a very Chinese weekend

This weekend was a very Chinese weekend in that I did not frequent many expat-infested places.

There was a dinner party at Joe's on Friday (with Shelter, a club that played strange/dubstep music, after), Science and Technology Museum (and an art gallery near the Bund) on Saturday, and visiting children of migrant workers at their school on Sunday. So, maybe it wasn't a completely expat-free weekend, but the fact that M2 and Zapata's didn't make an appearance is something new.

The Science and Technology Musuem was extremely large -- we visited the Animal Kingdom, Tropical Rainforest, Spider exhibit (where we witnessed spiders mating to a soundtrack that included the Beach Boys, Queen, and Tina Turner), the Robotics exhibit (where we saw dressed-up robots..dancing), and the Light of Wisdom room (which blew our minds). The last room had a crazy misaligned vertigo room and MIND GAMES where we challenged each other to a brain wave competition. Each person wore a headband which calculated brain signals and you had to push a marble that was in front of you toward the other person while your opponent did the same. I don't think I stopped laughing the whole time.

Visiting the migrant children was loads of fun! They were really sweet. Some looked smaller and some looked larger than their age of 12/13, but all seemed to enjoy learning the Hokey Pokey. We also learned a choreographed piece by the HKU kids featuring a bouncing heart and other emotion-inducing dance moves. Later, we presented about "Things in America" (which included the BALD EAGLE, CHEESEBURGER, and BARACK OBAMA) and took way too many pictures. As we were smiling for one with the HKU kids, the director of the HKU program, who also started the migrant school we were at, said, "Smile..it's the Chinese way. Propaganda." Apart from this remark, he seemed really attentive to the kids (especially his shy son, Arthur). He started the school three years ago after he heard how a child had died in a fire in her home where she had been locked up. Children of migrant workers can't go to regular schools, so they usually stay at home. This school, built especially for migrant workers, was for 1100 students. The school itself was not very large and quite primative in classroom structure (though not the shabbiest I've seen), so I'm not sure how it fit that many school children. Nevertheless, the kids seemed fine with being there on a Sunday, uniform-clad, red scarves around their necks, sitting with perfect posture. I played games with the cutest little boy and got to do the Hokey Pokey; I was content.

I was still content after street food dinner that night, so I took a walk around the neighborhood. I walked to a huge stadium and bridge near our hostel and then the other way toward Lancun Lu. For 7/8PM there were a lot of people on the streets. The hair salon was extremely busy, as were the shops selling shoes, clothes, and fruit. So many street food vendors lined the street that I regretted not bringing money with me for more treats. The best part was seeing what people in China did on a Sunday night: they danced in a square (though this happens every night), sat around tables on the street to eat their dinner, and watched television. Pretty normal. They were as content as I was, sitting on wooden stools outside their shops, watching passer-bys. The scene I saw felt so comfortable that I was sad that parts of it were being taken over by construction and progress. I wish they could sit there forever. I wish the moment could be captured with a painting or a photo. Maybe that's a bit selfish -- maybe they're not as content as they look. But I can't help thinking that this is all just part of a culture...and a culture that I don't want to change. If I ever saw that scene imprinted in a drawing, I wouldn't ever want to change it. I wouldn't want to place them in a KFC or a five star restaurant; that wouldn't be authentic. Many organizations seek to induce progress in other cultures, but sometimes I wish things would remain as they are. Everyone is happy in their own way, and I'm sure they're happy in theirs. Of course, this is all coming from a white girl who lives in Boston. What do I know?

I am also watching a show on a Chinese TV channel that is teaching English -- by teaching Chinese teenagers about CAMPING.

"Camping is catching on in China too! I hope you all get a chance to go camping and share stories around a campfire."

I'm having a difficult time imagining this.