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year (imagine Christmas, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day, and New Year's Eve all rolled into one), the majority of the city shuts down.  Major malls, public transit, and chain supermarkets stay open for business while the rest of the Beijing turns into a Chinese version of the set of a zombie apocalypse film... or just a reasonably populated city in a Western country.  For us laowai, it's a dream come true-- free reign of the streets without having to worry about colliding with someone every five minutes, and quiet for extended periods of time.  For our Chinese friends, it's strange.  Where are all the people?  And why is it so eerily quiet?

In our case, our celebration was eerily quiet-- even for laowai.  We made plans to hang out at our friend's 22nd floor apartment to watch the insane free-reign fireworks that go off to usher in the new year.  The photos don't do the event justice, but just imagine if every family in China made it their mission to hold their own personal Disneyland fireworks show at midnight-- and pulled it off.  That's basically what happened.

Here are a few photos:

 

Coming up... a laowai's perception of Chinese New Year traditions.

White Privilege: Not Just for Americans

Before coming to China, Jason and I were hoping to teach English in Korea.  Of course, now we know that it was simply not in the plans for us to avoid going to China, but I had a hard time grappling with the reasons for why we couldn't find a position teaching English.

"Hi, you are Korean American, right?" the girl at the teaching agency asked.

"Yes, I am.  But I was born in America and I've lived there my entire life."

"Yes, but it is very difficult to find a school that will take a teacher who does not look like an American."

To which my next question should have been, "Well, what the hell does an American look like?"  I suppose people everywhere are ignorant of the fact that different countries contain a diverse range of physicalities.  I'll admit that it still surprised me just a little bit (ok, maybe more) when I met a Chinese-South African, or when I realized that there is a huge Asian-Australian population-- a group of people who look a lot like me but speak with a way cooler accent.

Does it get frustrating when I walk into a class full of students fully expecting a "foreign-looking" teacher whose disappointment is clearly written all over their faces because I look Chinese?  Yes, and the whole explanation about not being from Korea, and having not much of a Korean national identity, is never easy to get out.

But what is more infuriating than having to explain myself a hundred times a week to taxi drivers, restaurant workers, office workers, sales clerks, and nearly every other person in China is that I could never get the job in Korea, or the job posted here on the blog, simply because I don't enjoy white privilege.  Not only that, but the job very well may go to some idiot whose Modus Operandi it is to sleep with as many unsuspecting Asian women and get as plastered as possible every night while still being able to show up to class the next morning, just to play a pirated DVD of Friends and sleep off his hangover at his desk.  But it doesn't matter.  Because he is white.

So what do I hope to gain from my little rant?  Really, nothing.  I'm as little of a fan of white guilt as I am of white privilege.  Am I saying all Chinese people are ignorant for thinking that I look Chinese?  No.  Because frankly, so would Dave Chapelle.

I suppose I'd like to say just this: WAKE UP.  It's no surprise that the world is a diverse place, and thankfully, the media is just starting to catch onto it.  Racism is still a problem today, but namely because of things like this advertisement and the people who perpetrate the problem are those who assume that one's ability is based on the color of their skin.  If the Chinese continue to believe that because "we all look the same," racism is not a problem in this society, they are sorely wrong and will continue to fall short of the social advances of their world power neighbors, who are just now learning to embrace their diversity as an asset.

'marshawu,' you should seriously start reconsidering the wording on your advertisement.  And I'm not your friend.

Channel surfing has its consequences

We interrupt our regular programming to bring you a fantastical Chinese creature who seems to have grown an enlarged scrotum on his forehead.

Brownie points to whomever can come up with the best captions for these photos.

Tomb Sweeping Day

Hello, world.  This past weekend was the first "holiday" of the semester-- Qing Ming Jie, translated as Tomb Sweeping Holiday, which is literally what families across China actually do on this holiday.  Qing Ming Jie is a day devoted to honoring loved ones, relatives, and ancestors who've passed on.  Families go home to maintain their family plots and "worship" their ancestors, asking for good luck and prosperity.

Another part of Qing Ming Jie tradition is to give "offerings" to your relatives by burning replicas of things that you think they might need in their respective afterlives.  Traditionally, copies of paper money is burnt... I guess so your ancestors can finally get that Snickers Bar they've been eyeing at the Afterlife Concession Stand.  But plain ol' cash simply won't do for those who've passed on nowadays, oh no.  I learned from my students that paper copies of iPhones, iPads, television sets, cars, even Visas to travel to other countries are available for all your ancestral worship needs.

In any case, given that we're sans tomb to sweep, Jason and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful Spring weather that's finally come around to take a walk through old Beijing.  Here's a bit of what we saw.

Some hutong doorways.

Locals doing what locals do.  These men are playing Chinese chess.  To the bottom left corner of this photo, you'll also see a disabled man dragging his torso along the ground, begging for money.

This particular area (Guanzijie) is down the street from the Confucian Temple and Museum, and near Yong He Gong Buddhist Temple, so it's a hot spot for tourists, which means a lot of panhandling.  The street is lined with Buddhist fortune tellers, where people can give a sum of money to hear about their futures.  While I was taking this picture, I found myself wondering about the future of this beggar.  Would anyone in his family ever burn a paper car, television set, or iPhone for him when he's passed, when I'm sure all he wanted during his time on earth was enough to fill his belly and the ability to use his legs.

Of course, it's not a proper day walking around China without your dose of Chingrish signage.  For the record, Funny Socks was closed, but from what I could tell about it, it was a real estate office.  Yup.

We decided to stop for some lunch.  This little Xiao Long Bao (steamed dumplings filled with meat and soup) joint looked pretty good, and the two men working inside urged us to come in.  Sure, it wasn't considered what most would call fine dining, but we thought we'd give it a shot.

While the dumplings were tasty and filled us up, they made a rather unwelcome, speedy return visit just one hour later, which necessitated a detour on our subway ride home.  I won't go too far into detail, but I'll simply say that given how few tissues I had on me, I was grateful that I'd brought along last month's issue of Time Out Magazine in my backpack.  The bright side to all of this is that I found out that subway toilets are a lot cleaner than one would assume!

In the midst of experiencing bits and pieces of "Lao Beijing," we inevitably ran into the cold concrete and soaring immensity of New Beijing, which continues to sprout up and overtake the city without warning.  In its own way, New Beijing was also the uninvited guest in many households this Qing Ming Jie, as many Beijing families had to dig up the ashes of their relatives to find a new burial site for them, as they'd been informed by the government that a new building is set to be built on what was the resting place for their parents, grandparents, and ancestors' remains.

Just around the corner from the small hutong where we'd spied on kids playing hide-and-seek by ducking behind wooden wheeled carts, old Beijing seniors chatting with one another, and lap dogs lounging in the sunshine, I saw these three identically giant buildings.

Old Beijing, I hope that by this time next year, we won't be burning paper money in your memory as well.  Cheers.

On Being "American"

On a daily basis, I find myself having to argue with a Chinese local that I truly am an American.

"But you don't look like an American.  You look like us.  Like an Asian."

Pushing my heavy sighs aside, I try to explain that America is a diverse place where there are all sorts of different people.  "In fact," I remind them, "people of Asian, African, and Latin descent have been in American longer than you've been alive.  Not to mention the real native Americans.  So really, 'Americans' don't look any certain way."  Usually, they're confused because "Americans" are all supposed to look like Cameron Diaz or Julia Roberts or this young woman here:



and move on with their day convinced that I'm just nuts and all Americans still look like a moving Eddie Bauer advertisement.  On occasion, I'll meet someone who is truly perplexed by this whole idea that an entire country couldn't be populated by a bunch of people who share similar physical characteristics.  It takes a while to explain to them that most Americans don't live the way Ross and Rachel do on Friends, and that you can't depend on television or movies to determine what you believe about an entire country full of people.  (Same goes for the Americans who assume that all Chinese know kung fu.)

You can imagine how upsetting it is to see a video like this circulating the net when I spend hours explaining to my students that not all Americans are racist (though many still are), that somehow we manage to find a way to live together and respect- or even appreciate- our differences, and that things like being polite or non-confrontational aren't solely traits of Chinese culture.  It's not worth it to go into the many ways in which this young woman is misinformed in her thinking and in need of some serious diversity training.  I know we've still got a long way to go, but one hopes for something far greater from the educated youth of America, especially in a place as diverse as LA.

As a teacher, my goal is to broaden the scope of my students' understanding of an ever-shrinking world.  As an American, my goal is to break a stereotype about who I am and what I am not.  Both are difficult here, and it's so disheartening to see how it's still such an uphill battle back home.  With great hope, we shake it off and press on. 

C'mon America.  You're better than this.

Stuff My Sister Finds

My sister is awesome.  She is incredibly talented, adorable, and has a witty, original blog that is a lot of fun to read (it gives some insight as to what it's like being in our family).  She also sends all the good stuff she finds on the internet to me.

Everyone's heard of hipsters, but most are still unsure as to what exactly a hipster is.  From what I understand, hipsters are people who wear glasses, drink a lot of coffee and beer, ride their bikes, and try to disassociate themselves from anything that is considered "cool" by mainstream society.  And wear a lot of flannel/plaid.  And jeans that are too tight.  If you still aren't quite sure, observe this alarmingly realistic portrait of a Portland hipster from the IFC Show Portlandia.




I actually fit into more than half of those criteria, but I guess being a hipster means taking all of those criteria and heightening it to the next level.  Even people who thought they were hipsters apparently have felt forced disassociation from the hipster crowd.  I guess they were just too cool.

Anyway, my sister found this little gem of a gif.  It brought me a lot of joy (no pun intended) because it joins two of my favorite things: Disney, and tongue-in-cheek humor poking fun at hipsters.

Gotta love it.

About as Korean as I get

Some Korean-Americans are super into being Korean.  They follow Korean pop-culture, fashion, music, speak Korean fluently, only hang out with other Koreans, and their favorite vacation spot is Korea... or wherever it's trendy for Koreans to be going.

I was never really one of those Korean-Americans, but I'll admit I did wish I was one until it was discovered that I couldn't keep up with the trends, skincare regimen, diets, and my Korean language ability is pretty dismal.  That being said, I was really excited to read that Carolina Herrera's Spring 2011 line was inspired by traditional Korean dress.  And she does an amazing job of re-interpreting the design of traditional Korean clothes.

 Photo from anonymitynews.com

Photo from cupcakemag.blogspot.com

I still remember growing up and having kids in my class ask me if I was Chinese or Japanese, and having no idea what Korea was.  S. Korea is making some pretty incredible strides in putting itself on the map culturally, technologically, and politically, and it is exciting to see the influence grow.

Now isn't it ironic how Carolina Herrera, a Venezuelan designer, is doing an arguably better job of celebrating Korean history and culture than, say, these guys over here are?  Just sayin'.