Well, I moved to Zhudi, the next village over, and despite increased primitiveness of facilities I think it was an excellent move. This family are born language teachers. They didn't wait for me to sit down with them with a tape recorder and notepad, but from the time I arrived yesterday afternoon they have been speaking to me in Mosuo language. They ask me a question, someone repeats the question in Chinese, then they repeat the question slowly in Mosuo until I say it correctly and then they offer me alternate answers in Mosuo. Even if the question is "would you like more tea?" they go to this effort. I'm not saying I remember how to say all these things yet, but the sounds are becoming more familiar as are some of the commoner words and sentence strucures. There are two adult daughters in the family, one is just a year younger then me and I have worked with her the most. She only attended primary school and has a one and a half year old baby girl, but she has worked in a bar in Lijiang for a while and speaks beautiful standard Chinese and fluent Mosuo. She also has incredible patience with me and speaks very clearly, initiating a lot of my language teaching, which has encouraged the rest of the family to do the same. Teaching me Mosuo became a bit of a game for the kids (there were several visiting children last night) and they came up with all kinds of questions for me in Mosuo and giggled at my replies a great deal. Except for when they were over in a corner pulling out one of the girl's teeth. I don't think they have a tooth fairy here, but they seemed to have fun with that just the same. Then they sang for me and then (ye Gods) demanded that I sing for them. If you have ever heard me sing you will understand my reluctance. Finally I favoured the room with a rendition of "kookaburra sits in the old gum tree" which I had decided would be suitable as it is short and has no high notes. I even got a round of applause. Next the kids will teach me to dance.
I shared a room with the girl and her baby last night and this morning we got stuck into translating the story her mother told- I left her the choice to talk about basically whatever she wanted (Mosuo story or own experience) and was a little surprised that the story was about class struggle with the cruel landlords followed by liberation by the communist party when she was 12 years old. Though there is a lovely print of Chairman Mao on the wall.
Around mid morning I wandered up to my bedroom to get something and was most surprised to discover a chicken nesting on the end of my bed. oops, must have left the bedroom door a little open. I shooed it from the room only to discover it had left me a present, a freshly laid egg on my doona. I can only assume, as a peace offering. Now I am down in Lige for some internet time and I will go back in an hour or so.
This morning the courtyard was a winter wonderland, large snowflakes were falling when I got up and there was about an inch of snow everywhere. Just when I move to a house with no toilet!! Typical- And no jokes about yellow snow- it was definitely cold outside though. By lunchtime most of it had melted and the sun was out- much better. I like sitting out in the courtyard in the sun, and though I think snow is pretty when it is falling, I don't really like tramping about in it.
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