Wednesday 10/1/08

These are tidbits that I jotted down and do not know how they fit in chronologically. I need to stop titling them “today.” They are, however, interesting.

Beijing Opera: We went to Beijing Opera today. It was fascinating. I didn’t understand a word of it and I often thought my eardrums would begin to pour blood, but the costumes, the acting, and the amazing skill required to do everything made it a worthwhile experience. Also the audience was so involved and would laugh and spit so energetically that it was a very fun. To my ear at least, the singing is 难听 or unpleasant to listen to. It lacks the continuity in my mind to be considered music but the skill required to jump from one note to another completely unrelated octaves away is, I think, without parallel in the western world. Apparently the other opera had a bunch of choreographed Kung Fu fights. I think, I would have liked that.

Yuebing: I have a problem. Now that the Mid Autumn Festival is long over, the Moon Cakes (Yuebing) are on sale. I happened to have had the perfect yuebing in Mongolia and eat between 2 and 6 of the sweet filled pastries a day in search of another. Some taste like fruit cakes, some taste like (to quote Zach) stale gummy bears, or pumpkin, or sweet potato, or red bean, or…

Five Roads Cultural Tour: I came to this under false pretenses. We were told that we should come to see the Five Roads Cultural Tour in the concession district. (Much of Tianjin has Victorian style architecture from it’s periods under Western domination.) I went with the expectation of touring five roads that I assumed were particularly cultural. What I did not expect was no tour, no five roads, and, really, no historical or cultural sights what-so-ever. We were, I think, brought to be photographed. (Which, upon reflection, at least in my case, is understandable.) No, seriously, there were a bunch of party officials and some diplomats on a raised platform above a part of the street where a bunch of cameramen would film us. There was then a small parade where many groups of scantily clad haole (white) women came in and did terrible dances. (I think, I’m a prude. I don’t approve of cheerleaders in America, let alone here where they’re so conspicuously inappropriate. Especially considering how 难看 they all were.) The diplomats on the platform were usually unsuccessful at hiding their distaste. (There was a Russian thing that was good and a drum act that was also good but the Brazilian dancers would have been inappropriate at a strip club.) We then listened to a speech by the local party leader, were photographed some more, given Chinese flags to wave, and bussed back to school. I’m glad I went. I’m still completely confused as to what we witnessed but it has given me a lot to think about.

Internet: Internet is really hard to get. Phone cards run in the 5 USD per 2 min range. The phones are ridiculously picky and won’t even let you call an 800 number phone card (the ones you buy here, you actually stick into the phone.) Internet places are open almost always during our classes and more infrequently when we’re not in class. There is a substantial time difference. We also have a homework load that results in my getting 13 hours of sleep on Saturday night to try to compensate for the complete lack of sleep over the week. So, if your children, or boyfriends, or whatever, are not calling it’s not their fault. It’s really hard.

Bookstore: I went to the main bookstore in Tianjin. It is very much worth going. It is seven floors of paradise. The entire first floor is all Chinese as a second language or English as a second language. Basically every classic piece of literature from anywhere has an edition that has on one side the Chinese and the other side the English. This is also a good place to buy a Chinese English electronic dictionary. They make everything easier. (I don’t need to buy one, I have a roommate who has one.) I also went to the ATM to get out money and it said that I had 0 RMB. My entire world came crashing down. How I was going to survive in China on the 5 USD in pocket suddenly became an issue. It ended up just being a sadistic machine but for a moment there…

Antiques Market: I have a terrible sense of direction but there is a street where a bunch of street vendors peddle antiques or very good imitations for very negotiable prices. Go. Don't ask me for directions I've already gotten several people lost that way. I thought I’d be really good at haggling but once that put their arm around my shoulder and call me friend I fold. My policy so far has been to not pay for anything more than 50% of the asking price. There’s a lot of cool stuff, lots of communist poster, pins, etc. One of the vendors we were talking to asked where we were from (I went with my roommate Alan) and I said America. She smiled and said America giving the thumbs up sign. She then said Japan, held her pinkie, and shook it making a genuinely menacing sound. The resentment is still very much here.

Ancient Culture Street: This is again like the Five Roads. My expectations of an ancient culture street would be a bunch of historical buildings on a road maybe with souvenir shops. Instead there is a network of streets all of them new in imitation of traditional China and all of them selling something. There are people everywhere, and the vendors are so aggressive its shocking and almost always overwhelming. However, the stuff they’re selling is very interesting. Even without negotiating the price the amount they charge for an original, medium sized, painting that you actually see painted is like 5 USD. After a little negotiation it is 2.5 USD and, I at least, feel bad.

Clubbing: Lots of clubs in Tianjin. I’m a prude. I don’t really approve. Especially these places where the tables all have hookahs which makes the entire place look like my mental picture of an opium den. It was nice to dance a bit but the music was so loud that my heart was reconsidering the advisability of its beat. The music was amazing, though. There were a couple songs so grossly inappropriate that I am trying not to think about the let alone write them. The lyrics are all in English which is unfortunate. It was really funny though seeing Chinese people who you know have no idea what they’re saying singing things about their sexual organs and prostitution that defy comprehension in any language. There was also an intriguing song that had two lyrics: “What is you password?” Techno beats. “Your password has been accepted.”