How I celebrated the National Day Holiday...
On October 1, 2005, China celebrated it's 56th birthday since it's establishment as the People's Republic of China, the China we know today. All of the professional level people of China get an entire week off, beginning on October 1 and ending on October 7, which means that all of the students and faculty at Fudan have the week off, myself included.
On Saturday, I slept in till around noon, something I haven't had the chance to do in quite a while. I went to lunch at the Crazy Tomato, a Korean-owned restaurant that serves all western food. I rushed back to change into a suit for my first Chinese wedding.
The wedding was quite the experience. Since most Chinese do not have any religious affiliations, the traditional wedding ceremony with shared vows, exchanging the rings (and maybe a kiss) all happen at the reception. It took me a few minutes to realize what was going on when we got to the reception, but the wedding ceremony was happening there on stage in front of me... I almost missed it. I almost felt like I was at a game show.. they had a live band that played electronic variations of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Unchained Melody with an MC rather than a minister. The MC in this flashy outfit came out first, quite enthusiastic about the couple getting married. He calls them up on stage... everyone claps... he calls the parents on stage... everyone claps. At this point, I'm looking for Door #1 to see what kind of prizes they're playing for. They do the traditional vows and also the exchange of the rings, but again, it's very much like a game show rather than a serious ceremony. There was so much excitement and energy and happiness in one place, so that really made the experience.
Now this was no small reception... There are two receptions. A lunch reception for the bride's family and friends and then the dinner reception that we went to for the groom's family and friends. Each reception had around 700 people attend for a full sit down banquet. I mean a ten course meal for 700. Don't forget... there are two receptions with 700 people attending each one. Can you imagine planning and paying for a wedding for 1,400 guests???
There were 70 tables in the banquet hall and the bride and groom visit with each table, gives a toast and lights everyone's wedding celebratory cigarette. Needless to say, North Carolina should not worry about their tobacco business in China... people smoke everywhere here and RJR's Camel cigarettes are seen as the greatest cigarettes in the world. Of course I don't smoke, so it's a little annoying that people can smoke everywhere here...
Moving on from the tangent, it was a great experience and an eye opener to the difference in the religious significance of weddings in the western and eastern world.
After the wedding, we took the bus back to Fudan and I met up with Jutta, an Austrian girl who I work with at the FAO. We went to an apartment near campus to visit some of her friends from Poland. In one apartment there were three people from Poland, two Germans, two Austrians, a Japanese and a Korean, one guy from Mexico, three Russians and another American, Chris, an '03 Harvard grad from Boston. Chris is the fourth Harvard graduate I've met here.
The people that are studying Chinese at Fudan are incredible. For most of them, Chinese is a third or forth language and they're all here working on their Master's or just studying here after graduating. I met this Russian girl there who just finished her Bachelor's and her Chinese was good enough for her to take 18 hours of Master's level Economics classes. (And she's doing this for fun) I'm wondering now how I ended up here...
Lot's of exposure to new and different things today. Let's hope the rest of my week off is just as eventful.
posted by Matt Dull @ 12:12 AM
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