I didn't think there was going to be a part 3, but the Earth's crust is continuing to rumble underneath South West China. The day before yesterday, I was woken by an aftershock, but it wasn't too big, so I left it and went back to sleep. I was looking forward to a good sleep last night, but at about 11 in the evening my flatmate informs us that everyone's sleeping outside again, which meant a repeat of last Monday's evasive action.
Clutching a pillow, duvet, mat, bread, beer, passport and toilet paper, we head back to the same spot in the park. There was definitely more people than last time, 'people sea people mountain', as the Chinese saying goes. Anyone with a car seemed to be heading south, leaving the city. The pavements were full of people wandering round or sleeping, some even sleeping on the side of the road or using the kerb as a pillow. I admire the people who chose to sleep right outside the door of a multi-storey building. Some people seemed amused by everything, but I wasn't prepared to take any chances.
I gathered from some people crowded round a TV outside that a warning has been issued that yesterday and today, there should be a big aftershock, which is likely to affect Xi'an. Joining in the atmosphere, I went over to some friends to sit around on the pavement playing cards. There wasn't any panic, the chances of anything destructive here are small, but everyone was playing it safe, and making the most of it.
I did actually manage to get a couple of hours sleep, but when I woke up all the other Europeans who were in the park had left and gone home. Not too willing to go and sleep, I'm now in the internet bar, occupying the computer nearest the door - with only a three yard dash to the safety, I should be OK. I was pretty sure there was a shock just now actually, but it turned out to be someone zealously bashing away at the keyboard. At the moment, I'm alert to anything wobbly.
For the rest of today (currently 8am), I'm waiting for this shock to come and go so I can go back inside above the first floor. Sods law as soon as I go back to my flat, the tremor will come. Still, I'm better off than tens of thousands of people in Sichuan.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Earhquake part 2
The earthquake hit in the afternoon, but everything seemed quite normal soon after. Where I live, I only saw one slightly damaged building, but quite a lot of buildings have suffered cracks. It was quickly found out that it was 7.8, and that a lot of China had felt it. Initially people said no-one died, then later a number of 7000 was heard. Just now - 7am on the next day - I heard the number was 40,000.
My tutor is a Masters student, and living in the dormitory, he wasn't sure whether they would be allowed back in, so we went back to where I live. It was all pretty normal, until when we were going back home, I bump into a Spanish guy I know, who was planning on sleeping outside. As it turns out, the park was full of people prepared for a night's sleep. Seeing all that, I thought I'd better stay out as well.
It wasn't quite Woodstock, but it was an interesting atmosphere, about 25 Europeans and all the locals hanging out in the park at night. Because it wasn't too serious where I was, no-one was particularly freaked out. Still, it was only until after I heard the government announced at 12am that there would be no more aftershocks that I went back home. Besides, my building looks reasonably well-built.
4.30am, an aftershock woke me up. It's really a disturbing feeling. It seemed pretty clear that nothing was going to collapse, it was quite a small shake, but staying inside didn't sit comfortably, and seeing lots of people leaving the surrounding buildings, I went back to the park. But after about an hour, everyone was cold and bored so returned home. Now it's 7.50am on the second day, no appetite and I see on the news that it's a big one.
It's been an uneasy few hours. Coupled with the typhoon in Myanmar-Burma, the bad winter in China, and the very strange weather recently here, and the highly-visible, absolute destruction development is having on the environment, it adds to the unease.
My tutor is a Masters student, and living in the dormitory, he wasn't sure whether they would be allowed back in, so we went back to where I live. It was all pretty normal, until when we were going back home, I bump into a Spanish guy I know, who was planning on sleeping outside. As it turns out, the park was full of people prepared for a night's sleep. Seeing all that, I thought I'd better stay out as well.
It wasn't quite Woodstock, but it was an interesting atmosphere, about 25 Europeans and all the locals hanging out in the park at night. Because it wasn't too serious where I was, no-one was particularly freaked out. Still, it was only until after I heard the government announced at 12am that there would be no more aftershocks that I went back home. Besides, my building looks reasonably well-built.
4.30am, an aftershock woke me up. It's really a disturbing feeling. It seemed pretty clear that nothing was going to collapse, it was quite a small shake, but staying inside didn't sit comfortably, and seeing lots of people leaving the surrounding buildings, I went back to the park. But after about an hour, everyone was cold and bored so returned home. Now it's 7.50am on the second day, no appetite and I see on the news that it's a big one.
It's been an uneasy few hours. Coupled with the typhoon in Myanmar-Burma, the bad winter in China, and the very strange weather recently here, and the highly-visible, absolute destruction development is having on the environment, it adds to the unease.
Earthquake hits China
The number of study hours I've lost due to events beyond my control is increasingly huge. Normally it's 'la duzi' ("upset stomach"), but also such things as the bus breaking down, or the weather being too hot, etc. Today was another first - an earthquake.
So I'm on the fourth floor, havng a lesson with my tutor at the university at 2.40 in the afternoon. Just as I'm looking at and not really understanding some classical Chinese poetry, I notice something underneath me, as if the students in the classroom below are all stampeding out. I nudged my teacher, who immediately stopped talking, and stood up.
Now I guess there's three important steps when an eathquake strikes. One, as soon as you realise its an earthquake, leave the building or hide under the table; two, don't go back for possessions; three, if exiting the premises, do so in an orderly manner. From what I did, it looks like my earthquake-handling technique needs adjusting.
The first thing we do is open the door and go outside. Once outside, my tutor shouts 'Eathquake!' I hadn't really grasped what it was at that point, but I knew a building moving side-to-side was probably a bad thing.
Breaking the second rule, we went back in to get our stuff - I went for my textbooks and loo paper (essential items), no time to claim the MP3. And thirdly, instead of sheltering under the table, we ran down the stairs, along with loads of other people, in reasonably orderly fashion. Certainly when I saw some dust and cement falling from the ceiling as I ran, I was pretty worried - not too many things to hide under on the stairs.
When we get outside, the ground is still shaking, but then so was I, quite hard to distinguish at that point. I think it lasted about a minute or so, can't have been more than 90 seconds anyway. Everyone starts making phone calls, meaning everyone can't get through. The students were not allowed back into the dormitories until midnight, which shows you how much confidence the university authorities have in the newly constructed buildings.
Above all, it was a very disturbing feeling. If the building had collapsed, I would have been stuffed. And even outside, I was still pretty wobbly. When I saw the cement falling down, that was pretty frightening. And on the stairs, I was just thinking 'don't collapse now, don't collapse now, don't collapse now'. Fortunately, it did not, but somehow I just don't feel like studying right now.
So I'm on the fourth floor, havng a lesson with my tutor at the university at 2.40 in the afternoon. Just as I'm looking at and not really understanding some classical Chinese poetry, I notice something underneath me, as if the students in the classroom below are all stampeding out. I nudged my teacher, who immediately stopped talking, and stood up.
Now I guess there's three important steps when an eathquake strikes. One, as soon as you realise its an earthquake, leave the building or hide under the table; two, don't go back for possessions; three, if exiting the premises, do so in an orderly manner. From what I did, it looks like my earthquake-handling technique needs adjusting.
The first thing we do is open the door and go outside. Once outside, my tutor shouts 'Eathquake!' I hadn't really grasped what it was at that point, but I knew a building moving side-to-side was probably a bad thing.
Breaking the second rule, we went back in to get our stuff - I went for my textbooks and loo paper (essential items), no time to claim the MP3. And thirdly, instead of sheltering under the table, we ran down the stairs, along with loads of other people, in reasonably orderly fashion. Certainly when I saw some dust and cement falling from the ceiling as I ran, I was pretty worried - not too many things to hide under on the stairs.
When we get outside, the ground is still shaking, but then so was I, quite hard to distinguish at that point. I think it lasted about a minute or so, can't have been more than 90 seconds anyway. Everyone starts making phone calls, meaning everyone can't get through. The students were not allowed back into the dormitories until midnight, which shows you how much confidence the university authorities have in the newly constructed buildings.
Above all, it was a very disturbing feeling. If the building had collapsed, I would have been stuffed. And even outside, I was still pretty wobbly. When I saw the cement falling down, that was pretty frightening. And on the stairs, I was just thinking 'don't collapse now, don't collapse now, don't collapse now'. Fortunately, it did not, but somehow I just don't feel like studying right now.
Friday, 9 May 2008
The Tuesday Night Interview
Last year I made a short TV programme about a foreigner who marries a Chinese girl and all the problems he encounters with the culture differences - with hilarious consequences, of course. Well, I'd forgotten about it, but then the director gives me a call last week, saying it was going to be broadcast the next day, and I should go to the studio to participate in the 'after-broadcast' interview, live on Local TV. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to make a fool of myself not once but twice (all in the same evening), I of course agreed.
Things got off to a bad start when, just before doing the interview along with the other cast members, I had to dash to the bathroom. In my haste, I failed to notice the skirted silhouette on the door, so halfway through some female members of the production crew got a bit of a shock when they opened the door to the lockless-cubicle. 'Dignified' it was not.
During pre-filming preparations, they ran through the questions the presenters were likely to ask us. They asked me what I thought of Shaanxi women. My answer of 'I don't know, can't really tell the difference [between Shaanxi and non-Shaanxi women]' was considered an affront to the good women of Shaanxi. They said 'er, no, a better answer is 'fiery''. The programme is normally conducted in local language (the TV station is the provincial station, available to the 60 million residents of Shaanxi Province), but they made an exception for me. It's a nightly programme, and not hugely popular (fortunately).
The interview was 25 minutes long, and live, so I was a shade nervous. I introduced myself in local language, then after used Mandarin to field the questions directed at me. Questions mostly concerned my thoughts on international marriages (like that in the programme) and whether I could see myself living in Shaanxi. I mostly understood what they asked me, and it went pretty well, but it didn't quite have the easy back-and-forth of a Parkinson interview.
Later in the programme, the presenters read out some viewers comments. They asked me if I knew someone called Jiang Nan, because he said he knew me. I looked blankly and said 'No'. Embarrassed faces all round, until I suddenly remembered who it was, and corrected myself. Honestly, Chinese names are incredibly hard to remember, causing numerous awkward moments.
It's been a few days since this was broadcast, and I can't say I've had a huge number of autograph hunters and papparazzi hounding me - none, in fact, to be precise. Still, I'm sure that phonecall from China Central Television is just seconds away.
Things got off to a bad start when, just before doing the interview along with the other cast members, I had to dash to the bathroom. In my haste, I failed to notice the skirted silhouette on the door, so halfway through some female members of the production crew got a bit of a shock when they opened the door to the lockless-cubicle. 'Dignified' it was not.
During pre-filming preparations, they ran through the questions the presenters were likely to ask us. They asked me what I thought of Shaanxi women. My answer of 'I don't know, can't really tell the difference [between Shaanxi and non-Shaanxi women]' was considered an affront to the good women of Shaanxi. They said 'er, no, a better answer is 'fiery''. The programme is normally conducted in local language (the TV station is the provincial station, available to the 60 million residents of Shaanxi Province), but they made an exception for me. It's a nightly programme, and not hugely popular (fortunately).
The interview was 25 minutes long, and live, so I was a shade nervous. I introduced myself in local language, then after used Mandarin to field the questions directed at me. Questions mostly concerned my thoughts on international marriages (like that in the programme) and whether I could see myself living in Shaanxi. I mostly understood what they asked me, and it went pretty well, but it didn't quite have the easy back-and-forth of a Parkinson interview.
Later in the programme, the presenters read out some viewers comments. They asked me if I knew someone called Jiang Nan, because he said he knew me. I looked blankly and said 'No'. Embarrassed faces all round, until I suddenly remembered who it was, and corrected myself. Honestly, Chinese names are incredibly hard to remember, causing numerous awkward moments.
It's been a few days since this was broadcast, and I can't say I've had a huge number of autograph hunters and papparazzi hounding me - none, in fact, to be precise. Still, I'm sure that phonecall from China Central Television is just seconds away.
Friday, 2 May 2008
Xian so far
So what's different to last year? Not a huge amount, to be honest. I'm still here to learn Chinese, and experience a different way of doing things.
My first move was to do a Gordon Brown and break one of the golden rules - live with foreigners. My new flatmates are a German and an Italian, good friends from before, but as it happens, we rarely see each other, and it doesn't have a too negative impact on my Chinese. I was pretty reluctant to live with other Europeans, wanting to 'Sinofy' things as much as possible, but I find it easier said than done.
I'm living in what is probably the 'expat' area of Xi'an, down the road from last year, but still near the universities. I suppose it's considered suburbs, the complex I live in is a series of 6 storey flats, with guards at the gates and some grassy areas around, definitely an expression of the new and increasing wealth of the middle class. The flat's OK, although my room doesn't have air conditioning, so I'm looking forward to melting in my sleep again. It's May 2nd, and already time to bring out the shorts and flip-flops.
As for my studies, financial considerations have meant I've changed university. It's not as good as the one before, but much more affordable, and seeing as I rarely go to the lessons anyway, the best choice. Most of my learning is done by myself or with two tutors I had from last year. In fact, I'm only at a university because I have to be to get a visa.
Life is similar to before - a mixture of lessons, self-study, and random occurences. My Chinese has improved over the course of time, and I still enjoy learning it. Particularly when I first got back to Xian in March, I wasn't sure if it was the right choice, but I'm confident that it is - the main thing is, I enjoy it, and if I can learn it well enough to be considered useful later on, then that's a good bonus. At the moment, I think it's unlikely I'll stay here for ever, but I waited a long time for the chance to live in a foreign country and try learning a language, I'm not about to give it up lightly. Besides, I'll look a bit of wally if I don't learn it now.
My first move was to do a Gordon Brown and break one of the golden rules - live with foreigners. My new flatmates are a German and an Italian, good friends from before, but as it happens, we rarely see each other, and it doesn't have a too negative impact on my Chinese. I was pretty reluctant to live with other Europeans, wanting to 'Sinofy' things as much as possible, but I find it easier said than done.
I'm living in what is probably the 'expat' area of Xi'an, down the road from last year, but still near the universities. I suppose it's considered suburbs, the complex I live in is a series of 6 storey flats, with guards at the gates and some grassy areas around, definitely an expression of the new and increasing wealth of the middle class. The flat's OK, although my room doesn't have air conditioning, so I'm looking forward to melting in my sleep again. It's May 2nd, and already time to bring out the shorts and flip-flops.
As for my studies, financial considerations have meant I've changed university. It's not as good as the one before, but much more affordable, and seeing as I rarely go to the lessons anyway, the best choice. Most of my learning is done by myself or with two tutors I had from last year. In fact, I'm only at a university because I have to be to get a visa.
Life is similar to before - a mixture of lessons, self-study, and random occurences. My Chinese has improved over the course of time, and I still enjoy learning it. Particularly when I first got back to Xian in March, I wasn't sure if it was the right choice, but I'm confident that it is - the main thing is, I enjoy it, and if I can learn it well enough to be considered useful later on, then that's a good bonus. At the moment, I think it's unlikely I'll stay here for ever, but I waited a long time for the chance to live in a foreign country and try learning a language, I'm not about to give it up lightly. Besides, I'll look a bit of wally if I don't learn it now.
Our Man in China returns
It's hot, it's noisy, it's unbelievably crowded and I still don't know what's going on - it can only mean one thing. Our Man in China has returned to Xian, China, and returned to the blogsphere. Huzzah!
So what's been going on since last the time of the last entry, I don't hear you ask. Well, I stayed in Xi'an until mid-January, nothing off note happening. I returned to England for 2 months to earn some money, put on some weight and watch some decent sport on TV. However, as of March 2008, Our Man in China has returned to Xian, and is continuing his habit of trying to do things he can't do, namely, learning Mandarin Chinese to an 'acceptable' standard, and making some sense of China. Will he do it? You'll see here (hopefully with the aid of more photos this time).
So what's been going on since last the time of the last entry, I don't hear you ask. Well, I stayed in Xi'an until mid-January, nothing off note happening. I returned to England for 2 months to earn some money, put on some weight and watch some decent sport on TV. However, as of March 2008, Our Man in China has returned to Xian, and is continuing his habit of trying to do things he can't do, namely, learning Mandarin Chinese to an 'acceptable' standard, and making some sense of China. Will he do it? You'll see here (hopefully with the aid of more photos this time).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
