There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. While each year all Chinese people embrace the new and hope for good fortune and safety in the coming year, each year is supposed to bring especially good luck to those born in a year with the same zodiac sign. For example, if you were born in the Year of the Rat, then 2008 should be a good year for you. It turns out I was born in the Year of the Pig, 1983, and looking back, I think there might be something to this notion: 2007 was a pretty satisfying and gratifying year for yours truly. (If you’re interested in more details of Chinese zodiac, see http://www.google.com/)
Spring Festival gives new meaning to the phrase ringing in the New Year “with a bang.” It’s a multi-day holiday that in total spans 15 days. The whole country is off on official holiday for the first 3 days (plus a weekend) but most everyone shuts down for a week (like us), with the exception of big stores and restaurants. Nearly everyone is off on New Year’s Day, February 6 (this year), and from the sounds of things, they all were setting off fireworks and/or firecrackers. New Year’s Eve 2000-Rat was a war zone: constant explosions from every direction as the sky flashed with light for nearly two hours.
On TV, if you could hear it with all the noise outside, performers, in an array of ethnic costumes depicting all of the ethnic groups of China, performed traditional dances while Chinese pop stars sang classic Chinese tunes and wished their countrymen well for the year to come.
Surviving the first few days of fire-crackering probably dramatically increases everyone’s chances for a safe new year. In addition to New Year’s Eve, New Year’s day is also big for blowing stuff up. The traditional purpose of this practice is to frighten away evil spirits and bring good fortune for the coming year. It remains very common today (for businessmen especially), but rather than to frighten away evil spirits, most people just set off “firecracks,” as my students call them, to celebrate the holiday.
Somewhat terrifyingly, this included my neighbors on the floor above us, who had no hesitations about lighting fireworks out of their window, rattling the frame outside of ours as we watched the festivities. For more, see the video below (WARNING: explicit language):
Chinese New Year Pt. I
The other major day for setting off firecrackers is the fourth night of the New Year. After you set off firecrackers to frighten away the evil spirits, you set them off again a few days later to welcome the god of fortune and wealth.
Chinese New Year Pt. IV
As for Nicole and I, when we weren’t being kept awake, woken up, or just terrified by the deafening chorus of explosions outside, we occupied our time exploring the neighborhood, watching movies, and seeing a few of Shanghai’s sights. Much like any big city, every area has its surprises. We finally wandered off the beaten path over the break and found some. On one nearby street we found a number of small shops selling a range of unexpected wares: one place we stumbled across sold very hip, novelty stuffed animals, and another store sold Tibetan jewelry, art, and cultural stuff.
Another nearby street we found was lined on either side by very old…I don’t know…peasanty looking…houses. The route was also decorated with a series of distinct, musically-themed statues, perhaps corresponding with the conservatory at the beginning of the street. This particular strip gave me a strong sense that I was experiencing some of Shanghai’s history and culture, a feeling that is hard to come by in a city that has been developing so mercilessly for the last few decades.
As far as the movies go, we watched a LOT of DVDs over break. We satisfy our appetite for the cinematic with videos from one of two locations: the guy with the bike-wagon in front of the convenient store on Chang Ning Lu (as opposed to the guy with the bike-wagon on the corner of our alley and the guy with the bike-wagon in front of Pizza Hut), and the video store across from the park. Don’t be fooled by the whole “store” thing though, everything inside is 100% pirated. The quality of video in the store is usually pretty good, compared to bike-wagon man’s video-taped theater screenings. The difference in quality results in a difference in price: a lofty 10 to 16 RMB for a DVD from the store, and a more affordable 5 RMB for a bike-wagon disc.
The low prices affect more than just picture quality. Many DVD’s come packaged in cardboard sleeves (imagine a flat DVD case at home) with unrelated credits or plot descriptions on the back. Others feature bizarre or unflattering reviews. The sci-fi zombie flick “I am Legend,” about the last living man in NYC is billed on the packaging as “A big, swinging party with a can’t-miss guest list.” Brad Pitt’s latest, “The Assassination of Jesse James…” features this riveting review: “Stodgy and deathly slow, Jesse James takes the longest route possible to an anticipated resolution.” That one’s still in the plastic wrap…
But as for the ones we did get to, I have a few recommendations for you: The Kingdom, American Gangster, and The Bucket List. The first two are a bit intense, but quite good; the third is a little more laid back.
On Sunday we ventured out to an area of the city called Qi Bao (7 treasures), an old/ancient river town on the outskirts of the city known now mostly for its crowds and snacks. The video below can attest to the crowds, but as for the snacks, Qi Bao can keep its whole baby chicken skewers and the aptly-named “stinky tofu.” The former turns me off at first sight as the small bird’s head is pinned to its body via one wooden skewer through the eye; the latter smells so repugnant it falls somewhere between “Chinese public toilet” and “Chinese garbage dump,”…hell, it might actually rank lower than both.
Qi Bao crowd
The area itself is about an hour commute from where we live, sans any confusion, via subway and bus. At the outskirts of the city, the modern spirit of the downtown still smacks you right in the face. You get off the bus at the front entrance of a huge shopping mall and are greeted by the beaming red and white smile of Colonel Sanders. Signs for the recently-completed Metro Line 8 are posted on every corner. Perhaps the only visual clue that you have arrived at your desired destination is the giant billboard from the local government welcoming you to historic Qi Bao.
It takes a few minutes, but once you walk a few blocks away from the Colonel and friends, using the flowing sea of people as a guide, you escape from the worryingly unremarkable contemporary Qi Bao and soon find yourself surrounding my the smells, sounds, and shops of the historic version.
A small canal splits the historic neighborhood, hence the label “river town.” There are a handful of sights to see, including some museums and a small Catholic church, but none of those come highly recommended. Food, shopping, and a departure from the normal routine were the real draw of Qi Bao, and if you don’t count the sometimes-nauseating snack selection, it delivered on all three. We bought some cool stuff and felt good to have left the house for a while.
The following day, we needed to recover from all the activity, but we headed out again on Tuesday to nearby Yu Yuan, or Yu Gardens. I had been there when I first arrived in Shanghai, but was definitely glad to see it a second time. Although, it was not as green as it was in October, the gardens were still beautiful. We got to spend a little more time looking around than I had back in the fall, exploring the shops within the garden, and enjoying the translated signs. I especially like this one (brilliant floor plan for this place).
I also had a chance encounter with an IU alumn: an Austrian student who studied business in Bloomington, gotten a job in Texas, went to work in Lan Zhou, China for this company, and happened to be on holiday on Shanghai for the New Year. He noticed the IU logo on my hat…
After a chilly walk around the gardens we warmed ourselves up with a Shanghai speciality: Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). There’s a very popular restaurant at Yu Yuan where you can enjoy this steamed treat. Nicole first alerted me to this place when it came up on a travel show she was watching last fall. She finally got the chance to experience the famed dumplings for herself, and with full stomachs, we then called it a day, and a holiday.
I've posted pics from the week on Shutterfly, including our wanderings through the neighborhood, a festively decorated Zhong Shan Park, highlights of my historic playoff beard, and shots of Yu Yuan and Qi Bao.
We finally got out of Shanghai last weekend to a nearby city called Su Zhou in Jiangsu province. I'll have pics and a blog on that excursion in the near future. Also included will be pics of my first ever haircut in China (WHOA!)...stay tuned.
2 comments:
I'm really reading by the rhythms you set.
Will! If this gets to you, this is Josh Bisker from old times, and I'm in Shanghai for the next couple of days! Call me! It's 15921320931
-josh
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