There's no place like
Date: Dec 16th, 2007 2:43:53 pm - Subscribe
Mood: lackadaisical
China for the holidays....
The Christmas holidays are rapidly approaching. with New Year's and Chinese New Year's hot on each other's heels.
You know, When I came to China, I was expecting a respite from the maddening commercialism of the American gift giving season. I was looking forward to a Christmas in a nation that was blissfully unaware of the commercial and social implication of the holidays. I should have known better. Santa is making his appearances here and in front of one of the department stores there is a HIDEOUS stack of pink sequined boxes. I'm not talking about some pale pink thing either. I mean glittering, burns-the-retinas fuschia! The idea of Christmas here is not so much spending time with your family as it is partying with your friends. The family holiday here is Chinese New Year.
So, I was shopping today and and was confronted with the worst, cheesiest, kitzchiest Christmas decorations I have ever seen. It was scary.
I guess the thing that makes me particularly sad about this is that while the commercial trappings (oh, and they are a trap) are all here, so few Chinese really know WHY Christmas is celebrated. All they really know is what they see in the movies: parties, drunkenness, presents and families fighting. They have no clue of what Christmas is really all about.
*Aside: Imagining Charlie Brown crying out "Can anyone tell me what Christmas is really all about" And Linus asking for a spotlight before reciting the second chapter of Luke*
Sometimes, even in the small expat community that I live and work in I feel like we have lost sight, a little. We are having a "Secret Santa" and Christmas brunch, and coffee at the headmaster's and a whole bunch of running around. Fortunately we do get the day off. No one else in China does. My Korean counterparts at the School are as much into the whole Christmas thing as the western teachers are. Don't get me wrong. It's nice. But there is this whole idea of it not being Christmas if we aren't hyper socialized. I'm semi anti-social anyway. I would really just as soon make a nice dinner for my roommates and not go traipsing about in the cold.
A big shout out to my Family of Origin: I really wish I could be in Illinois this Christmas. Last year made me realize just how much I love and miss you all.
In other blog worthy news: (sort of) Long underwear. I have a problem with long underwear. The heat in my apartment is really quite warm, I have to keep my windows open and sleep without blankets.
"So how is this a long underwear problem?"
Simple: The school is inadequately heated,
the buses are inadequately heated, the department stores are overheated, the restaurants are hit and miss. The problem lies in that in order to be comfortable when not in my home, I have to wear long underwear. No problem. My mom gave me some spectacular longies a couple of years ago and they are SUPER (thanks Mom)! But when I get home, I have to strip nearly to my skin to get comfortable. Well as soon as I warm up from being outside in the wind. The cold and wind, incidentally, are reminiscent of Chicago, and make me feel quite at home.
Therein lies the problem: If I am in and out of the house I go from sweating to freezing very quickly. Generally speaking, I don't mind the cold. In fact, I am kind of enjoying it. Who in their right mind would complain about heat in winter? Only me.
The only place I really have issues with the lack of heat is in the bathroom at the school. Trust me, there are few things as...invigorating...as dropping trou in an unheated bathroom in freezing temps. As far as I am concerned that is the only room that should be overheated. The rest of the rooms can be a bit on the cool side, as long as I have my long underwear, and a cup of hot coffee to hold onto.
This part of China doesn't get much snow. I wish it did. The city is kind of grubby, and a fresh fall of snow just makes it beautiful. For about a day. But, for that one day, she is fabulous.
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