Last year, summer 2011, I visited a seaside city in Southern China called Shantou. It is one of the original Special Economic Zones of China, just like Zhuhai, and it has a unique culture of its own. They are a special kind of Cantonese people who speak “Chaoshan hua”. (A shared dialect between Chaozhou and Shantou ) Most are ethically Han but refer to themselves as Chaoshan people. Their women are known to be “the best wives in China” because they take care of their husbands so well. AND they offer some of the most delicious cuisine too.  So, what should you eat when you go to Shantou or Chaozhou? … BEEF.

While I was in Shantou, my hosts took us to a buffet-style restaurant famous for its Beef Balls. (You’ll hear many Shantou people ask “Do you like beef ball?”) The following photos show the entire spread of meaty goodness available at the buffet, which is meant to be cooked in mini hotpots in front of each person.

Tip! When gathering your dipping sauces be careful not to mistake the MSG for sugar… Don’t worry! At least this restaurant lets you choose whether or not to put in the Wizard!

Shantou BEEF Restaurant

Chaozhou was also amazing city to visit due to its history. Take a look at some of the places we visited below. The first one is a bridge made from boats latched together. It’s very old! Another one is me on an old street which is lined with gates through the center of the old city.

Chaozhou Boat Bridge

Chaozhou Ancient Street

The Eastern part of Guangdong is truly different from the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area. I highly suggest a visit because money and pollution can get a little boring after a while… am I right?

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The rains are coming again. After a dry winter and a super humid spring with sweaty walls, it is time for mother nature to let her hair down again with torrential downpours. Here is a sample of that from my previous apartment on the Jinan University campus.

Warning: These photos are rather Armageddony!
(Click images to zoom in)

Rainy Season in Zhuhai

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Last December I experienced my first Catholic mass in China… yes, it’s true, there are lots of Christians here although their numbers make up a small proportion of the population. A friend of mine in Guangzhou asked me if I’d like to go to a religious concert at a church in downtown Guangzhou. Of course my curiosity was peaked, so I checked it out and learned a few new words along the way. Master, Lord, and Surrender were pretty common in the songs.

Have a look at what the church looked like outside. The white banner on the left is the official signage which shows this church is registered with the central government. (Click image to zoom in)

Chinese Church Entrance

The inside was a little bit of a surprise to me. I guess the group was a Taiwanese, Christian band which tours throughout the world. They do English songs too. The crowd was feeling pretty spiritual, which couldn’t be a bad thing. It all reminded me of how strong capitalism truly has become in China.

Chinese Church Inside

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Titanic in Chinese

I watched Titanic in 3D today in Zhuhai and was a little bit surprised- I actually shed a tear. Not because of the love story, but at the view of the Statue of Liberty near the end. (Sometimes the somewhat cheesy moments in Hollywood movies catch me at a sensitive moment.) But, its ok because most of the other (older) people in the theater  were crying too.

I went with my girlfriend, who clearly remembers watching the original Titanic in 1997, and was really looking forward to taking me to the show. While we were there she noticed something peculiar. There was no voice singing during My Heart Will Go On; it was just the score. I had to think about that for a minute and then I realized she was right. “Why did they take out the singing?” she asked in Chinese. I said I wasn’t sure, but it might have had something to do with the modern audience not really caring to hear an older song. “The song isn’t popular anymore” I told her. But maybe there was another reason. Who knows. But that wasn’t the only thing different about this Chinese re-release…

Censorship of the film actually caused more attention to grow around the scenes that were deleted. Although James Cameron said on Colbert Nation that the scenes were deleted because the authorities worried men would try to reach out and touch the screen; perhaps touching the head of others and disrupting their experience. Actually, Chinese tell me that since there is no rating system here, so the sexual content in the movie would be inappropriate for children. The point was to help parents protect their kids eyes, or so I was told.

What strikes me as odd is that scenes from Flowers of War were not censored… and as I wrote last January, that film has the ability to shock and awe. It was brutal in both sexual and violent ways. I couldn’t imagine a child seeing that movie, even with parents around. So, it still remains somewhat of a mystery as to why a little bit of flesh wasn’t allowed to be shown in Titanic 3D, but the bloody body of a woman being raped while strapped to a chair, then jabbed with a bayonet as penance for biting a soldier’s ear off… was acceptable.

These kinds of contradictions are not new, nor will they be the last (this week). It’s important to understand that what is said publicly in China is usually not what the speaker means in their heart. Speaking from the heart out loud is rare over here and if you aren’t prepared for this you will probably lose your mind quickly.

I remember seeing James Cameron’s face on the Colbert Report when he described the “reason” for deleted scenes. He had a very typical look on his face which was a mix of misunderstanding and disgust. And if he decides to move forward with co-producing Avatar 2 and 3 with a massive Chinese film company, he will certainly need to remember to keep his cool.

Related articles

• ‘Titanic 3D’ Sets IMAX Record In China (m.deadline.com)
• China to “Titanic 3D” viewers – look, but don’t touch. On second thought, don’t look. (fluffrick.wordpress.com)
• Kate Winslet Reunites With James Cameron and Billy Zane at Titanic 3D Premiere (popsugar.com)
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Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is definitely a global phenomenon, which allows me to add CNY to my ongoing series of “Understanding the World of…” articles! Since most Westerners living in towns with a population of at least a few thousand have a Chinese restaurant, I should be able to assume most readers have a passing knowledge of the Chinese Zodiac and the Lunar New Year. If you are pretty sure you know close to nothing about this ancient festival, then go ahead and read this entire post. Otherwise, feel free to skip to parts that interest you or could help you answer tough questions from friends about China. So, let’s get started!

Lunar Calendar Confusion: When is Chinese New Year? This question often gets funny eyebrows because it changes every year. The lunar calendar is based on 12 “lunations”, which means there are about 355 days in a year. But if that’s true, shouldn’t the calendars slowly drift apart wildly over time? (Think 10 less days per year…) Actually, modern lunar calendars add a 13th month after a certain number of years, in order to keep in some kind of synch with the solar calendar – this makes it “Lunisolar.” And so, the date for each year changes on the solar calendar. (See below)

Chinese Zodiac: I’m a Dog. (hahaha…) But seriously, I was born in the year of the dog and this could mean something about my personality to those who follow Shēng Xiào (生肖) or the Chinese Zodiac. Here are recent and future dates and their animals signs:

The Past, Current,and Future Zodiac

Ways to Celebrate (and where): As CNY is the most important holiday of the year for Chinese, you’d be right in assuming that families get together to celebrate. In fact, the greatest human migration on earth happens in mainland China around this time every year*. An estimated 3 billion+ trips will be made during the 2012 Chinese new year period of about 40 days*(Chinese Link).  ChinaHush has some interesting articles related to this event.

New Year Firecrackers!

Fireworks! Most people leave the cities and return to their hometowns, which are often located tens of hours by train into the countryside. I have visited hometowns like this in Henan, Shaanxi, and Yunnan provinces. The fireworks are unbelievably fun, although quite dangerous. At this point in Chinese modern development, major cities have outlawed lighting fireworks except for special areas zoned for it.

New Year Dinner: After everyone finally gets home and enjoys the fireworks, they also get to have a big family meal on the eve of the first day in the new year. Chú Xī (除夕) is the night of great celebratory dinners called Nián Yè Fàn (年夜饭), something like “the last supper” of the year. All of the dishes are homemade and many of the ingredients come from the farms of family members or friends in the countryside. For important dinners like this, it is a common Chinese custom to have at least one dish of meat (like beef or pork), a chicken dish, and a fish. Each of these animals bring a special meaning to the meal because their chinese name sounds similar to an auspicious character. For example: Fish is “yú” or 鱼, which sounds like “yú” or 余, meaning extra or excess. Having a lot of “extra” represents a good harvest or hearty bounty.

New Year Banners

CNY Customs: Setting off fireworks and enjoying a New Year dinner aren’t the only important customs at the Chinese New Year. Fresh red banners are posted at the front door every new year. These banners represent good fortune in the new year and ward off a monster called “nian.” There is an old tale about this monster which hates noise and the color read. “Guo nian” means to pass the new year, but from the story it basically means keeping this monster from entering your house at the new year. Because of the threat of this evil spirit, the family usually stays awake all night watching a New Year program on TV and eating snacks. Meanwhile a raucus of fireworks and firecrackers can be heard outside. It’s really an experience of a lifetime.

Sayings: For the language learners out there, or those who want to greet their Chinese friends properly, you can practice the following new years sayings in mandarin:

Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái means “Congratulations and Prosperity”, a standard greeting during the new year month.

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè  means “Happy New Year”, literally, and is very often said during the new year month.

Xīn Nián ān Kāng means “Peace and Good Health in the New Year”, and is a good way to toast at the new year dinner.

Lóng Nián Jí Xiáng means “Good Luck in the Year of the Dragon” and the animal changes every year, so make sure to check the year before saying this one.

Dragon Baby

Dragon Babies: Since I’m writing this in the very auspicious year of the Dragon, I thought I’d comment on the concept of dragon babies, and more importantly, being parents of a dragon baby. Age-old tradition suggests that the Chinese people are descendants of the mythological Dragon. Since this is the most important creature in the zodiac, it’s understandable that many families put great pressure on new couples to have a baby during this year. It’s not uncommon for a girl in her 20s to be married and with-child (in just a few months) in order to meet the deadline for dragon-baby making. And if you didn’t get your dragon baby this time, there’s always another chance 12 years later! ^.^

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