Wedding Belle

The way the young, urban Chinese views getting married is quite different from the Western ideas or those of older generations or people in rural areas here in China. I saw a good example of this earlier this week, as one of my Chinese colleagues did not come to work one morning. We we wondering where she was, and got our answer a she walked in a couple of hours later, with a big bag of sweets in her hand. "Wedding candy for everyone", she said, "I just got married!"

As we were munching on our sweets, traditionally handed out by the newlyweds, she told us of how it all had happened. They had been planning marriage for some time now, and the night before they were talking about it and decided it was time to go for it. So why not just do it the next morning? All you need is your ID card, with which you walk into the Marriage Office (right next door to the Divorce Office...), sign a paper, and ta-dam, it's done. Then, like my colleague, you can get back to the usual schedule, go to work and get on with it.

So possibly, the conversation went something like this:

"Ummm...got any plans for tomorrow morning, dear?"
"No nothing special. Why, do have something in mind?"
"Yeah well, I thought we could go and get married. You know, I could use a morning going to work late. I've got this really annoying client that keep calling me every bloody morning."
"Yeah I guess so... I was supposed to go running with Xiao Zhu but he tells me his got a cold so I suppose I'll be free. Nothing else to do really, so yeah why not."

But of course the truth is, they will have a proper celebration, too, at some point next year possibly. It's just that the actual legal act of registering the marriage and the wedding itself can be a long time apart, even a year or two. My colleague said they will have one when they have more money, there are no exact plans when.

The simplicity and the laid-back attitude of it all is beautiful somehow. Compared to how stressful the planning of weddings has now become in the West, how people start organising it more than a year in advance, sweating over the smallest details and who will be seated next to whom. At least judging from the internet forums dedicated to the issue, weddings seem to be causing massive nervous breakdowns instead of just being a happy celebration.

I kind of wish I could just decide to waltz into an office one of these mornings, sign a paper, and be done with it.

After all, if it doesn't work out, it's just as simple to pay a visit to the Divorce Office next door.

Lift Me Up

There are all sorts of interesting occupations in China, which you would not come across very often in Europe.

I have written before about ear cleaners, with their little stools and array of tools, waiting for customers in parks somewhere out there in central China.

Now I'd like to share another occupation with you, something that I see every day in our very own building: Lift attendant.

Forget the people you sometimes might see in extra fancy hotels in the west, someone standing in a uniform with polished buttons, ready to take the wealthy guests to their floor.

I'm talking the guardian of the one single lift in our very normal apartment building, with her little box-like miniature desk in one corner of the already small lift, and the stack of daily newspapers she sells those riding the lift for 5 mao each. This is the woman who makes sure the lift is used properly, and there is no joyriding, no sir.

And the best bit is that she is equipped with a custom-made stick for pressing the buttons, with a ball of some soft, rubbery material taped to one end, so she doesn't have to reach her arm too far to press the buttons, but she can stay put on her little chair and just use the stick.

Oh, it's brilliant.

Not to even mention the fact that the lift only goes to three floors our of 10: the 1st, 8th and 10th.

But sometimes, when she's taking a break, or maybe having a nap in the little office, with the hard bed right next to the lift on the first floor, we get to ride the lift by ourselves and PRESS THE BUTTONS on our own. Man, do I feel like a rebel every time I manage to get away with that!!

Nomina stultorum parietibus haerent

The only thing disturbing the beauty of the old village in Cuandixia, was the tags left behind by two peabrains called Wesley and Joanna. These people had come to visit the village equipped with bottles of spraypaint, and had taken quite a bit of time and effort to make sure that there names where up EVERYWHERE, sometimes in letters almost a metre high.

HELLO!?!?

So, the old Ming dynasty walls, and the surrounding cliffs now bear the names of these two dimwits.

I'm putting these pictures up here, hoping that someone somewhere comes across these two, and spraypaints something nasty across their faces.

Cuandixia

Holidaying is almost over and the weather has suddenly turned cold and rainy. I appreciate Nature's effort to make it easier to go back to work.

Our holiday culminated in a little trip Cuandixia, a small village still looking a lot like it did back in the Ming-dynasty days. The place somewhat resembles a small mediaval village in Europe, with stone walls and little dark alleys.

This place is much better described in pictures than in words. So, if you are interested, I've created a webalbum here with more pictures.

PRC 57 years - Building a Harmonius Society

Again it's one of those times in the year when the whole population of China goes on holiday at the same time. Only those working in the tourist industry stay at work to count their gold, but the other 1,3 billion people are all fighting for that same seat on the train.

Here in Beijing, though, things quiet down in the areas that are usually busy with commuter traffic and people going about their daily errands. The normal living areas clam down for a change, while the main tourist spots fill with endless noisy, crowds.

It's been three months now, that I have lived here in Beijing, and my love for this city is still on the rise. Every week I discover new treasures in the surrounding areas, which makes me enjoy this city just that little bit more.

Around the nearby lake, there are many little cafes and bars, where you can go on the roof terrace, and have a drink while looking over the roofs of old courtyard houses, being shadowed by many lush, green trees. And between the branches, you can see the glimmer of the water. What's best, all this in silence, feeling like there were no other people in the world.

Or you can hop on the bike, ride past the amazing historic sites of the Drum and Bell Towers, the Jinshan Park, the Forbidden City... and end up by the Tiananmen Square. Especially now, as it's the National Day holiday, the whole massive square has turned into a sea of people. Visitors from all over China just want to be right at the heart of it for a moment.

And the government has prepared the place for them. The banners celebrate the 57th birthday of the country, and announce the building on a harmonius Socialist society and the development of science. The themes of the decorations for this year's National Day are Tibet, the Three Gorges Dam, and the upcoming Olympic Games.

Pretty miniature models on artificial hills or strong messages to send?

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Miniatures of the Three Gorges Dam (behind) and the Potala Palace in Lhasa (front right) at Tiananmen Square