Undoubtedly the biggest week of the year in China is nearly over, and the year of the pig is upon us. Here's a short update on how we've been celebrating...
There are a lot of misconceptions about how China does Chinese New Year, often exemplified by confused visitors to Beijing and other big cities wondering why there's nobody there and why anything of interest has shut up shop for the week. "But where are all the fireworks and dragon dances", they cry forlornly into the empty void. Unlike our new year celebrations in the west, this is very much a family affair and, owing to the movement of people from the countryside to cities during the last 30 years, the need to spend time with family explains the mass exodus from urban centres as everyone heads back to their 老家 family home in the village.
We were very lucky to be invited by friends we know through Liuzhou Meet & Learn to celebrate with their families. So we headed off, accompanied by unseasonably hot weather, to nearby villages for BBQ, drinking, conversation, celebration, more food and more drinking. And more food. Liuzhou and it's people never cease to amaze me with their hospitality and this new year has been no exception; the consistently warm welcome we receive here is something genuinely special and we feel honoured to experience such an important family time with local people.
Highlights of the week have included getting a shock as a live chicken in a bag suddenly jumped out of the kitchen trying to make his escape (no doubt aware of the fate awaiting him). And also people's apparent ability to drink 白酒 rice wine in huge quantities despite it tasting like paintstripper and, I suspect, having a similar chemical makeup. This imbibing has one significant downside, however: when we visit people, we really appreciate their efforts in speaking standard Mandarin Chinese with us. But alcohol intake is definitely proportional to the inevitable lapse back into speaking 方言 local dialects that we can't understand, so the end of every night is always baffling for everyone involved.
So as we prepare to return to work and study, significantly heavier than we were a week ago, we can look back on a wonderful celebration and start planning future events. We hope, that by continuing to encourage good relations between the local and foreign communities here, everyone can experience the hospitality and friendship that we've been so lucky to receive. As ever, if you want to get involved, get in touch via email.
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