Reading Out Loud

In class, my teacher has me read Tuan Yuan, a children's book about Chinese New Year. The main character, a little girl, is excited for her dad to come for his yearly visit. She doesn't recognize him at first, but after shaving his beard and changing his clothes, she sees that he's the dad she's used to. He makes a treat for the family, hiding a coin in one of the dumplings. He says whoever bites into that particular piece will receive good luck. 

The following morning, the little girl bites into it and finds her good luck coin. She carries the coin around everywhere after that. Her dad only stays for another few days, during which time they do all the traditional and fun things that people do during the new year. The days before he leaves, the girl discovers her pocket with her lucky coin is empty! After looking everywhere all day she is devastated that she has lost her coin, even refusing to let her dad give her another one. 

Luckily, she does actually find the coin. The next day she wakes up to find her dad preparing to leave. As she hugs him goodbye, she says she wants him to have the coin and to make the special treat again on his next visit in another year.

I stand in front of the class reading this book aloud in Chinese to my classmates, the two girls nearest helping me with the characters I don't know, which admittedly, is not as many as I would have thought. We get to the page where the girl hugs her dad goodbye and suddenly I choke up. I barely finish the story without large, wet tears gathering in my eyes. 

Yes, I cry in front of the whole class. Little do I know that someone is taking pictures!

In my supervisor's class in the afternoon, he also asks me to read a paragraph. Today is just one of those days. "Hopefully ancient philosophy won't make me cry," I think to myself. This time I stumble through not understanding what I'm reading, markedly less fluent than when I read the children's story. I make it through the paragraph and breathe deeply. 

I need to work on reading out loud in Chinese. 

T-shirt Translation

The first question most people that have seen the shirt I'm selling ask is, "What does it mean?" It's a totally valid question. No one (in the U.S.) wants to wear a shirt that could easily be blatant swearing, foolish nonsense, or worse, political jargon. (All of these I've seen in China on shirts written in English, by the way). That being said, it is high time I share the meaning of the "Read Between the Strokes" shirt.

 

 

三更灯火

五更鸡

是男儿读书时

黑发不知勤学早

白首方悔读书迟

 

From the dead of the night until dawn

is the time for a man to study

Starting early, a boy doesn't realize it's hard work

The old man regrets studying too late 

 

 

 

 

Now that you know what the shirt means, does it carry more significance to you? Some people I've talked to say knowing the translation makes it more philosophical, which suits them. What does it mean to you?

 

How to Get Ready for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival 【春节】begins on January 31st this year. In the weeks leading up to the holiday, the whole of China will be on the move. From east to west, people, especially migrant workers, will return to their home villages to spend the time with families they haven't seen the rest of the year. On the 29th, families all over Asia will gather together to eat a special meal, perhaps watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV, and give each other gifts. In the days following they will visit relatives, and especially in China, take a break from work for 1-2 weeks.

Even though I am spending the holiday in the U.S., the Spring Festival is a special time of year for me, too. I enjoy sharing my host culture with people here at home. This year to celebrate I'll be presenting on China in my younger siblings' classes. However, creating a presentation fit for 5-8 year-olds takes a lot of preparation, as does the Spring Festival itself. If you haven't prepped your home or family for this holiday, I'm here to help. Here is my list on how to get ready for Chinese New Year. Keep in mind that my recommendations are all based on my own observations of preparations in China, and should, by no means, be taken too seriously. Especially if you live outside of China, just have fun with it!

Spring Clean

Before the new year arrives, it's important that your home be ready for all the good spirits and prosperity that is sure to come. More importantly, one must take care to sweep away all the bad luck from the year before. After you've got your house spick-and-span, don't forget to hang your traditional couplets around your door frame.
 

 

Buy Red

Buy red underwear in particular. Not only is this a lucky color in Chinese culture, but it is also a great preparation for Valentine's Day. Buy some for yourself. Get a few for your spouse. Stock up for your kids. Don't forget the grandparents! While you're at it, go for red sheets and duvets, too. Go big or go home, right?

 

Make Dumplings

This is a must. Because of their similar shape to ancient gold currency, dumplings represent fortune and prosperity. At the new year, people sometimes hide small coins inside the filling to be found by some lucky eater. Even without the coin, dumplings are a delicious main meal and fun to make at home or with friends. It's a common Chinese question to ask foreigners if they know how to "bao jiaozi," or make dumplings. Why not get a head start this year by making some of your own?
 

 

Set Off Firecrackers

As you ring in the new year, your ears should be ringing--there should be a Chinese idiom for that. Chances are, you're not going to be doing this in your backyard in the States, but a few sparklers or a bonfire would do, too!
 

 

If nothing else, you can wear my Chinese-English original design for your Chinese New Year celebration! Find it on my Etsy shop at the top of this page or here. Leave a comment and you'll get 10% off your order! Who can say no to more holiday deals? 
 

"The Sound of Youth" Radio Show Interview

Through the International Students' Association, I had the opportunity this week to participate in a radio interview. The show is called "The Sound of Youth" and is a daily program focusing on activities and stories from Changchun's plethora of universities. In our interview, three Chinese students from our association as well as another foreign student, Hadi, and myself discussed life in China and the importance of our club's activities for foreign students. Our hostess particularly enjoyed asking Hadi and I about our experiences studying Chinese and living in China. At one point, she even asked the other students to talk about both Hadi and I as individuals. If it had been television, you would have seen me blushing profusely.

The whole time I kept imagining Changchun's taxi drivers joining in the program. "Not bad," they'd think. "They speak Chinese pretty well," their passengers would reply. Maybe one of the millions out there would wonder, "Have I driven these Lao wai before?"  

Unfortunately for my readers, this interview was all done in Chinese (with the exception of my little English side notes). Nevertheless, if you'd like to listen to it, you can visit their webpage and click on 2013-10-24. (In case you can't remember what my voice sounds like, I'm the slow one that stutters). You might want to skip ahead five or ten minutes past the commercials, or even three-fourths of the way through where they have me sing a song in Chinese. Otherwise, enjoy all the incomprehensible rhythms and the tones! Also, my various tunnels past the Great Firewall have all been failing me lately, so pictures will have to come later.

 

 

The China Dream

Something's happening underneath Changchun. A subway system is on its way. The ground rumbles with approval. Traffic is happily diverted. Progress won't be stalled, but it's not a pretty sight. So they decided to decorate. 
 

 

 

A new campaign has made its way north called Zhongguo Meng: The Chinese Dream. Culture boards all over the country have submitted one or more slogans with beautiful artwork attached. Street by street, the effect is like an outdoor museum of propaganda.
 

 

 

Reading most of the posters is simple enough. Paired with the art, it isn't difficult to understand (or at least guess) their meaning. When a few of them started to trump me and my dictionary, however, I called on Jin Jin. Some have historical references to poems or songs that I hadn't heard of. Some of them include contemporary poetry. They are all concise and poignant in their simplicity. The artwork adds a warmth and aesthetic beauty to the idealistic thoughts shared. It might be propaganda, but it's very moving. Here are a few of my favorites with their translations and Jin Jin's helpful explanations where necessary.

 

 

 

 

Filial Piety

The Chinese bloodline

 

 

 

 

Store every grain

Treasure grains and use them prudently

Jin Jin says, "When Xi Jinping [China's new president] came to office his "Chinese Dream" advocated for less waste. In homes and hotels especially, people need to take appropriate measures, so think that "Ke li gui cao" goes along with this idea." 

 

Get yourself to work

Be well-clothed and well-fed

 

 

The nation's dream

A crane circling towards the heavens

 

This particular poster had my brain all twisted for how to translate its poetic sense. First of all, it uses the word "Zhong hua" instead of "Zhong guo" to mean China. Zhong guo is a modern term whereas Zhong hua is an ancient poetic form. According to Jin Jin, it also exudes a more patriotic connotation. In ancient times, the phrase was used to describe the nine states within the nation. The second half of the poster provides an image of a crane, an animal that symbolizes propitiousness in Chinese rhetoric, circling towards the "nine" heavens. As Jin Jin explains: Since "Zhonghua" has nine states, it is only fitting to infer the nine heavens above them. Lastly, instead of just using "meng" to say "dream," they used the term 圆梦, "yuan meng." Jin Jin tells me that it points to the way that China rose up both in ancient and recent times to stand on their own feet, and to the promise that they can continue to rise.
 

 

The Communist Party is good

Socialism is good

"Reform and Opening" is good

This is one of my favorites simply for its boldness. It's frank, simple, and full of faith. "Reform and Opening" refers to China's 1978 policy to open its doors to the outside world again.

 

A spring breeze and a return to green

The China Dream

 

If you look closely at the poster you can see people doing the dragon dance, a tradition after the Chinese New Year, also referred to as the "Spring Festival." At this time of year, the frozen land begins to thaw, trees are graced with leaves again, and flowers begin to bloom. Jin Jin informs me that the first line refers to a famous poem that starts: "A spring breeze and a return to green along the banks of the southern Yangtze." Here, "The Chinese Dream" is written in place of China's famous river, implying that China's dreams are easiest to come by in the spring when everyone is happy and living the sweet life.

 

 

My keeping fit

My foretelling

 

There's that "yuan meng" again. It can literally mean a prognostication by dreams, which when combined with the idea of a "Chinese dream," one can understand that it can mean a foretelling of one's rise to success. Here the rise would be through fitness.

 

Sing of the homeland

"The five stars on ou red flag welcome the wind to make it flutter..."

 

 

Hardworkers

have a lot of luck

 

 

China--Onward and up!

China's spirit of youth lies in high aspirations

 

Jin Jin informs me, "China has a famous saying: When the young are strong, the country is strong." In the pictures, children are flying kites, symbolizing both their youth and vigor as well as their ability to soar.
 

 

Socialism is good

Hundreds of happy children

 

 

 

Why is China strong?

Because it has the Gongchangdang! (a.k.a. Communist Party)

 

 

China will live on endlessly

 

"Cool" China: "Out of the Inferno" Movie Review

 

Out of the Inferno

 

Do you remember that scene in She's All That or My Fair Lady where the former awkward social reject comes out dressed in the latest, fitting fashion? Everyone is struck dumb because no one ever thought the ugly duckling might just be a swan under all that beastly fuzz. In that moment (with all of these stories going through your mind), you lose no time in catching the moral: never judge a book by its cover. 

Minus the obvious moral, that's exactly what I felt watching Out of the Inferno this past weekend.  No longer the nerdy social outcast, China's movies have gotten to the point where they could pass for any given blockbuster.

First of all, this is not the kind of Chinese movie that is typically released in the U.S. It's not a classic Chinese epic, a Kung fu masterpiece, nor does it star Jackie Chan. It doesn't compare at all to films like Red Sorghum, one I also watched recently, the likes of which feature exquisite cinematography and get nominated for international awards. Whether it's the clothes, the history, a Chinese martial art, a specific tradition, or an ancient legend, these films all portray distinctly Chinese elements. Inferno doesn't do that. Taking place in a mega city with themes circling around family, selflessness over greed, and glorifying public servicemen, this movie could easily take place in any big city with very few changes to the script.

In the movie two estranged brothers, both firemen (one formerly and one presently), get called on to save people from a burning building. This is not just any building, but a Guangzhou skyscraper in the middle of the city. The fireman's pregnant wife is in the building doing a checkup where she runs into her brother-in-law preparing a welcome presentation for his new line of firefighting equipment. A maintainence man on the first floor throws a cigarette but onto the floor in the air-conditioning room and the mix of sparks and moving air starts the fire. Soon the fireman brother and his team are called to the rescue. Luckily, the former fireman hasn't lost any of his skills and quickly saves many on the upper floors, including his new fiancée. Lastly, the two firefighter brothers reconcile and work together to save not only the pregnant wife, but quite a few other people as well.

Although this is a story that could take place in a number of cities, it does not mean that there aren't any discrepancies particular to China. Too many movies here "tell" rather than "show." It wastes precious time, is unrealistic, and has the tendency to want to wrap every emotion and event up in a nice-looking, complete package. China's more artsy movies don't usually have the same defect. Shower from Heaven, for example, ends with the young lead character begging her caretaker to shoot her after she realizes that her scheme to sleep with the men who promise to take her back to her parents is a total fraud. Her caretaker does eventually shoot her and then himself in an action that bespeaks his desire, not unlike his peers', for her body, as well as his guilt for actually going through with it. There is no unlikely happy ending or even a monologue to heroize either character. Blockbusters are a different breed, however, and especially in China where, according to my friend Caixia, people like to feel the point or moral at the end of a story, there seems to be little promise of change.

On the other hand, something must be going on behind the scenes. Most movies made for large audiences in China are now in 3D, keeping up with the same trends in other markets throughout the world. This means that special effects are especially well-done. In Out of the Inferno, one particularly frightening scene involving a construction crane and the rescue of a group of people leaves you feeling the impossibility of a rescue so high up. Another element of change is the environment. I've seen two new releases this year, both of which take place in one of China's megatropolises. As more and more movies are filmed in and portray urban stories, China inevitably looks "cooler" to the outside eye. Now all they need are fewer movies with disjointed storylines and implausible turn of events. That being said, Inferno, for the most part, stayed away from these weaknesses as well, focusing more on the strong human relationships being saved along with victims of the fire. 

Lastly, Out of the Inferno featured a very strong and moving score. This score ultimately made the movie review-worthy since it did two things. First, it is noticeable. The audience only vaguely remembers the name of B-list movies, let alone their scores. Yet every award-winning or blockbuster movie also features a great, memorable score. Second, the music worked to underscore firemen's duties in the saving of lives. It also undeniably emphasized their need for a heroic public image. There was a point when, as skeptical of the movie as I was, I looked at that line of firemen in full uniform walking in slow motion toward an urban disaster with this magnificent music in the background and I got chills. "Bugger," I thought. "They got me. I'm convinced. Now I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the movie." One final point I'd like to make is that I ended up discussing this movie with a friend on a number of the same points I've talked about here. Ultimately, isn't that the mark of any "cool" movie.

5 Things on Pinterest You Won't Find in China

 

October 1, 2013: The 64th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. I woke up to the memorial ceremony at Tiananmen Square where Xi Jinping and the other top-tier CCP members walked around the People's Monument to pay their respects to those who died building the country. On CCTV News, the English channel, they held a Dialogue special where a few of China's top universities' professors came together to debate the "Chinese Dream." During these programs, reporters posed the question, "What does it mean to be Chinese?" 

Although I don't believe that the Chinese public is anywhere near as perplexed by the question of a national identity as some news programs might suggest, I would still like to put in my two jiao. The following are 5 things you will find on Pinterest that you will be hard-pressed to find in China. 

 

 

1. DIY and crafts

 

 

Pinterest DIY's

 

 

Pinterest is full of DIY projects and crafts. Whether you're trying to keep your kids busy while you refurbish a vintage dresser or trying to organize your home in twenty steps or less, you won't need to scroll down far before you find exactly what you need. Of course, in China, we call that "hiring someone" (see below). Send your kids to English classes (or calligraphy, or painting, or piano). Hire the company down the street for the remodel. Where will you be, by the way? Oh, that's right. Work.

 

 

Chinese LSEDIFY's (let someone else do it for you) 

 

 

 

2. Teaching tips

 

 

Chinese math textbooks

 

I'm using context clues here, but I'm assuming that a lot of teachers use Pinterest to plan and share lessons. If they lived in China that would be completely unnecessary. With the whole country on one system, all they'd have to do is follow the curriculum. Easy as yi, er, san!

3. Anything Weddings: Wedding party, Self-planned color and design schemes, Announcements/invitations, and Cake
 

 

 

A Pinterest wedding party

 

Wouldn't getting married be easier if you just had to pay one company for one of their wedding "sets," banquet included, and just show up looking pretty? Yet I'm sure many of you are thinking, "What fun would that be?!" Simply put, Chinese weddings typically don't involve any of the above.

4. Frosting, Chocolate, and Ryan Gosling

 

 

It was only a matter of time before someone thought of this

 

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of sugary sweets and breads to go around in this country. However, almost none of them can be claimed to be 'homemade.' Also, they are not cream-cheese-frosting sweet. The chocolate isn't anything to brag about either, especially given that their most expensive brand is Dove. Speaking of sweet, is it any wonder that when I search "shuai ge" [handsome men] in Chinese on Baidu (China's Google), the majority of the search results are foreigners (i.e. K-pop stars, Tom Cruise circa 1988, David Beckham)?

5. Internet Memes
 

 

The way a Pinterest addict might choose clothes

 

 

 

The way a Chinese student would choose clothes

 

These things are everywhere these days. Well, not everywhere as the only ones I've seen among Chinese friends are more sappy than silly, more cutesy than cool, and more informative than funny. If memes are any inkling of what a given culture is thinking, it only takes one to see how very different thoughts Chinese have from Americans.


You can make of this list what you will. Ok, so you won't find typical China among the how-to's and the grumpy cat memes throughout Pinterest. From the ideas I've posited you might gather that there is a lack of creativity in China, creativity being what Pinterest really boils down to, and which then cannot accurately portray a whole country other than the United States. It doesn't mean that China is all red lanterns and kung fu or even this article. China is only 64 years old! In terms of political states, it's still a baby. How about we at least let it get to it's adolescence before we start deciding which clique it belongs to (I'm talking to you, too, CCTV). Jiayou, China, keep it up!

Fortunately

Sometimes things just don't go your way. Sometimes it's not just a one day thing. But whether it's by the minute or by the year, things always turn around. Inspired by one of my favorite books growing up, Fortunately by Remy Charlip, here is what's been happening with me since we last met.

Unfortunately, someone was not very nice to me.

Fortunately, I found a new place to exercise. I had to pay a little money, but now everything I want to do is all in one spot not too far from home. I go five or six times a week for an hour or more each time. I figure with every workout I burn at least 500 calories. In the last three weeks, I've lost almost three kilograms, about five pounds. My goal is to lose six more kilos before I go home in November. Six more weeks!

Unfortunately my neck and shoulder are on the fritz again. 

Fortunately the doctor is still seeing me. Adding stretches and yoga is helping. Also, I've learned that it might be a symptom of gallbladder issues, which may seem like an "unfortunate," but I'm actually happy to know the connection. As I've experimented with some suggestions on what to eat, I believe I'm feeling a difference. The biggest help so far? Fresh ginger juice! Mmm, spicy!

Unfortunately, I didn't do my yearly tradition of buying a nice, fancy box of mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Fortunately, for once I was given a box of fancy-shmancy mooncakes! Giving and receiving the tasty treats is typically done in Chinese society. I look at the fact that I received some as achieving some sort of clout among my local friends.

Unfortunately, tutoring has been canceled a lot lately, which means my funds are considerably lower than I would like.

Fortunately, this has given me the time I needed to do more in-depth research for my thesis. I'm feeling good about the direction it's heading. 

Unfortunately, it took DA3 two months to get his new passport.

Fortunately, with its arrival we could get his U.S. visa application started! Wish him luck for his interview!

Unfortunately, due to a dumb mistake on my part, I'm unable to listen in on a particular writing class for Chinese.

Fortunately, I have been writing anyway. Just this week I started writing a short story in Chinese. Hopefully that can get finished in the next 10 years. I'm only slightly joking. There's no deadline and I am notoriously inept at keeping my own. However, I had a breakthrough while brainstorming for it and the more I write, the more excited the story makes me. On a side note, I usually read and write while riding the bus, and although I ride the bus often enough, it is still a contributing factor to why this might take a while to get finished. 

Unfortunately, in the last couple of weeks I had a few bad days. I lost some sleep and felt bodily pain. 

Fortunately, things are looking up. Why, at this very moment I am making whole wheat, tuna-olive bread. Later, I'm making Borsch. Life is fine.

What do you think? After reading my list, do you think it might all be connected somehow? Also, did you run into some bad luck this week? How have you seen it start to turn around?  

Passing Scenes

Walking home one day, I pass the same woman I passed the day before on the exact same route, the exact same sidewalk. Only, I never see her face. The whole of her head, including her eyes is covered with a black jacket. She looks like the headless horseman without her mount.

As long as I leave the house I am guaranteed to pass by hundreds of faces a day. I see students, studious boys and girls who use the time walking to class or back to their dorm for socializing. I pass the elderly, perched on minuscule stools playing card games and chess under shady trees. Grandpas and their young charges walk from home to school and back. At night, husbands take their pregnant wives and cherished puppies out for after-dinner strolls. I can walk the same street at the same time every day, passing up to a hundred people, yet only spot maybe a couple that I have seen before. Some days I find myself at an intersection where each crosswalk has at least twenty people waiting at any given moment, and I wonder, "After three years here, how many different faces have I passed?"

All these foreheads, noses, and bodies usually coalesce into one body, one hair color, one word: Chinese. I don't think anything of it, except when something sticks out as particularly Chinese or especially Other. That's why today as I leave the dorm there's only one thing on my mind. Jog. 

I've already done some yoga this morning, a pumped-up version in preparation for running. Despite the yoga, I'm off to a choppy start. But I'm in no hurry. I've given myself an hour, set by my own body's clock. I head to the park with the hope to gather some energy from nature. I start out slowly, just focusing on getting a rhythm and regular breathing pattern. Oh, look at those trees. That's a nice distraction, I think, and continue with that train of thought for a whole stretch. Black squirrel I've never seen before! Wow, the things you notice when you just open up. I start to look deeper into the woods and higher up into the sky. My breath is regular and I'm coming up to a downhill stretch. Energies are flowing.

I'm not alone, as is always the case when one is outside in China. People doing lunch-break exercises walk in my direction. We pass and continue on our ways. I'm not people watching on this run, which is why I don't know what kind of person said it, except that he was an older man pushing a wheelchair. As he passed me he deliberately shouted, "Xiao chi dian!"

TRY EATING LESS! His loud, public words--that I understand--punch me in my chest. My breath catches. My face flushes. Tears pool in my eyes. Miraculously, I'm still jogging. I keep going, but his words, biting, stinging, sonant thoughts, keep up with me. Reason tells me to use them to push myself harder. "Overcome them!" she presses. Anger is digging around for his boxing gloves. Humiliation urges me to find a small tree in a deep clearing and cry. Ignorance wants to believe it didn't happen, that we didn't hear it right. Compassion, that mother of all those riled up emotions, lovingly listens to each cry. As she does, she gives strength to my lungs and my legs. I do keep running, still clocking in four kilometers.

A part of me still wants to shout back at him, something like, "Cut it down to one pack a day, why don't you!" But just as he knows nothing about my diet or habits, I know nothing about his. As tough as it was today to get outside and run in the first place, that man put a spotlight on the obstacle that's constantly in front of me: my own mind. It was with a lot of self-control that I did allow myself to cry, but that I also made myself continue to run. There's no other way around it. I had to let it pass.

Han Qiang and He Miao Get Married

He Miao was a music major at Northeast Normal University. Han Qiang works in a exporting company and has traveled all over the Middle East. Today they are getting married. Unlike the couple at the mosque a few days before, these two aren't nervous. I suspect it's because they've already been technically married for a while now. Today is the performance, so to speak.

 

 

 

The grand set-up

 

 

The mystical, metallic isle

 

 

Guests of the groom (pink tie in background). DA3 and his co-workers chat.

 

Lights, music, action! The bride plays the Erhu and then she and the groom sing a duet. They walk from opposite sides of the room to the gazebo in the center. They stand underneath to finish the song. He then asks her to marry him, giving her a bouquet. They walk down the isle together. The MC gives a short speech. He speaks on being there for each other and growing old together. He then pronounces them husband and wife. They hug and kiss on the cheeks. 

 

Xin niang (bride) and her Erhu

 

 

The couple sings a duet

 

 

Under the gazebo

 

 

"Will you marry me?"

 

Before the couple is allowed to be presented to the guests, it is an Asian tradition to kowtow to the parents. Both mothers and fathers are brought to the stage. They stand shoulder to shoulder, looking stately and distant. From my seat in the back I have to stand to get a good view. As the couple kowtows, I suddenly tear up. All the lights and the slide show, all of the decorations and the banquet are just parts of a single moment in an average life. The couple's honorable bow to their life-givers, however, is something different altogether. This is the grand scheme. This is the point of it all. This is life.

 

 

The new couple

 

The guests are getting hungry, but there are no chopsticks. The couple leaves back through the gazebo and it all ends abruptly. As the waiters hand out chopsticks and we're allowed to eat, the waitresses start to pack up the isle. Unfortunately, although the tables are piled high with dishes, only a few of them are really tasty. People eat and leave, no relaxing conversation or entertainment. Then again, I guess that was the point of the ceremony.