At the start of my Chinese class each week, my tutor asks me if I have any questions. Usually I have a bunch of things I want to say and need to know the best way to go about it. This week at the top of my list was the word “disgusting.” I immediately feel bad when I ask her. My eyes dart sheepishly to the floor. “Of course I don’t want to use it, not really,” I say…back pedalling faster than a fox in a lion’s den. “I just want to know if there’s a word for it, you know, just in case," I stammer. I can almost feel her heavy sigh…reverberating through my own body. Living in China, I am forced to constantly remind myself that what often seems inappropriate in my culture is certainly not in others. Of course, on this particular occasion, I’m thinking about my recent flight south to Guangzhou, which is when I found myself mentally searching for the Chinese equivalent of “disgusting.” On the trip down, a lady next to me proceeded to spit at random intervals into a paper bag, pulled from the seat pocket. She made no moves to disguise what she was doing and I guess I should be thankful she used a bag! And of course, no one but me batted an eyelid. Why would they? Spitting has been a 'thing' the world over since the dark ages and in China today, a good hoick (that's Aussie slang for spit) is largely par for the course. On my flight home, to Xi’an, a man next to me continuously made that loud, (to my untrained ears) cringe-worthy, hacking sound with this throat, you know, that guttural sound that signifies the build up of bodily fluids. I was tempted to reach over and pull out his paper bag! I desperately wanted to tell him to stop, because, well… it sounded “disgusting.” I didn’t though, mainly because I didn’t know the words — but mostly because I know to him it’s nothing of the sorts….and I was pretty sure I was also completely outnumbered in my disgust, as the only westerner on the plane! It begs the question about whether the belief that “it’s better out than in” is warranted. Given the amount of polluted air I’ve no doubt inhaled in the last few weeks as winter descends rapidly upon us, while I can’t quite bring myself to ‘flob’ on the ground, in a paper bag (or the floating candles in the hotel lobby for that matter - yes that's happened!) I am inclined to agree somewhat with the theory. Unfortunately, while the jury is still out, most evidence points to the fact that spitting does spread airborne diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia and bronchitis. My tutor does agree that spitting on the footpath is “not so nice” but says it’s hard to educate the older generations. In many ways, she's right. I used to frown and shake my head profusely when I would see an elderly person or just for the record, a middle aged and often young person, spit directly in my line of sight…. suddenly causing me to veer sharply off my path to avoid colliding with said spittle. Now I realise it’s probably futile…locals have no idea why the strange, white woman is screwing up her face like a donkey’s ass, gesturing madly. Is she having conniptions? Does she need the toilet herself? "Spitting, my friends, is a sign of healthy lungs!" They proudly say. For me, living in China, it's often a case of two worlds colliding -- sometimes the clashing of my moral high ground with reality rumbles a little louder. The glamorous lady teetering on high heels up the main drag, so busy staring at my small person and I - with a cigarette swinging frantically in her pursed lips, as she shouts “Piaoliang!” (Beautiful) through her clenched teeth at my little blondie — all the while seemingly oblivious to the fact her own child is up against a tree, relieving himself in full view of a swarm of motorists and passersby on a busy tourist stretch. Or the car stopped outside the hotel, doors flung open, traffic banking up behind, daddy holding little Daisy over the gutter. “When you’ve gotta go….” Or how about the motorbike that ‘had to be seen to be believed’ this morning, it’s baskets front and back, piled high with dead chooks, feathers floating into the air. Disgusting right? Only to me, the lone foreigner traversing the morning traffic. And the toilets and their often obscene state which had my conference colleagues recoiling in horror. To my tutor’s credit, she immediately turns the conversation onto us unyielding foreigners. Do we really blow our nose, loudly in public? She questions! I have to think about that. Yes, well….um — she cuts in, crinkles up her nose and tells me about a time at the dinner table in Australia, when a man took out a tissue and makes a jolly old show, raucously relieving the contents of his nose like a foghorn into a tissue! And then put it back into his pocket! Disgusting right? Errr well…. I suppose it is. I nod meekly. After all your perception is your reality. And every culture is different. This is China. … [Read more...]
It’s Giveaway Time! Win a Smiggle Prize Pack for Christmas!
COMPETITION NOW CLOSED Congratulations to Natalie Glanville in Hong Kong Mint Mocha Musings and Smiggle Give You the Chance to Win a Kid's Prize Pack Valued at HK$1500 (US$200)! To Enter: Tell us who makes you smile and giggle and hashtag it #smigglexmintmochamusings Share this post on your social media platforms Entries close December 5th … [Read more...]
No Pain, No Gain! China Moments!
I let out an unavoidable grunt. A pack of dogs bark incessantly in the background and the ever present tune of “It’s a small world after all” rings out through the streets. I know it’s the street cleaner, spraying down the road, in what is largely a futile attempt to alleviate the thick blanket of dust that coats the city. It’s a cheery melody cutting through an otherwise bleak day. It’s a day when pollution has hit extreme levels in Xi’an. The air pollution index app flashes a cringe-worthy 400+ (the world health organisation says 25 is healthy) and we are ranking 4th in the world for worst air pollution. I think to myself, this is definitely one of those “China moments” …and then I'm pummelled back to reality with a thud, wincing in pain. I’m face down - on an extremely hard massage bed. Four of us have decided, on a whim, to escape the bubble (after days stuck inside) and come out for the “experience!” With the city resembling a scene from The Apocalypse, we’re all masked up - our throats burn and our eyes sting. Through the haze, our driver points out the sign “massage” amongst a throng of colourful Chinese characters. We’re met at a tiny entrance with an abrupt “Nihao” from a man in a white coat - he ushers us through a thin blue curtain to the “massage room.” This is no ordinary massage parlour. This is no dimly lit, private affair; the smell of essential oils definitely isn’t wafting in the smog-filled air, and there’s no music to sofly lull us into a relaxed state of mind. Looking much more like a stark hospital, there are four beds side by side. People are coming and going, shouting softly as only Chinese can and phones ring on an off. There’s an old pot belly stove in the corner, where a man heats up water in a shiny silver tea pot. English is pretty much non-existent so I surprise myself with some Chinese. My friend wants the toilet. Of course it’s squat and there’s no toilet paper. Eventually all four of us, are in face-plant position, stifling giggles. Fully clothed, we are on the beds, towels are draped over us from head to toe. Four serious looking men in white coats (probably a little bamboozled at the site of four “wai guo ren” chatting animatedly amongst ourselves) waste no time in getting down to business. We figure out early on, this not going to be soothing, relaxing or peaceful in any way! I hear traditional Chinese music ringing out and think “ahhh there is calming music after all” but it’s just one of the worker’s phones. The masseurs come and go throughout the massage. When they are on the job, these guys are hardcore — Chinese masseurs and their massage technique equals intense! Using acupressure they seem to find every knot that’s ever existed in my body. There’s no gentle lead up to kneading deep into the tissue. This, my friends is so fast and furious it will actually curl your toes! At one point, I am grimacing so hard, trying desperately not to let out an almighty shriek. “Breathe in, breathe out!” I silently tell myself. I laugh when I realise the girls are all doing the same. Consecutively, we seem to grunt, groan and giggle our way through one hour! At one stage, my French friend is in so much agony she’s lost her English words! I tell her in a muffled voice to chant the mantra “no pain, no gain!” It's a new motto for her, laughter erupts. At last our time is up. We all stumble from the bed, feeling (and no doubt looking) like we’ve been hit by a truck, or as my mum would say, "Dragged through a bush backwards!" At the same time, we feel looser, lighter and confident those knots have been thoroughly beaten out of us! And for a brief moment we’ve forgotten about the dirty, brown haze, that looms overhead, filling our nostrils with an intense burning smell. And for a mere 80RMB (US$12) who are we to complain! We tell them “Feichang hao” (Very good) and bid them “Zai jian!” (Goodbye). They wave, smile and look on - amused at the four foreigners - all masked up and ready to retreat back to their caves. This is China! … [Read more...]
The Wonder of Shopping on Taobao: China’s Secret Weapon.
It’s 7:30pm…. on Halloween night. A little three-wheeler Tuk Tuk, loaded up precariously with brown cardboard packages, of all shapes and sizes, darts up the alleyway, screeching to a halt, directly outside our friend’s house. As I wrestle to open the glass door, the driver practically throws the parcel at me! Considering I am dressed as Bat Girl, it’s clearly no object for me and my bat cape to grab that sucker. Laughter erupts in the house! My friend is averaging about a parcel a day at this point. Who knows what lurks beneath the plain brown wrapping, but it’s sure to be akin to a 'treasure' for an expat in this part of the world. Aptly so, given it’s from ‘Taobao’ - which translated means: “Searching for treasure.” Admittedly, it’s taken me awhile to cotton on to the beast that is Taobao. When I first arrived in China and we’d ask where we could get something from, the response was hardly ever, “Oh that little shop called xx just over the road will have it.” Nope, it was always, “Try Taobao!” Initially, I just assumed it was the lazy man’s way of accessing something, and mostly I just refused to believe you could get much on it other than Halloween costumes, silly props or secondhand stuff! More fool me. Having just signed up for an account, it seems I’m definitely ‘late’ to the Taobao party! My Chinese friends say it’s saved their lives and pretty much changed the face of the nation…. ahhh so that’s what all those Tuk Tuks I see racing around town, piled high with packages are up to! I wrote a post when we first arrived about the perils of everything being ‘made in China’ but not ‘found in China.’ While I was on the money — the shops here are devoid of many of the things we come to expect in the West, and/or cost a great deal more given the hefty import tax, I was wrong in saying you can’t get it in China. Turns out, Taobao’s where it’s at! Let me indulge you. Founded in 2003 by the Alibaba Group, headed by China’s richest man, Jack Ma — the idea behind it was to provide a platform for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to open online stores. Cut to the chase, 13 years later, Taobao marketplace is one of the world’s top ten most visited websites with a combined market gross merchandise volume of 1-trillion yuan! Similar to eBay but seemingly better, in a bid to counter their initial expansion, Taobao offered free listings to sellers and introduced website features designed to act in the local consumer’s best interests. Things like: instant messaging for facilitating buyer-seller communication and escrow-based payment tool, Alipay - where payment is only released to the seller once the buyer has received his or her goods and deemed them in satisfactory condition. Prior to purchase, the buyer and seller can interact with an instant chat program. It's not unusual for Chinese online shoppers to inquire about products and bargain before purchasing them! Buyers can assess seller backgrounds by information available on the site that includes ratings, comments and complaints. The better the reviews, the higher the buyer's ranking is. Consequently, the market giant became mainland China's undisputed market leader within two years; eBay shut down its China site in 2006. There are now 500-million registered users. Today, Taobao has two major platforms - the TMall, where established brand owners sell directly to customers, and the Taobao Market place, where smaller companies and budding entrepreneurs set up shop. This year it will extend to Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the plan to eventually go global. Fittingly so, Taobao’s mascot is an ant, which represents their corporate culture. When Ma introduced Taobao to the outside world he said, "We are the ant army." There are even “Taobao Villages” popping up right across China. Currently over 1000, to be precise. In struggling rural areas, farmers have been encouraged to swap their tractors for a sewing machine. Former argricultural warehouses now house rows upon rows of sewing machines, humming to Alibaba’s beat! One rural backwater has emerged as a booming hub in making dress up costumes, with more than 90 per cent of the villagers taking up the role. Hundreds of busy shops are churning out princess dresses, and super hero outfits (so that’s where my batgirl costume came from). It’s given the once crumbling village a new lease on life - there’s even a Taobao business hotel and Taobao Town Kindergarten! Truth is, you can get virtually anything on Taobao! And you can get it quickly. Sure there are the clothes, cheap designer handbags, shoes and jewellery, toys, food, milk, baby nappies, cleaning products etc, but it goes so much further. A friend’s mum needed a blood pressure monitor - Voila! Look no further than Taobao! Need vacuum parts, car parts? Taobao’s your answer. Then there are the live scorpions, breastmilk soap, drones and boyfriends for hire, even a trip to space. (Yes! I really did just say all that.) The Westin Hotel even sells room nights on Taobao…and international brands are reaching China more than ever before. And did I mention the best part? For the most part, it's much, much cheaper! My American friend is a diehard “Cubs” fan and just ordered baseball jerseys - retailing at US$54.99, she got them delivered to her door a few days later at 88RMB each (that’s US$12.95)! November 11th is when the real party starts! 11/11 is officially Chinese Singles Day and that means the biggest sale of the year! Thousands of international and local brands offer big discounts on Taobao. Being single might be tough for some but apparently it can easily be fixed with some serious retail therapy! (Who am I to disagree!) Larger than Cyber Monday in America - in 2011, it took Taobao eight minutes to reach 100 million RMB (US$15million). This year it’s expected to break all records, cracking US$15-billion. Alibaba has been hyping consumers up with a pre-sale extravaganza, featuring celebrities like US Pop star Katy Perry and pop band One Direction! There’s even been a live-streamed fashion show in Shanghai allowing viewers to pre order items as they appear on the catwalk! Apple, Guerlain, Maserati and Target will be available for the first time, along with Costco, Macy’s, Starbucks and Zara. So, if you’re looking for me… I may be a little late to the party, but hey I made it!!! See you in cyberspace! This is China! … [Read more...]
Bridesmaids for Hire: This is China, Where it’s More Than Just Holding the Bouquet!
Chao's Column What's trending on Social Media When you get asked to be a bridesmaid in China you know you’re going to be under pressure! Sure, there are fun parts, mostly the door games - the bridesmaids play a fun game with the groom and groomsmen before he's allowed into the bride’s room. It's called called “Du Men” (door blocking) and originated in ancient China times when brides were sent away to live with the husband's family. The idea is, it demonstrates how lovely the bride is and that her family and friends don't want to marry her off! The groom is blocked at the bride's bedroom door and her friends try to stop him from entering by asking questions and playing games -- a way to test if he is determined to marry the woman he loves. This good-natured fun part is possibly the highlight of the day for the bridesmaid (and the most rewarding)! ;-) The groom normally tries to 'buy his way in' by giving “Hong Bao" (lucky red envelopes with money inside) to the bridesmaids. I've been a bridesmaid once and the bride banned any kind of ‘Naohun’ which literally means “disturbing a marriage”- a longstanding practice since the days of the Han Dynasty. My five year old brother, however was sent to roll around on the newlywed's bed! Young boys bring good luck! Of course being a bridesmaid isn't all doom and gloom. There’s witnessing a beautiful day and watching your best friend tie the knot with her loved one! But there's also a sinister side to playing the role of bridesmaid. It usually involves drinking and often, getting drunk on the bride’s behalf. To remain beautiful on her most special day, the bride isn’t supposed to drink much at her wedding, yet it’s customary for the newlyweds to toast every single table of guests, more often than not with shots of Baijiu (if you don’t know about the famous Chinese liquor, check out MMM’s post China's Genie in a Bottle). It's hardcore! Thus, the bridesmaid has the task of drinking the bride’s share, not to mention putting up with the pressure of the traditional flirting that goes with the job and sometimes inappropriate physical contact! Just last month, a 28-year-old bridesmaid died after she was pressured by men at her table to drink excessive amounts of Baijiu. Video emerged on the net of her in a black bridesmaid’s dress binge drinking the potent liquor during her friend’s wedding, while men’s teasing echoed in the background. It stirred up a frenzy of anger amongst Weibo users (China’s version of Twitter). Enraged netizens were up in arms, particularly at video circulating of the unconscious woman being pushed in a hotel trolley, who was confirmed dead soon after arriving at the hospital. Earlier this year, a Chinese TV host and actress was shown being harassed while she was a bridesmaid at her celeb friend’s wedding. A video showed her being grabbed by the arms and legs by celebrity groomsmen, trying to throw her into the pool, ignoring her desperate pleas for them to stop. Her fellow bridesmaids had to come to her rescue. The victim later posted a video on Weibo apologizing to the groom and his new wife (her good friends) for “creating confusion for him” which made internet users even more upset. There's no doubt millions of bridesmaids get tipsy at weddings the world over, but there's concern for China’s bridal party customs that still seem steeped in ancient tradition. For thousands of years society has deemed that rich families provide young, single maids as part of the bride’s dowry. If the wife was unable to conceive after the marriage, she could preserve her position in the family by getting her maid to bear children on her behalf. Known as a "Concubine" she was supposed to be loyal to the man’s wife and not compete with her for attention or threaten her position. During years of development and through absorbing western weddings, things have obviously changed. Different cities in china have different rituals surrounding the big day, but still, in general, part of the protective function that bridesmaids used to have, remains. Bridesmaids in China are not supposed to be married/divorced or pregnant, and ideally shouldn’t have served as a bridesmaid too many times (this can be a bad luck for her). So “27 Dresses” it won’t be! The physical beauty and number of bridesmaids in a wedding party are often seen as a sign of power and “face” for the families involved in the marriage. But now, the increasing number of scandals breaking on the net about the pressure bridesmaids face and its negative reputation have scared brides away from choosing close friends or relatives to stand by their side on the big day. As a result, business in China is booming for professional bridesmaids! Tough and experienced at handling unwanted embarrassments, and at an affordable price (around US$100) - as surreal as it sounds, it can solve many wedding day problems! Simply look online and hire your own flower-carrying, baijiu-swilling, beautiful bridesmaid! Who cares if on the biggest day of your life, your bridesmaids are ‘fake’ friends. After all, this is China. For more on Chinese weddings... check out these MMM posts: Grab Your Hong Bao: You're Invited to a Wedding in China Wedding Crashers in China … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- …
- 37
- Next Page »