Is it already that time of the year?
So, it doesn't really feel like Christmas. Sure, there are touches here and there, but nothing like the hysteria back home. There's no last minute shopping to be done, and Christmas tunes are heard very rarely. Santa hats and decorations are actually quite plentiful, but because they might be stocked next to a cardboard pig with Chinese characters, a Chinese spin on whatever tradition is expected is always noticeable. Some Chinese, particularly those with commercial interests, have begun to embrace the holiday, but the true meaning seems to be lost almost completely. For instance, as another teacher (Roz) here noted, a local hotel has observed the custom of setting up a nativity scene around the holiday. However, not really knowing what the nativity means, instead of depicting the figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Wise Men, etc., they used Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The hotel/apartment building where I live has also given it its best shot. There's quite a large tree in the lobby, though it seriously needs my decorating help. Around the tree are lots of Christmas pennants and inflatable Santas hanging from the ceiling, and red lanterns decorate the entrance.
I was also able to find a Christmas tree at one of the larger shopping centers here. While I would probably never have a silver tree at home (I don't like fake ones in any case), this one is small enough and I think it looks quite nice with the colored lights (which I also try to avoid).
On Christmas Eve Eve one of my classes decided to throw me and their other foreign teachers a Christmas party. I was really touched by how much effort they put into it since they know how important the holiday is in the West and how we'd probably be missing our friends and family back home. One of the students is a huge basketball fan and only misses games when he's in class. I commented on how the Rockets had played well that morning (the games are shown in the morning here because of the time difference), and he said he hadn't been able to watch it because he had already been practicing for his performance that night. Basically, the students prepared all day so that they could give performances for us, the teachers and honored guests. I believe every one of the 26 students in the class was present, and I could only think that this would have never happened in school in America. Granted, my students have all of their classes together, which doesn't happen past fifth grade in America, but even so, it would be difficult to get even a small group of students to put together an event like this one. Few might be available, and even fewer would volunteer. I think they really saw it as a way to honor the teachers and make us feel at home, though, and for that reason they were very eager to participate. Most of the performances were skits, some that the students had written themselves, and others based on traditional Chinese stories. Some were in Chinese, which I had more trouble understanding, though most of them were in English. They had improvised their costumes with what clothing they already had, and they had spent time making their props (swords, etc.). Other students sang songs, some traditional Chinese, some more modern, and some even modern Christmas Carols. What I didn't realize is that as a guest of events like this one (rather small with fewer than 50 or so people), you are also expected to perform. So, after a few of their performances, the host said something to the effect of, "And now I think it's time for Neal to come give us a special performance." I tried to resist and say I had been losing my voice (a bold-faced lie), but they quickly dismissed that excuse and then started clapping/banging on their desks for me to perform. So, I reluctantly took the stage but managed to grab one of the other teachers and pull her along with me, and we sang a rousing rendition of "Jingle Bells"; any harmony was completely unintentional. Apparently all of the other guests had been notified that they were expected to perform, or had learned from previous experience, so they had all prepared something beforehand. One of the teachers always carries a poem in his pocket in case he is trapped into such situations, and his wife had already prepared a song to sing. There was one new foreigner that night who has been here only three days and who also goes by my name (though spelled "Neill"), and unfortunately for him, he was also expected to perform. So, he grabbed a few apples and oranges and juggled them, and then took a volunteer for his next act. You've seen this one before, where the magician has his subject stand next to a wall and then tosses knives around his or her head without actually hitting it. Well, he was going to do this with scissors, but after he said it would be his first time attempting the trick, the volunteer understandably backed out. So, if anyone has any suggestions of what my talent could be, let me know and I'll be practicing it for my next banquet. I momentarily thought I could just show them my webbed toes, but I'm not sure if they would have been as excited about them as I am.
The next day, Christmas Eve, we had a big party at a local school and invited all of our foreign and Chinese friends, about 60 of which showed up. We chatted awhile and then read the Christmas story, but the main highlight of the afternoon was the White Elephant exchange. As this was the first such exchange for many of the Chinese attendees, they found it particularly funny. I invited the Chinese man with whom I eat dinner each week, and I had difficulty even explaining the concept to him: "Bring a gift, a cheap gift, that no one would want. And then wrap it." "But why would I want to bring a gift that no one wants?"
Accordingly, many of the gifts weren't too funny, but I did end up with a clock that I have put to use in my living room. Another teacher received a furry tiara, though, and Neill received a bright pink pencil sharpener shaped like a train, so some of the gifts were at least worthy of the White Elephant name. I brought a 10yuan ($1.25) plastic jewelry box decorated with scenes from the movie "Titanic", and some young Chinese girl happily snatched it up to take home.
Ok, on to Christmas Day. Allyssa and I exchanged stockings stuffed with Chinese goodies. Among the gifts I received were a sock-drying apparatus, "laundry ball" agitators, "boxing pen-container woodcraft construction kit", "conch candy", "Ha! I only love you good quality" pig keychain flashlight, "double happiness ball for trainning of Chinese t.t. team", ice trays, baijiu, and "Talladega Nights".
After that we headed over to the Golden Bay, the 5-star hotel, for lunch with a few close friends. Though quite expensive at about $15 a head, it was really our only shot to have turkey for Christmas. We rented out the "Western Food" Restaurant and gorged ourselves with turkey, lamb, mashed potatoes, baked zucchini with cheese and meat, soup, spaghetti, and desserts, and then headed to the bowling alley for a few games. We also exchanged Secret Santa presents, and I must say I think the one I received was one of the best: a nice towel and (the real present) three free massages at a Korean spa!
Christmas Day in Weihai!
Turkey!
Bowling:
After bowling, Allyssa and I went back to the home of our Kiwi friends for dinner and merriment, and then finished the night with the Christmas Party episode of "The Office", sent to me for Christmas by my family back home. Unfortunately, I then had to plan for classes the next day! Ughhhhhhh.
Oh, I almost forgot. Last week I showed "A Christmas Story" in all of my classes. By the fifth time watching it in four days, I was a little tired of it, but my students really seemed to enjoy it, particularly the more physically-humorous scenes that they could more easily understand. Some of the scenes that they found most interesting, however, were those that depicted particular aspects of Christmas. For instance, when the turkey comes out of the oven near the end of the movie, almost every one of my students gasped with excitement, apparently unfamiliar with the sight of a large, cooked bird (either because ducks are smaller, or because most homes do not have ovens?). A few minutes later they gasped with delight when the husband and wife sit on the sofa next to the lit Christmas tree but otherwise in the dark, looking outside at the falling snow. Like the turkey, this was an unfamiliar yet beautiful sight to them.
I want to leave you with a line from a Christmas card one of my students gave me: "You care a handsome and shy boy, with a big nose and charming eyes." Though here having a large nose is considered exotic and attractive, this probably would have made me self-conscious before I came to China. I think as a foreigner, it's impossible to remain self-conscious in China; people stare at you all the time and you can't do anything about it. Most of the time they're probably just curious, but there's also the possibility, for insecure people, that they're scrutinizing every imperfection they see. You have two options in response: accept your insecurities and no longer care about them, or go completely crazy and leave the country or become a recluse. Luckily I think I've chosen the former option.
That's all for me. I hope everyone has a good Christmas/New Year/Holiday season back home. I miss you and wish I could be there with you.
The hotel/apartment building where I live has also given it its best shot. There's quite a large tree in the lobby, though it seriously needs my decorating help. Around the tree are lots of Christmas pennants and inflatable Santas hanging from the ceiling, and red lanterns decorate the entrance.
I was also able to find a Christmas tree at one of the larger shopping centers here. While I would probably never have a silver tree at home (I don't like fake ones in any case), this one is small enough and I think it looks quite nice with the colored lights (which I also try to avoid).
On Christmas Eve Eve one of my classes decided to throw me and their other foreign teachers a Christmas party. I was really touched by how much effort they put into it since they know how important the holiday is in the West and how we'd probably be missing our friends and family back home. One of the students is a huge basketball fan and only misses games when he's in class. I commented on how the Rockets had played well that morning (the games are shown in the morning here because of the time difference), and he said he hadn't been able to watch it because he had already been practicing for his performance that night. Basically, the students prepared all day so that they could give performances for us, the teachers and honored guests. I believe every one of the 26 students in the class was present, and I could only think that this would have never happened in school in America. Granted, my students have all of their classes together, which doesn't happen past fifth grade in America, but even so, it would be difficult to get even a small group of students to put together an event like this one. Few might be available, and even fewer would volunteer. I think they really saw it as a way to honor the teachers and make us feel at home, though, and for that reason they were very eager to participate. Most of the performances were skits, some that the students had written themselves, and others based on traditional Chinese stories. Some were in Chinese, which I had more trouble understanding, though most of them were in English. They had improvised their costumes with what clothing they already had, and they had spent time making their props (swords, etc.). Other students sang songs, some traditional Chinese, some more modern, and some even modern Christmas Carols. What I didn't realize is that as a guest of events like this one (rather small with fewer than 50 or so people), you are also expected to perform. So, after a few of their performances, the host said something to the effect of, "And now I think it's time for Neal to come give us a special performance." I tried to resist and say I had been losing my voice (a bold-faced lie), but they quickly dismissed that excuse and then started clapping/banging on their desks for me to perform. So, I reluctantly took the stage but managed to grab one of the other teachers and pull her along with me, and we sang a rousing rendition of "Jingle Bells"; any harmony was completely unintentional. Apparently all of the other guests had been notified that they were expected to perform, or had learned from previous experience, so they had all prepared something beforehand. One of the teachers always carries a poem in his pocket in case he is trapped into such situations, and his wife had already prepared a song to sing. There was one new foreigner that night who has been here only three days and who also goes by my name (though spelled "Neill"), and unfortunately for him, he was also expected to perform. So, he grabbed a few apples and oranges and juggled them, and then took a volunteer for his next act. You've seen this one before, where the magician has his subject stand next to a wall and then tosses knives around his or her head without actually hitting it. Well, he was going to do this with scissors, but after he said it would be his first time attempting the trick, the volunteer understandably backed out. So, if anyone has any suggestions of what my talent could be, let me know and I'll be practicing it for my next banquet. I momentarily thought I could just show them my webbed toes, but I'm not sure if they would have been as excited about them as I am.
The next day, Christmas Eve, we had a big party at a local school and invited all of our foreign and Chinese friends, about 60 of which showed up. We chatted awhile and then read the Christmas story, but the main highlight of the afternoon was the White Elephant exchange. As this was the first such exchange for many of the Chinese attendees, they found it particularly funny. I invited the Chinese man with whom I eat dinner each week, and I had difficulty even explaining the concept to him: "Bring a gift, a cheap gift, that no one would want. And then wrap it." "But why would I want to bring a gift that no one wants?"
Accordingly, many of the gifts weren't too funny, but I did end up with a clock that I have put to use in my living room. Another teacher received a furry tiara, though, and Neill received a bright pink pencil sharpener shaped like a train, so some of the gifts were at least worthy of the White Elephant name. I brought a 10yuan ($1.25) plastic jewelry box decorated with scenes from the movie "Titanic", and some young Chinese girl happily snatched it up to take home.
Ok, on to Christmas Day. Allyssa and I exchanged stockings stuffed with Chinese goodies. Among the gifts I received were a sock-drying apparatus, "laundry ball" agitators, "boxing pen-container woodcraft construction kit", "conch candy", "Ha! I only love you good quality" pig keychain flashlight, "double happiness ball for trainning of Chinese t.t. team", ice trays, baijiu, and "Talladega Nights".
After that we headed over to the Golden Bay, the 5-star hotel, for lunch with a few close friends. Though quite expensive at about $15 a head, it was really our only shot to have turkey for Christmas. We rented out the "Western Food" Restaurant and gorged ourselves with turkey, lamb, mashed potatoes, baked zucchini with cheese and meat, soup, spaghetti, and desserts, and then headed to the bowling alley for a few games. We also exchanged Secret Santa presents, and I must say I think the one I received was one of the best: a nice towel and (the real present) three free massages at a Korean spa!
Christmas Day in Weihai!
Turkey!
Bowling:
After bowling, Allyssa and I went back to the home of our Kiwi friends for dinner and merriment, and then finished the night with the Christmas Party episode of "The Office", sent to me for Christmas by my family back home. Unfortunately, I then had to plan for classes the next day! Ughhhhhhh.
Oh, I almost forgot. Last week I showed "A Christmas Story" in all of my classes. By the fifth time watching it in four days, I was a little tired of it, but my students really seemed to enjoy it, particularly the more physically-humorous scenes that they could more easily understand. Some of the scenes that they found most interesting, however, were those that depicted particular aspects of Christmas. For instance, when the turkey comes out of the oven near the end of the movie, almost every one of my students gasped with excitement, apparently unfamiliar with the sight of a large, cooked bird (either because ducks are smaller, or because most homes do not have ovens?). A few minutes later they gasped with delight when the husband and wife sit on the sofa next to the lit Christmas tree but otherwise in the dark, looking outside at the falling snow. Like the turkey, this was an unfamiliar yet beautiful sight to them.
I want to leave you with a line from a Christmas card one of my students gave me: "You care a handsome and shy boy, with a big nose and charming eyes." Though here having a large nose is considered exotic and attractive, this probably would have made me self-conscious before I came to China. I think as a foreigner, it's impossible to remain self-conscious in China; people stare at you all the time and you can't do anything about it. Most of the time they're probably just curious, but there's also the possibility, for insecure people, that they're scrutinizing every imperfection they see. You have two options in response: accept your insecurities and no longer care about them, or go completely crazy and leave the country or become a recluse. Luckily I think I've chosen the former option.
That's all for me. I hope everyone has a good Christmas/New Year/Holiday season back home. I miss you and wish I could be there with you.
posted by Mysteries of The Orient at 6:07 PM
2 Comments:
i think i have laundry agitator balls that my mom gave me, but not for christmas. i think you should save one of those massages for when i get there...
dude have you ever heard of tyler james?
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