December Routine

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The weather here is reminiscent of a typical Seattle winter- cold and wet, alternating with periods of really cold and dry. Still, the days are not as short as those of Washington State in this time of year.

I spend my time teaching, reading, practicing Chinese, writing, wandering aimlessly, eating food, and socializing with foreign and local friends.

There was a feast hosted by the Foreign Languages Department on Thursday. All-you-can-eat Western food. I especially enjoyed the salad bar and buttered bread. Packed away five plates.

Yesterday I was honored with an invitation to dinner at the apartment of Liu Yao, my Chinese teacher and co-worker. It was wonderful to have some home-cooked Chinese food and practice some phrases with his mother. They are from Heilongjiang Province, bordering Russia and North Korea. Probably plenty cold up there!

Mr. Liu told us a disturbing story over dinner. In nearby Jingdezhen, a woman was suspected of shoplifting from the local WalMart. Store employees accosted her in the parking lot, and then proceded to beat her to death . It's unclear if they actually stole anything. I'm starting a boycott. At any rate, only wealthy people shop at WalMart here.

I was told a story by my student which explains about half of Chinese culture. Many thousands of years ago there was a monster named Nian . Once a year Nian would attack human settlements, eating many villagers. Then one day a wise old man told his people than the beast was scared of three things- the color red, loud noises and couplets. Now Chinese people have red latterns and paper around their homes and businesses, love the color red, and often use firecrackers. Especially on the time of year that Nian used to decend from the mountains to feast on human flesh- the Chinese New Year.

I have a Chinese name that has stuck, despite (because of?) my recent change in facial hair status. I am now styled Da Houzi - "big beard". Its just like being called "Baldy", or "the one with the stinking hair".

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Comments

[Aunt Pat]

WalMart in China
Silly me, WalMart in China, who knew?

[ellen]

shoplifting
last time I was in London I was wandering in Soho, and these bullet-bodied fierce men ran down a young gangly Jamacian boy, and took him HARD to the ground, rough and mean, and all the bystanders and the shopkeepers were cheering them on, and I yelled "WHY?" and they said "he probably stole something, Theif! Theif!" and I yelled loudly at all their righteous pinhead British selves "You Don't KNOW he did ANYTHING! You didn't see ANYTHING! Who do you all think you ARE!???" at the cops, too. Assholes.

[Aunt Tamara]

Good to share
I have taken the liberty of sharing your adventures with my students. You have extended your reach too a few hundred more minds.

[Aunt Tamara]

forgot
to say ... Love you! Aunt Tam