gee | jay | oh

Shaken, but not stirred.

So, a few days ago there was an Earthquake in China. The epicentre was around Yingxiu (pronounced ying-she-o), Xichuan (pronounced shi-tchewan) and whilst the death-toll keeps rising. By all accounts this is the worst earthquake to hit China for maybe 30 years. I take this opportunity to re-assure everyone that I am OK and at the worst only mildly affected by this most catastrophic of natural disasters.

I happened to be in my apartment when the ‘quake struck and only really knew about it because of some phone calls from my friends and students. People were being evacuated from buildings all over and so we thought it only right we do the same. Apparently buildings all over Huanghuai Campus were being shaken for a period of 3 minutes or more. The only thing that I seemed to feel was unquestionable feeling of nausea and dizziness. Something I put down to staring at a computer screen for too long. Little did I know it would turn out to be such a devastating event many hundreds of miles away.

My location compared to the epicentre:

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It was comforting to know that the often criticised Chinese government was doing it’s very best to help it’s stricken citizens, the premier rushing to the scene immediately and diverting all available non-commercial flights to the scene filled with aid to help those in dire need.

On the bright side

Well, apart from the earthquake that everyone is talking about, what have I been doing? Well, last weekend I managed to hitch a ride with some students at the university to a recently rebuilt and still under construction Buddhist temple. Supposedly the biggest such temple in East Asia I can only say that it was much like the rest of China. Impressive on a very grand scale, the intricacies of the temple buildings themselves were astounding. Such effort and craftsmanship goes into making these places of worship peaceful awe inspiring places. The style is what can only be described as distinctly Chinese, instantly recognisable the world over. It’s the in-between stuff that makes all the difference.

I said like the rest of China and it is the truth. Wherever you go, constructions of exquisite grandeur and scale are matched only by the eyesores that they tend to neighbour. I’ll try not to take away too much from a place that was clearly still being built but aesthetics are definitely one of the Han peoples’ strong points, whilst simultaneously being a weakness. It seems that when trying to fill the spaces between buildings in so many places, a quick splash of fast-set concrete serves as the only solution. Where-in you might expect maybe some paved floorings for something as lavish as a temple, its solid, cold, bland and grey. Many of the buildings in China have a deceptive quality. The façades of these wonderful testaments to man’s structural and architectural imagination belie an internal appearance that can only be described as dilapidated. It’s almost like the buildings are falling down, but from the inside out. Pictures to follow…

Cultural Learnings

As an interesting aside, my colleagues and I have for the last 2 weeks, been attending a workshop at the university where we are working, called English Corner. This is kind of a voluntary thing where the students from the normal university, who are not from the International College, can come and interact with and chat to the foreign English teachers on a much more informal level. There is a loose topic associated with these meetings, held under the shade of some trees in a grassed area of the campus, which this week was chosen by one of the other teachers. The topic under discussion was divorce, something which has in the past been strictly controlled by the Chinese government.

It would seem that it is also something that is becoming an increasing concern as divorce rates have been on the rise steadily for the past decade or so, as is the case in many Western countries, albeit for a longer period of time. The students are very eloquent and very willing to engage in thoughtful and intelligent discussion, even if it is held in a foreign tongue to their own. Whilst this is not unexpected, it is also shows they have a willingness to learn more than they are expected to, something our younger generation might take note of. It was interesting to hear the differences and similarities of opinions on such things as staying together for the sake of children and the ultimately the happiness of two people involved in a failing marriage.

The most interesting aspect of this discussion came from learning that in China, marriage is not just a symbolic display of the commitment and love of two people, or for the more cynical, an economically beneficial arrangement. Unlike the UK for example, where 2 or more people find it to their advantage to rent a house, flat or apartment together to share costs and bills , for a Chinese couple to move in with each other means that they also have to get married, or risk breaking state law. The law does not carry the threat of a jail term or anything so draconian, but it could mean the imposition of a hefty fine on the offenders. It’s a fascinating piece of legislature – does this mean that Chinese people are extremely considerate before getting married, as it is not just economic bondage but also the joint custody of real estate that comes as part of the union? Getting married is very easy for many in the “west” and ending that arrangement, slightly absurdly, almost even easier. Many people now spurn marriage as a show of commitment, maybe for fear of what they might lose as a result of it ending bitterly or maybe it is because it is really just an outmoded form of high ceremony that does not necessarily need to be the defining symbol of a couple’s commitment to each other.

It figures then, that maybe the Chinese government has a justified concern about it’s rising rate of divorce and not only the breakdown of the family unit and the turmoil that implies, but maybe the extra cost to its population over lost houses and possessions.

Next time, the Chinese phenomenon of “losing face” and the implications it has for China and it’s people.