Chinese New Year in Shanghai

Wishing everyone a Happy Water dragon New year from Shanghai, even though you are not Chinese, all you need to do is to take you two finger and press at the temple of you forehead, and lift upward, look into the reflection in the mirror, now you look like a Chinese.

If that does not work try plastic surgery. What can I say, it is the modern world. You can become a man or a woman in just a matter of hour. However becoming a Chinese takes a little longer and lots of practice.

So here is a blog written during the holiday.

First New year in Shanghai

Another week passed, it seems I am getting a little lazy to get out my computer try to write a blog, or perhaps I am really relaxing a little after a 4 months whirlwind of work, now that I have the rest of the 7 days doing nothing, but lounge and eat. Where are the cookies and chips when you need them?

Not that I am running out of topic to blog, far from it, rather I am starting to get familiar of the unfamiliar and expecting the unexpected. Therefore choosing subject to talk became more selective, there are often I started with one subjects and end up abandon the topic an move on to a more interesting one. This happens to be the case this week. However I hope this is till interesting to all of you to learn of my experience here as an expat and not a tourist.

This is my first Chinese New Year not in the Far East but in the heart of China. I was expecting a festival atmosphere, lots of sight and sound etc. To say the least I was utterly disappointed and almost outrage.

A week before “The Spring Festival” which is prefer to be called, rather than Chinese New Year; the city starting to empty out. The migrant workers that made up at least 60% to 80% of the workforce where all heading home, resulted in a lot of shops and restaurants closing for the week. The usually bustling streets were all empty and dark in the evening the avenues like a lighted ghost town. This was reported on News all over the world, it is in epic proportion, you have to see it to believe it.

However, the transport hoops were a different story. The bus station and the train stations are fill to the max with travelers all trying to get home. It is like the battle scene from “Gone with the wind”. Do you remember the scene? OK, no one is going to ask you how old you are, therefore you do not have to lie about you never heard of the movie. Perhaps the fall of Vietnam, where all the people were trying to get to the last plane out. To be honest I do not even remember that one. At least the movie, I can visualize it.

Never the less, it is a lot of people all trying to get to their home town in some remote villages, there are many stories to tell, some of them have not seen their families for many years. Others it is the only time they get to see their only child. You may think you have experienced the similar situation during Christmas rush so what is the big deal? My friends you all have many means of communications like your mobile, email and SKYPE, these people more often than none, first not knowing how to use any of the device, Second can’t afford a mobile service. They work hard to support their families, and this is the only chance they get in a year, or many to see their love one.

Unfortunately China is like every country in the world, in their desperate effort to ease the massive movement of humanities during the rush. China introduced the first every Internet reservation. That may help the middle and educated class to get their tickets to their destination, unfortunate for the poor and the uneducated, getting the return home ticket on public transportation is now worse than ever, because there were now less live ticket available at the ticket windows. They have no place to go, can’t give up their position in line, can’t afford hotels, the only solution is to camping out in the train stations, waiting for that next available ticket that gets them home. There is no accommodation to speak of, no sleeping cart or blankets, but many moving stories will bring you to tears. Very disheartening.

In tune with the changing and modernization of China, many of the Chinese tradition all but disappeared. Imagine a Christmas without a Christmas tree in your home (to some), not even the artificial one, so lights either. That is exactly what happening here. The all-familiar blossoming peach trees, daffodils and many of the Chinese flowers associate with the holidays were nowhere to be found. There is no such thing as the flower market that everyone rush to get fresh flowers to decorate their homes after the family dinner on New Years Eve. Even more shocking is that there were few red pocket envelopes to be sold in the city. These were the envelopes that married adult stuffed good luck money in it to be given out to children. I was relief to learn that children still get that from their parent, but not everyone else. Not that I am expecting a red pocket unless it contains the winning lottery ticket. It is a tradition like bonus money I gave to my helpers in NY during the Holiday season. Since I can’t find any, I think I am going to hide in my apt in the next 10 days until the wind blown over, instead of facing all the door mans without a Red Pocket to give them.

Many of my friends in NY get together with me to celebrate Chinese New Year in Chinatown often. We watched the Dragon and lion dance, the parade etc. I have yet seen any such performances here. The Massive firework display that we saw on TV is only limited to Beijing and Hong Kong. In Shanghai however it was the light show, all the buildings and bridges is like a Vegas showgirls put on their best custom. Since Chinese never do any thing in small scale, theirs bridges was not only light up in neon colors, but all computer controlled flashing and moving neon. It was a sight to be seen, I was in awe and forgot to take out my camera. Can you imagine that, the Japanese without their camera? That was me on my way back from a first ever Shanghai family dinner. Will tell you about that later.

I was warned that I would have firework for the next 10 days. On New Year Eve, it all started at 11PM sharp. We do not have the massive display down on the Bund, (Waterfront). What made up for it was all the business in the city had it’s own firework display. Including three at my apartment complex alone. These are not fire cracker my friends. I am talking about the professional shooting firework that explodes. Some explored right in front of my balcony on the 23rd floor I was so busy running from one end of the house to the other to catch a glimpse of the action. Look further on the whole city seems like it was on fire. Now I know how it looks like if a city is being attack by booms. Fire and smoke all over except this is a celebration, and rather unusual one.

Again, I was shock that I forgot to take pictures of my experience. This is definitely worth recording otherwise.

I was also fortunate enough perhaps I should say my personal assistance took pity on me, invited me to his home for their family gathering on NYE. I was treated with food I have never had before. The name may be familiar but the taste is different, and don’t ever let the appearance fool you either. I took a bite on a smoke or deep fried fish, I can’t tell, it was cold, instead of tasty meat, I encountered blood thirst bones that I almost chock to death on a Chinese table. Next came seemingly harmless Chinese cabbage was actually so hot that will burn all the way down to the other end. I also saw familiar sight of shredded Chicken meat, or so I thought, was actually shredded Bamboo stock. Some dark duck, but it was not smoke. A big bowl of potato salad with green pea and mayonnaise I though was the saving grace was actually apple salad. There were thousand year eggs, supper hot dipping sauce. Wine chicken, and shrimp. Sweat and sour bony fish. Mutton and more bones suppose to be pork rips in a sauce I do not know what it is. Also lots of dry tu fu. Just when I thought it was done. There came more vegetables, seafood it seems endless. The most interesting dish of all was sticky rice that is filled with sweet red bean paste. I saw it was sold in the grocery store but not sure how to serve it. It turn out it should be steam. The whole experience was exotic and fun. I was being spoon fed literally by my assistance and his family. My bowl was full at all time with food; he told me his family would blame him if he does not serve food for me.

I am blessed to have experienced this kind of hospitality even when my host family did not speak English, with my limited Chinese I was able to make some new friends, gain some understanding of other culture. Experienced the warmth and welcoming of a Chinese family in a foreign land that is very different than my own world. They opened their home and welcomed me in, their generosity and goodness in their heart is a memory I will not soon forget.

Chinese Encounter Shanghai
The year of the water dragon.