The standard, persisting feudalistic kowtow (by an artist), photography by Jeremy on Jan.2nd, 2007.
Lujiazui or the Financial District of Shanghai shrouded in unending winter drizzle, photography by Jeremy on Jan. 1st, 2007.
Financial District basking in festive lights on New Year's Eve, photography by Jeremy on Dec.31st, 2006.Holiday Phenomenon
The following is from the returning email to an Australian friend:
How are you, Yik Chong? Good to hear from you. Say hi to Sim Yun, and C.G. and Jenny.
It's so cool to hear that Hanhan was immensely enjoying his Wiggle. Isn't he a darling to have enjoyed the Wiggle show?
Well, X'mas is not a public holiday here and no festive ornaments are seen around in public area other than shopping malls or restaurants alike. Three consecutive days off were allocated from Jan. 1st through 3rd. To clarify - actually, all workers had already worked on last Sat. and Sun. for the 2nd and 3rd day of the so-called three-day long New Year's Day holiday. This is what I called a two-step forward with one-step back policy. To be exact, hence, the New Year's Day was the only official day off, and flags, banners with lights were all on.
This holiday planning was stipulated in recent years, if not in 1999 but several years later and before I arrived in Shanghai. There were many pros and cons with many for and against this policy. Debate was going on around, however, the policy shall remain next year as reported in a newspaper last week. One positive side is that the consolidated week-long holiday boosts sales or consumer spending and stimulates economic activities. During this so called Golden Week (Chinese New Year, May 1st Labor Day and Oct.1st National Day holidays), the downside is streets, shopping malls, tourist joints, transit points and other hot spots are bottlenecked with paranoia of crowdedness increases (in fact, there is a specific term describing this phobic symptom.); instead, more public work forces are needed to manipulate the intensified crowds and traffic. Ironically, the repercussion is that many also choose to stay home and rest.
My solution to this - mandatory for CNY but optional for May 1st or Oct.1st holiday weeks. This allows flexibility for individual to choose, fit and complement personal business operation, with whatever holidays officially recognized or allocated that shall also be compensated accordingly. However, in China, everyone is always beating the odd to get away with 'murder', if possible. And you know what I mean.
Sad to say - Chinese and dogs are still not allowed. Many of them wag their tails and drool when they see a white person walking by. And it's fact. You have seen what was done when I took you and Sim Yun for the Ganguoju, the hot pot dinner from Guizhou Province. The doorman or rather the watchdog was showing his disapproval of my appearance when we were entering the shopping center. Still recall the scene that you had witnessed while walking behind me? All the while, I have purposefully and always dressed down, in low key to avoid any possible mugging or unnecessary attention - though I am not paranoid in any which way but plain low key to be in the public, and that's still my style when in Kuala Lumpur or anywhere.
Your mom being treated that way when traveling to Xiamen or in Shanghai is not at all surprising for me. If I were she, I would be so glad for them to ignore me since they did not meant selling but they hassle. Your mom is less likely to be swiped or cheated. They were attending more to your mom's white colleague because they were curiously looking at her as a white and exotic object, and simply that.
The following is from the returning email to an Australian friend:
How are you, Yik Chong? Good to hear from you. Say hi to Sim Yun, and C.G. and Jenny.
It's so cool to hear that Hanhan was immensely enjoying his Wiggle. Isn't he a darling to have enjoyed the Wiggle show?
Well, X'mas is not a public holiday here and no festive ornaments are seen around in public area other than shopping malls or restaurants alike. Three consecutive days off were allocated from Jan. 1st through 3rd. To clarify - actually, all workers had already worked on last Sat. and Sun. for the 2nd and 3rd day of the so-called three-day long New Year's Day holiday. This is what I called a two-step forward with one-step back policy. To be exact, hence, the New Year's Day was the only official day off, and flags, banners with lights were all on.
This holiday planning was stipulated in recent years, if not in 1999 but several years later and before I arrived in Shanghai. There were many pros and cons with many for and against this policy. Debate was going on around, however, the policy shall remain next year as reported in a newspaper last week. One positive side is that the consolidated week-long holiday boosts sales or consumer spending and stimulates economic activities. During this so called Golden Week (Chinese New Year, May 1st Labor Day and Oct.1st National Day holidays), the downside is streets, shopping malls, tourist joints, transit points and other hot spots are bottlenecked with paranoia of crowdedness increases (in fact, there is a specific term describing this phobic symptom.); instead, more public work forces are needed to manipulate the intensified crowds and traffic. Ironically, the repercussion is that many also choose to stay home and rest.
My solution to this - mandatory for CNY but optional for May 1st or Oct.1st holiday weeks. This allows flexibility for individual to choose, fit and complement personal business operation, with whatever holidays officially recognized or allocated that shall also be compensated accordingly. However, in China, everyone is always beating the odd to get away with 'murder', if possible. And you know what I mean.
Sad to say - Chinese and dogs are still not allowed. Many of them wag their tails and drool when they see a white person walking by. And it's fact. You have seen what was done when I took you and Sim Yun for the Ganguoju, the hot pot dinner from Guizhou Province. The doorman or rather the watchdog was showing his disapproval of my appearance when we were entering the shopping center. Still recall the scene that you had witnessed while walking behind me? All the while, I have purposefully and always dressed down, in low key to avoid any possible mugging or unnecessary attention - though I am not paranoid in any which way but plain low key to be in the public, and that's still my style when in Kuala Lumpur or anywhere.
Your mom being treated that way when traveling to Xiamen or in Shanghai is not at all surprising for me. If I were she, I would be so glad for them to ignore me since they did not meant selling but they hassle. Your mom is less likely to be swiped or cheated. They were attending more to your mom's white colleague because they were curiously looking at her as a white and exotic object, and simply that.
Also ubiquitous throughout the world, the racy, moronic, derogatory, low esteem and persisting feudalistic mentality is so pervasive. In fact, this inexcusable and embarrassing phenomenon was very well observed by some internationals that have resided here and published their opinions in English. What to do - after thousands of years of on and off close door policy and some, not all though, have 'chosen' to become morbid? You would have also noticed that Chinese Nationals are very muted and timid when they live overseas, say in Malaysia and Singapore, but they always talk way too loud in the public areas; for us, it is regarded as an ill form of public manner. A very common quip found in South East Asia - one is being blind folded and led to identify the type of restaurant he or she is in: the noisiest is definitely a Chinese Restaurant. Considered one-fifth of mankind, Chinese Nationals have very small personal space and their sense of public space is also very different from ours; we as overseas Chinese have changed over these years, a new and different generation with very different forms of identity. Isn't this a very interesting observation and change?
If you examine in minute, China is actually a deeply disparate nation due to its large region, extensive geography, remarkable differences in culinary habits, and very much lack of infrastructure or communication especially in rural areas. Can you believe there are many amongst themselves who still live with strong sense of mutual mistrust just because one is not from the same region or speaking a different dialect, etc.?
In another case and in the office, a Czech co-worker is forever suspicious of the office activities. She cannot even read and speak Chinese but hired to do architectural design, with only general aids of casual translation or mishap communication. This is truly an oceanic wide cultural divide or titanic clash of civilization. For me, I do not know how they ever do so to reconcile but I just do not want to know, and never ever wish to get involved. I guess it's high time for me to learn sign language. Ha! I am also very blessed because I could do both languages well, and very well - key to living and survival - and I am glad and very proud to say so.
Including you, I found a lot of horrendous translations going on all over - in official documents, in daily emails in the office, while in the public areas, traffic trailblazers, signage, captions, and so forth. The last stop of a transit station is taken as "The End" and Mind the Gap is translated as "Take Care of the Gap", to quote two obvious examples that still persist in the rapid transit. Second Language is encouraged here but hardly common in everyday use, albeit USA is likewise but in many respects accurate in translations.
However, over these years from watching TV programs and reading news, I found there were various efforts or constructive measures made to integrate and unify all with great sense and strong pride of nationalism. Street fashion in general is not as sloppy and slowly edging closer to international taste - non-stop TV programs and constant exposure to other forms of audio visual media featuring fashion shows or popular trends from all over the world, especially those from Europe serve them to emulate and improve in catalytic manner - I observed in these 19 months living here. This is truly a Great Leap Forward, instead of the Great Dip Forward like before.
Yes, this is also an official notice. All in the office has to work every Saturday for the next six weeks till before the Chinese New Year. In return, the Chinese New Year will be from Thursday, Feb.15th till Wednesday, Feb.28th, exactly two-week long, and resume work on Thursday, March 1st. I will be traveling to Fujian Province for these two weeks. Annually, my company always has Chinese New Year planned as mentioned. I plan to visit you during the long two-week during CNY 2008? What do you say?
If you examine in minute, China is actually a deeply disparate nation due to its large region, extensive geography, remarkable differences in culinary habits, and very much lack of infrastructure or communication especially in rural areas. Can you believe there are many amongst themselves who still live with strong sense of mutual mistrust just because one is not from the same region or speaking a different dialect, etc.?
In another case and in the office, a Czech co-worker is forever suspicious of the office activities. She cannot even read and speak Chinese but hired to do architectural design, with only general aids of casual translation or mishap communication. This is truly an oceanic wide cultural divide or titanic clash of civilization. For me, I do not know how they ever do so to reconcile but I just do not want to know, and never ever wish to get involved. I guess it's high time for me to learn sign language. Ha! I am also very blessed because I could do both languages well, and very well - key to living and survival - and I am glad and very proud to say so.
Including you, I found a lot of horrendous translations going on all over - in official documents, in daily emails in the office, while in the public areas, traffic trailblazers, signage, captions, and so forth. The last stop of a transit station is taken as "The End" and Mind the Gap is translated as "Take Care of the Gap", to quote two obvious examples that still persist in the rapid transit. Second Language is encouraged here but hardly common in everyday use, albeit USA is likewise but in many respects accurate in translations.
However, over these years from watching TV programs and reading news, I found there were various efforts or constructive measures made to integrate and unify all with great sense and strong pride of nationalism. Street fashion in general is not as sloppy and slowly edging closer to international taste - non-stop TV programs and constant exposure to other forms of audio visual media featuring fashion shows or popular trends from all over the world, especially those from Europe serve them to emulate and improve in catalytic manner - I observed in these 19 months living here. This is truly a Great Leap Forward, instead of the Great Dip Forward like before.
Yes, this is also an official notice. All in the office has to work every Saturday for the next six weeks till before the Chinese New Year. In return, the Chinese New Year will be from Thursday, Feb.15th till Wednesday, Feb.28th, exactly two-week long, and resume work on Thursday, March 1st. I will be traveling to Fujian Province for these two weeks. Annually, my company always has Chinese New Year planned as mentioned. I plan to visit you during the long two-week during CNY 2008? What do you say?
If you ever travel to Xi'an in Shanxi Province, be sure to give yourself a week there. You would be 'trapped' in time, literally speaking; you would travel back thousands of years back and forth in a contemporary city. The history of Xi'an is insurmountable. Before Mandarin was adopted an official national language of present day, Shanxi dialect then was the language most would speak. You will like Xi'an for its history but it's a very 'yellowish in color' due to geographic reasons. Refer to the 1980s movie Yellow Earth by Zhang Yimou and you know what I mean. The beauty of the yellow earth is simply spectacular.
All the best to you and all in the family. And High-Pay or Happy New Year!
All the best to you and all in the family. And High-Pay or Happy New Year!
Jeremy
Greetings from Shanghai upon the Sea
Wednesday, January 3rd 2007
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