Christmas in February‏

Hi,

I mentioned in the past about Chinese New Year's being similar to Canadian Christmas. Well it has hit home. I have not been here during the past two Spring Festivals. The fireworks have started. Chinese New Year's is on Feb 14. But it has started. Yesterday I went for groceries. The aisles were clogged. I had a hand-basket and often I couldn't get down an aisle. Like the last shopping day before Christmas! And they still have a month. The store is about the size of a usual Sobey's or Superstore. They had 50 tills and 45 were open. The other 5, I assume were on break. I didn't mind except for being constantly hit in the back of my ankles by carts or being pushed by some old woman while I was buying some ground pork and she wanted some. I wish I had my camera. It was like a bus or train staion on a busy weekend. I had to keep saying TIC, this is China. Amazing. I have never seen so many people in a store except on Boxing Day in Canada!

It didn't bother me in the least except for getting hit on the legs but that is normal. Everyone pushes here. If you don't then you will never get where you want to go. You learn to push. Too many people. Survival of the fittest. So many times I have been in line for some service and people come and move in front of me. Sometimes I will grab them and shove them behind me and they are surprised. But you need to be aggressive if you are in a hurry. It is normal to get in front. Kids, women, men will move up if there is a space. They drive the same way! Most times I will let them but if I am at a bus or train staion and I have to catch one soon then I won't take it. Once I moved to the front of the line and they looked at me and no one said anything. If you are important then you don't have to wait. Usually I will wait.

I hired cleaners for my apartment. The university sent two guys. I had to leave. They washed the floors. They never lifted a shoe to clean under it. I paid good money. They never touched the kitchen counter, toilet, a wall or window. I could've done what they did in an hour. I complained. So now there are two women here cleaning. I want walls, windows, everything. I want it to be the same as it was when I moved in. You have to complain if you don't like something otherwise no one will do anything. You can't assume that things will be done to your satisfaction. I have learned to complain. When I do, they listen and something gets done. But you have to pick your battles. Some of the teachers complain all of the time. I don't. So when I complain they listen.

Today I am going to a movie with an English major, not my student, Lydia. We will see Avatar, in Chinese, should be interesting. Nice kid; very short, chubby (well it is kind of hard to tell with 50 layers of clothes! :) but funny, good English and good company. We went to KTV (karaoke) on Thursday and she sang mostly English songs. I had to ask her to sing some Chinese songs because I like the sound of them even if I don't understand the words. Last night I was walking home from the training school and she saw me and yelled. She had a friend with her. So I invited them for supper. Good kids. We talked. I learn something new everytime I talk to some of these kids. So different. Their dreams are the same as ours but the way to get there is very different. It's almost like Victorian England; marry someone who has money, or status, or who is taller than you; there are so many rules. It seems like love takes a back seat unless you are rich. In 10 years there will be 24 million men looking for wives. If you are a woman then you should come to China. Lijun has been home for 2 weeks and has already had 3 guys interested.

Bye

Talk to you later,
Don