Christmas and Other Big Events

 Winter is upon us here in Shanghai.

The trees have bundled up.

Parker and Peter have changed their biking wear.

And Santa is making guest appearances all over town.

In our apartment complex, the only sign that Christmas is approaching is a small string of blinking lights that adorns a single window. Ditto for the street below. But if you venture downtown, or to a shopping mall, you find Christmas cheer galore. 

There's also plenty of Christmas music. The other day we went to a restaurant near the university, a high-end place where we were the only Westerners. But when we walked into the lobby, we were greeted by Feliz Navidad. Various Christmas tunes (mostly bad cover versions) played in the background throughout the meal. It's the same all over town.

We see plenty of approaches to holiday celebration.

A downtown hotel set up this gingerbread house/shop in its lobby.

A department store outfitted its elephants.

Apple dressed its Shanghai geniuses in red shirts.

Christmas pandas, anyone?

 Our local Wal Mart has a good-sized Christmas section, even though virtually all its customers are Chinese. (We went there to get a space heater because our apartment, like most Shanghai apartments, has terrible heat!)

Some of the stuff is familiar.

Some isn't. Dragons or reindeer? You make the call.

We thought we made a sensible tree choice. Expats in the French Quarter were paying big RMB for semi-real conifers.

The main point of all this Christmas cheer seems to be to sell things (surprise, surprise). Our friends tell us that Christmas stuff first showed up in the late 1990s, as China started becoming more capitalistic.

If a billion Chinese people (and their aunties!) could be inspired to buy each other Christmas presents someone would make some serious money. 

Here in China, some people would see that as a good thing. Unlike folks in the U.S., those in China save  huge amounts of money. This means that much of China's economic growth depends on exports – on people in other countries buying the stuff they make. Chinese leaders would like to see more of that stuff sold at home (for more on the challenges faced by Chinese families, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/business/global/households-pay-a-price-for-chinas-growth.html?scp=2&sq=Chinese%20consumers&st=cse). 

If a foreign holiday like Christmas helps, well . . .

Of course for us, the Christmas season also means another important holiday.

Parker started off his 11th birthday with a three-computer Skype with friends (from left: Kiran and Elias, Schuyler and Bradley and Will Gray).

He got a great rendition of "Happy Birthday" (to see the video version, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quarterscale/6542295579/in/set-72157627461266055)

We cycled off for breakfast at one of Shanghai's best dim sum restaurants.

Then it was on to the slaughterhouse for a round with his favorite Formula One game.

Happily, the Ferrari cafe had caught the Christmas spirit.

After some quality time with his new iPod Touch (thanks, California clan!) he donned his new, hand-tailored velvet jacket and we headed to his favorite Japanese restaurant for dinner.

Shintori is a stylish place, and Christmas is no exception.

If you look closely, you'll see that the waiter is wearing a black Santa hat.

A marvelous end to a marvelous day. Happy Birthday Parker!

Day Trip to Jiading and The Confucian Temple

By Peter Wong, guest blogger to Parker’s Shanghai Times

Hi this is Parker’s Dad, Peter (a.k.a “Mr. Peter” to most of you). We are in our final weeks here in China. The time has gone by very fast, so we are trying to catch up on all of the little things we’ve wanted to do in and around Shanghai.

Many of the ancient watertowns within 25 kilometers of Shanghai have nice temples and vernacular architecture. At the same time, around these towns there is rapid modernization to accommodate all of the new development and growth. We visited recently Jiading, one of these ancient towns with a population today of 1.2 million people (about two-times the size of Charlotte). In China, this is considered a small town.

Above is Jiading’s location relative to Shanghai.

The town is very cool. Note above the canal that circles the old town. This was probably man-made for defensive purposes. The specific reason we wanted to visit this town was to see the Confucian Temple in the heart of town (the big green square).

The old town is very beautiful, with the old houses adjacent to water canals. The whole Shanghai area used to be wetland, and canals were a major means of transportation, which is why the old towns are called water towns. There are a number of wonderful stone bridges as well.

 

This is one of the brick and timber pagodas in town. It is called the Fahua Pagoda, built in 1207 during the Song Dynasty (a period of high literary and artistic achievement). Doesn’t Parker look like he is appreciating this history ????!!!!!

Hello class this is Parker. Do you think dad is being very nice?

This is the Confucian Temple that we spent most of our time visiting. Confucius was a Chinese philospher living from 551 BC to 479 BC.

Confucius believed that people should live their lives by constant learning and intellectual improvement. He held in high regard dedication to family, ancestors, elders and observance of civil matters. In other words, there should be a president or emperor and every one should respect their elders and go to college (hint, hint). Mom and dad like Confucius a lot. I wonder why?

The temple itself is very similar to Buddist temples in their arrangement. Though Confucianism is not really a religon or an established set of spiritual beliefs, people do dedicate themselves to its ways and ideas.

Some people say Confucius’s ideas were important to China’s formation as a country of many different cultures and people, and that Confucian thought is at the heart of the way modern Chinese think today.

Here is the inside of  the temple.

All temples of Confucius have a wise looking sitting man in the center in a shrine-like setting (similar to Buddist Temples).

There are prayer thoughts left by Confucian followers in the temple. Many of them ask for strength in handling difficult intellectual hurdles. For example, there are a lot of school kids that ask for strength and success in their studies and test taking. As you know, Chinese students take a lot of tests … just like you! Perhaps they are good at them because they ask Confucius for help!

If you look closely above you’ll see a note that Parker left.

The idea of Confucian learning and achieving strong minds led to a strong tradition of tests and examinations in China, a way of life that continues today.

Within the temple is an entire exhibit on the history of Chinese examinations. Above is a scene of a mother saying goodbye to her son as he goes off to another city to engage the strict system of tests. Just think if you had to do it all alone with out encouragement and help from loved ones!

 

There were three examination phases: (1) Preliminary, the first stage that allowed you to move in to the next two important testing phases, (2) Provincial, that allowed individuals to assume civil/governmental office jobs, and (3) National or Imperial Exams, which allowed service to the Emperor and grand state affairs. Passing these tests were a way to make a life for the men of China (women didn’t have the opportunity).

Above is one of the Examination Villages. All of the rows of rooms or should I say cells in the foreground were for testing, which was a grueling process. Everything was done in isolation.

Here is the actual size of the testing cells. There are sliding boards that allow you to make a desk and sitting area, or you could configure them to be a bed. This must have been torture. Makes the E.O.G.s seem like a “cake-walk.” Right?

Here is Parker trying out one of the cells. He doesn’t look too happy. As for how long you would be in here don't worry it's only about nine days. 

Test takers were clever. Here is a vest that has “cheat-sheet” notes written all over it! Note: Don't get any ideas because I will ask Mrs Thompson to check your undershirts on the day of testing!

If cheaters were caught, they’d be paraded around in public and humiliated with boards strapped around their necks. Basically, your career (and personal life) was ruined for life if you did this.

No one should cheat on tests.

 

However, if you passed your tests there was a huge banquet!

And … you could return home to full honors and a properous life (not to mention better clothes).

Why does all of this sound so familiar?!!

We left the Confucian Temple and the city of Jiading with a renewed appreciation of hard work and study. Parker and I decided to do a little painting to honor Confucius’s ideas, and to prepare for our return.

 

Peter Wong

December, 14 2011

P.S. Also note that only five percent or so people actualy passed the exams so don't think that this was the golden gate to fame.

P.P.S. This is Pam. You didn't think I'd let a blog on testing go by without making a comment, do you?

The good thing about the tests was that they gave anyone who had the opportunity to study for them an equal chance. A lot of smart people who came from humble families were able to rise to important positions if they did well on the tests.

The bad thing about the tests was that Confucius didn't really believe in innovation. He thought that people should study the wisdom of the past. So preparing for the tests involved a lot of memorization, and not much independent thinking or creativity.

This didn't make for the most creative leaders. Some people think that the focus on the tests were one reason why China fell behind European nations in terms of technological development, and is only now catching up.

I personally think we're making the same mistake with standardized tests today. When tests and test scores get too important, a lot of more important things get overlooked.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't do your best to pass the EOGs. But there are a lot of more important things you need to be learning as well. You're lucky that you have teachers who have a broader vision, and go beyond the test basics.

"Slaughterhouse"

In Shanghai there is a very particular building. This particular building is large. This particular building has many twists and turns. This particular building is a slaughterhouse (or was a slaughterhouse). Still everybody calls it a slaughterhouse even though it has ceased to be one. I too shall call it a slaughterhouse although it has become a variety of different things. One could call it a shopping mall, another could call it a restaurateur's paradise. But this blog is not about what this building is called. Nor is it about why it is a slaughterhouse. And not even about why it is where it is. It is about what wonders lie inside.

This is an image of the slaughterhouse that is pictured on Google Earth.

This is a diagram of how the slaughterhouse's geometry functions. Here is the answer key.

1. The river used to transport the cattle to the slaughter house.

2. The five story high walls used to store the cattle.

3. The bridges used to transport the cows to their death.

4. The rim where the cattle would receive a stiff knock on the head and then be butchered on the spot.

 

My mission was to take pictures involving the twists and turns of the slaughterhouse.

Does this place remind you guys of a prison cell?

It reminds me of an above-ground labyrinth.

These are the ramps of the slaughterhouse that led cows up all of these years.

Imagine all of those hooves coming clickity, clack, clickity, clack up these ramps to their death.

Another reason I took all of these ramp pictures was because I love all of the ramps in the slaughter house. During the afternoon (2:00) you get an extremely nice light on most of the images.

Billions of cows used to group into this small space in the wall. But now notice how vacant it is.  

On the top floor there is a large glass floor.  

It's funny to see people having a wedding in such a savage place.

Crrrrrrrrkkkkkk uh-oh better walk slo-CRACK!!! AAAHHHhhhhhh! 

This is a tasty French cake place that is under the bridges. Weird. These people are turning the slaughterhouse into a fun zone.

Well there is only so much vacancy I can take in one day. So we went to my favorite place in the slaughterhouse... The Ferrari cafe!!! The Ferrari cafe is awesome because if you get a meal a snack or even just a Coke they let you race on the Formula One simulation (a bunch of fancy seats, a steering wheel and a ps3).

I'm afraid I am only good up to a certain point.

As we exited we saw a motorcycle with a side car. You know the kind that the Nazis rode around with MG42s. The guy was kind enough to let us take a picture in it (even when mom put her foot down in the wrong place and broke his fuel line). He is part of a tour group called...

And guess who the Nazis taxi best?

Wedding couples!!! 

Well I hope you didn’t get this too late.

But still nothing personal you know.

It's probably because of the standardized

tests and all of the switching of classes.

Hope you are doing well

Love, Parker    

P.S. (Pam)

Weddings are a big deal here in Shanghai. I guess in a city of 23 million people, a lot of them get married. We are always running into weddings and wedding photographers. 

A month or so ago, we were at a park with a fountain that “dances” to music. Usually, it's brass band tunes. But that day the loudspeaker started broadcasting wedding music, the fountain leaped into action, and we saw a couple coming across the park in golf carts. They hopped off and got married right in front of it.

Couples especially like taking pictures in front of historic buildings (or at least buildings that look historic). So most of the tourist sites are full of them. The locals don’t usually seem to mind.

If you’re thinking that this place doesn’t look like it belongs in China – you’re right. This is "Thames Town,” a brand-new town outside Shanghai that’s been designed to look like an old town in England. There are also German and Italian towns. They are very strange places, but popular for wedding pictures.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a couple is getting photographed for a real wedding, or just for a fashion magazine. Fashion magazines like the same settings as brides and grooms do (or is it the other way around?). When we see couples being photographed, it’s fun to look for clues to who they really are. Do the bride and groom look happy? Do there seem to be other family members around? How much equipment are the photographers carrying?

Does the couple in the above picture look like they’re really getting married?

See everyone soon!