So waking up in China has a new meaning – we have the roosters crowing and the garbage trucks going at 6AM. In China, I have neighbors that start “talking to each other in the morning” which is more akin to screaming at each other from the first floor building across the street from my building. What is most interesting is that the person is in their apartment space on this balcony like area and the friend is outside on the street. I need to go and measure the distance but it is quite far. which is why they are screaming at each other. However, this starts around 630AM and goes until about 830AM. I finally decided it was enough yesterday morning and went to film this ridiculous event. Seriously, you are screaming at each other from the house to the street which is really retarded because you all have cell phones in China and your friend already walked to your house so just invite them in.
Prior to the filming, I had asked them nicely to stop but they pretended I was not there so I filmed them and then walked down the four flights of stairs to have a chat with them. I live in the teaching residences for Christ -sake and I do expect better from university professors. I asked them if they could go inside to continue their conversation because I had just went to bed. The concept of an all-nighter is a little foreign because culturally they take an afternoon nap from 12-2PM. I had pulled three relatively long days and slept from 530-630AM through 830AM depending on when my neighbors decided to wake me up.
The other issue I think is odd is that the Chinese culture prides itself on harmony but how do you have harmony when you pretend that nobody is talking to you if there is a problem and you do not follow your own rules? I believe in being respectful of other people’s in culture because it is not mine BUT when you do not follow your own rules then what am I suppose to do?
We have curfew in the teaching residence so from Midnight through 8AM there is notsuppose to be screaming and horn honking. I started filming and taking pictures because none of you back home would ever believe me if I told you someone was screaming from inside their house to have a conversation with their friend on the street.
On that note about neighbors, I caught a neighbor from across the street looking into my apartment and staring when I had my African American friend over. Granted she is the only African American on campus but still, you would have a huge problem with someone staring at you so why are you doing it to someone else? Is the staring rude – yes but I find it funny that the other Americans have an issue with staring because I would just walk up to people and ask them what was wrong with them but maybe that is just straight up New York. I am not sure that staring is such an issue in my neck of the woods or we just don’t care.
I also have to start taking pictures of the amount of garbage and waste our school generates. There seems to be a relatively efficient system for it and the system is pretty cool – this project is inspired by another professor’s research project.
Current Mood – Miss you all.
