Although it may be Veteran’s Day or Armistice Day or
Remembrance Day in many parts of the world, here in China it is Bachelor’s
Day. Wikipedia lists this day as
Single’s Day, but Ted explained that it is the day to honor those not married,
(the bachelors). The numbers of 11-11
represent four single individuals.
Therefore, this day is appropriately made for bachelors to do………………… um.... bachelor things. I’m not
entirely sure what Ted will do to celebrate, but doubt that it will involve
moon cakes.
The
camping trip was a great success. Many
Chinese and a few other expats got together to camp by Liangzi Lake from the CECP group, (China Endangered Culture Protectors). This lake is known for the local crabs. After setting up our tents, we talked to a
fisherman who prepared a meal for us. Following
dinner we built a bonfire, sang a few songs by Bob Dylan, learned a Thai dance
and song for the full moon, and shared a few other campfire songs. In the morning the fisherman allowed us to
use their wooden fishing boats to paddle around the lake. It was my first time with crossing oars to paddle, but
I was able to steer us both away from and back to the shore.
For
Halloween I attended a party hosted by the Australian exchange program.
A few Australian English teachers are working for a year here in order to prepare
students who will eventually spend a year studying
in Australia. My neighbor Grace is one of the teachers.
She invited me to attend, and I configured a ninja
costume out of some items found at the 2-Yuan shop. There
were dancing competitions, carnival like games, bobbing for apples, and
lots of Chinese candy! I stuffed my pockets before heading
home.
The next day I visited a school that is a branch of this Montessori preschool.
They have only four classrooms, but less than 15 students in each room.
There were 3-4 teachers in each room and the high teacher to student ratio felt a bit controlling. Luckily,
we went for lunch and a discussion afterwards. Before leaving the school gave me a gift of
fancy chopsticks. The fun never stops around here.
Speaking of fun, Grace and another Australian woman and I headed to a Bordeaux wine festival last Saturday. All foreigners had free
entrance. This was a treat
because most wine in China is rather painful to consume. After
talking to one of the winemakers I was able to sit in a Master's
class on sweet Bordeaux wines and go home with two extra bottles from the
vineyard. Surprisingly there was no sick feeling or headache
following the day of tasting. Good thing too, because on Sunday I went
to an amusement part with the principal's son and his German foreign exchange
friend. There were few people at the park, so we had very
short lines for the few roller coasters. The park,
(Happy Valley), is only a few years old, so not all of the coasters are up
and passing safety inspections. We went on the rocky wooden coaster 4
times, and some how I managed to keep my cool throughout the day.
This
past weekend I was invited to view a private collection of Mulan
paraphernalia. The collector has turned his three-room apartment into a
museum of sorts to house his collection of posters, figurines, recordings,
books, stamps, and even old Chinese phone cards that depict Hua Mulan. Mulan is supposedly from this area of China, (this is one of three areas that
claim to have been her home). There are
a few different versions of her story.
One of the members of the CECP
wrote the following about the experience:
On 9th,
November, CECP team visited Mr. Ye Weizhang, the heir of Mulan intangible
culture and his private museum.
Mulan
is an ancient heroine in Chinese history. The legends about her are widely
spread at home and abroad. About 1500 years ago, the northern nomadic people
invaded towards the south. Every family was required to send at least one man
to the frontline to defend their country. Mulan, out of her love for her father
and loyalty to the motherland, disguises herself as a male soldier to take her
father’s place in the conscription army. The Disney animation Mulan is
adapted from this story.
The
private museum is a little bit small but full of treasures related to Mulan.
New Year pictures, a unique folk art for New Year celebrations, are dated back
to around 1930s or 1950s. Porcelains printed with Mulan-related pictures, like
teapots, vases and cups, are made of Dehua china, one of the top three Chinese
ceramics. Some of them were used by civilians during the Anti-Japanese War
period.
The
legends of Mulan have been performed on the stage since the Ming dynasty in
different forms, including Beijing opera, Shaoxing opera, Kunqu and so on. Mr.
Ye has collected these theater tickets, vinyl record and videotapes through
different sources. There are also some written materials in Chinese, French or
Dutch on the Mulan culture. Some of them are rare and vulnerable and have to be
preserved under special condition.
Thanks
to Mr. Ye’s twenty-year devotion to Mulan culture, people around the world are
able to enjoy such a precious culture and spirit. Meanwhile, more can be
achieved by the joint efforts of responsible individuals and government.
The Botanical Gardens are
showcasing an exhibit on Chrysanthemums. Yesterday called for a visit to the gardens and a chance to photograph the
beautiful blooms. This week I am trying
out winter again after a few years of hiatus in Miami. I bought a pair of fleece-lined leggings in
the XXL size. In the US and Europe I
usually wear a small or medium, but in China I fit most comfortably into XL and
XXL. It’s fine. As long as the clothes fit, companies can
name my size whatever they like. May all bachelors enjoy their size no matter what it may be.
