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Kate's Chronicles
Started this week thinking the cool-but-comfortable autumn days are beginning to dwindle ...... leaves changing colour and falling off the trees......reminding me very much of the Botanical Gardens and wondering when Mr Winter might arrive...... but then on Thursday it hit us with a vengence. OMG it is SO cold and there is worse to come :( I am suddenly thinking that thermal underwear has a certain appeal that I had never thought possible!!
With the last of the mild weather I fortunately did manage to get out walking about before I hibernate and kept thinking its no wonder I seem to have adopted this habit of getting lost. This is a place that has not been built according to pragmatic logic that dictates perfectly straight roads and the shortest possible distance between A and B; no way.... what we find are long tree lined streets accompanied by the occasional unexpected alley veering off inefficiently to nowhere in particular. It is my inquisitve nature that finds me wandering down these alleys wondering what I might find and then suddenly realising I have no idea where I am. But by the same token it is this wandering that gives me an insight into another world where I have come to realise that the most unusual things are not unusual in China. Often left thinking "what on earth am I doing living here"…you suddenly think….This Is China. Amazingly, that expression is often the most logical explanation for the completely inexplicable things that happen here on a daily basis. Let me give you some examples;
Many Chinese couples seem to have adopted this idea that wearing matching clothes is "cute"or maybe they are just making a statement that "we" are a couple...so much so that to my astonishment I discovered that there are actually shops that specialise in matching t-shirts and sweatshirts...I kid you not!!! Looked in one the other day to observe a young Chinese couple oohing and aahing over the choices available to them as they looked lovingly at each other and deciding which matching tops would suit them best.....didnt need to understand a word they said....the body language said it all. Perhaps I don't have a romantic bone in my body but frankly I wanted to throw up!!!
Or there are the other people you see walking down the street wearing their pyjamas. At first I thought this was happening because I was seeing patients from the nearby hospitals out for some "fresh" air or whatever......but no......it seems that this too is some type of Chinese fashion statement.Word is that authorities in Shanghai cracked down on people wearing pyjamas in public during the 2010 Expo. This indicates that somewhere in the back of people’s minds, they know that wearing an outfit meant strictly for bed while wandering the streets on an evening stroll is somehow not socially acceptable in any other place except China. I'm not talking children here but adults!!! Can't quite see it catching on at home.
And then there is this bizarre fashion statement of wearing glasses with NO glass in them!!!! Is this to give one the look of intelligence?? Personally I think it looks ridiculous and those that do this seem to find the largest, brighest glasses frames they can find to wear... you can't miss them. Have to say it was most off-putting when one of my students was wearing such 'glasses' yesterday. I found myself staring to the point of rudeness but I couldnt help but think why??? My good manners did not allow me to go so far as to ask the question but it was definitely resounding in my head!!!
Finally when dining out with friends the other night I was left to ponder the fact that despite the fact we were eating in an 'Italian" restaurant the whole timeline of European meals was utterly lost upon the staff as it is in much of China and I realised that I have never questioned this!! Probably because I don't often eat Western food here so I really hadn't taken much notice before. Chinese diners in restaurants predominantly share their dishes so it really doesn't matter when they arrive at the table. What do they care if the entree arrives after the main or the desert arrives first, whether the main is accompanied with the post-meal tea and coffee......as long as they are enjoying each others company!! Luckily my dinner companions had a sense of humour and could laugh about the situation whereby we ended up eating 'alone' as everyone's dishes came out at different times!!! We headed home laughing about the fact that we simply put it all down to.......this is China!!!!
So much for my insights into everyday life here in China........ just realised that Xmas is coming when I saw this huge decorated tree in the middle of the city. Not really celebrated here but it was nice to see a tree at least :) I am not working Xmas day and will give myself a day off for my birthday on NYE but otherwise no celebrations here. We are all looking forward to Spring Festival and the beginning of the Chinese New Year on 23 January. Seems crazy to talk about spring when it will stilll be freezing and in all likelihood snowing!! But never fear I have my next adventure planned for my time off......I'll be heading to the warm climate of Laos and Cambodia so look forward to my travel tales in January.
Bye for now. xxx
With the last of the mild weather I fortunately did manage to get out walking about before I hibernate and kept thinking its no wonder I seem to have adopted this habit of getting lost. This is a place that has not been built according to pragmatic logic that dictates perfectly straight roads and the shortest possible distance between A and B; no way.... what we find are long tree lined streets accompanied by the occasional unexpected alley veering off inefficiently to nowhere in particular. It is my inquisitve nature that finds me wandering down these alleys wondering what I might find and then suddenly realising I have no idea where I am. But by the same token it is this wandering that gives me an insight into another world where I have come to realise that the most unusual things are not unusual in China. Often left thinking "what on earth am I doing living here"…you suddenly think….This Is China. Amazingly, that expression is often the most logical explanation for the completely inexplicable things that happen here on a daily basis. Let me give you some examples;
Many Chinese couples seem to have adopted this idea that wearing matching clothes is "cute"or maybe they are just making a statement that "we" are a couple...so much so that to my astonishment I discovered that there are actually shops that specialise in matching t-shirts and sweatshirts...I kid you not!!! Looked in one the other day to observe a young Chinese couple oohing and aahing over the choices available to them as they looked lovingly at each other and deciding which matching tops would suit them best.....didnt need to understand a word they said....the body language said it all. Perhaps I don't have a romantic bone in my body but frankly I wanted to throw up!!!
Or there are the other people you see walking down the street wearing their pyjamas. At first I thought this was happening because I was seeing patients from the nearby hospitals out for some "fresh" air or whatever......but no......it seems that this too is some type of Chinese fashion statement.Word is that authorities in Shanghai cracked down on people wearing pyjamas in public during the 2010 Expo. This indicates that somewhere in the back of people’s minds, they know that wearing an outfit meant strictly for bed while wandering the streets on an evening stroll is somehow not socially acceptable in any other place except China. I'm not talking children here but adults!!! Can't quite see it catching on at home.
And then there is this bizarre fashion statement of wearing glasses with NO glass in them!!!! Is this to give one the look of intelligence?? Personally I think it looks ridiculous and those that do this seem to find the largest, brighest glasses frames they can find to wear... you can't miss them. Have to say it was most off-putting when one of my students was wearing such 'glasses' yesterday. I found myself staring to the point of rudeness but I couldnt help but think why??? My good manners did not allow me to go so far as to ask the question but it was definitely resounding in my head!!!
Finally when dining out with friends the other night I was left to ponder the fact that despite the fact we were eating in an 'Italian" restaurant the whole timeline of European meals was utterly lost upon the staff as it is in much of China and I realised that I have never questioned this!! Probably because I don't often eat Western food here so I really hadn't taken much notice before. Chinese diners in restaurants predominantly share their dishes so it really doesn't matter when they arrive at the table. What do they care if the entree arrives after the main or the desert arrives first, whether the main is accompanied with the post-meal tea and coffee......as long as they are enjoying each others company!! Luckily my dinner companions had a sense of humour and could laugh about the situation whereby we ended up eating 'alone' as everyone's dishes came out at different times!!! We headed home laughing about the fact that we simply put it all down to.......this is China!!!!
So much for my insights into everyday life here in China........ just realised that Xmas is coming when I saw this huge decorated tree in the middle of the city. Not really celebrated here but it was nice to see a tree at least :) I am not working Xmas day and will give myself a day off for my birthday on NYE but otherwise no celebrations here. We are all looking forward to Spring Festival and the beginning of the Chinese New Year on 23 January. Seems crazy to talk about spring when it will stilll be freezing and in all likelihood snowing!! But never fear I have my next adventure planned for my time off......I'll be heading to the warm climate of Laos and Cambodia so look forward to my travel tales in January.
Bye for now. xxx
- comments
Ray H Katie Chinese habits and culture belong to them and we should not take the view that our Western ways are always the right way. Don't you think that the Chinese would have thought tattoos, our bell-bottomed trousers and built up shoes etc of the 60's were weird? To each his/her own in their own country and we should not think our styles etc are any better. In fact the Chinese are a long way in front of us in many ways/areas.
Kate Hi Ray, i think you may have taken my tongue-in-cheek observations out of context. They were in no way meant to be seen as criticism of this wonderful country nor the wonderful people that I have been fortunate enough to befriend. The blog actually came about following a discussion with some Chinese friends who suggested I write about my observations as they thought it showed the beauty of different cultural persepectives :)
michi40 OMG - I'm sooooo loving the pj's - I hope I can find them in silk! I plan to start my job search in Feburary and I'll have to look "professional" but first chance I have to wear jammies - I'm all over it! Those clever Chinese know comfort!
Ray H No criticism intended Kate. I see you will take in Cambodia in Jan. My mate from Brisbane is in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia for the next 2 months, doing some writing and work for Oxfam.