Yesterday afternoon I caught up with the other linguist here who is working on a grammar of Mosuo. It was really good to chat and we are going to meet up again to compare notes on Mosuo.
This morning I did a bit of washing and was just heading out of the motel to get breakfast when an elderly man called me over and wanted to chat. It turns out he is Mosuo, grew up in this house in Luoshui (which is now also the hotel I am staying in, but escaped to Lhasa and then to India, lived in the Netherlands for a year and finally to England before the cultural revolution. He lived in England for 25 years, primarily working helping new refugees who had just entered the country. He came back here in the 80's and has been living here since. He told me he hadn't spoken English in about 5 years, but he chatted to me fluently in English for an hour or so. He said he doesn't speak very much Chinese though he has studied Hindi. Now he has fairly severe diabetes and lives in Luoshui.
You may have heard me speak of Joseph Rock before. A botanist who traveled and lived around this area and Lijiang in the 1930's and 40's. There have always been rumours that he fathered several children in the area too. The gentleman I met this morning remembers him well, his father worked for him a bit. He remembers that food would be parachuted in for him and he always ate from cans, never eating local food or water. From what I could gather, this man's father had died when he was quite young and Joseph Rock became a close friend of his mother. He was only six when this was going on, and he will never be sure what went on, but his mother gave birth to his brother, whom many people believed was the son of Rock. Apparently some of his features were a little unusual and some people called him "meiguo" or "America". His brother has since died but he says his mother was very beautiful so it is quite possible. But at the time he was too young to be really aware and he never asked.
He was a bit tired after telling me that, sitting on an armchair with a drip in his arm, and said he wasn't feeling that well today, but that he'd love to talk again. I think I might come back to Luoshui and speak to him and some of his family again before I go back to Lijiang for a few days.
I must admit, I was quite blown away though. I have met very few Mosuo people who speak any English at all, let alone fluently. And he has such an amazing story.
Reply to comment from Alex: From what Scott has been telling me, you either bring him into work when there is nothing to be done or make him work double shifts when there are several functions on, with an early start the next morning. I can't be distracting him that much, he didn't call me the other morning because he'd been kept back at work till after midday. I think you are distracting him from me!
Monday, February 28, 2005
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Fame
This morning I was a little slow getting going (Thanks for the phone call mum). I had also promised some people in Zhawuluo that I would drop in on my way to Shakua, even though it was a little out of the way. When I got there they had some other friends over, a tv crew from a Lijiang tv station doing a travel doco on Lugu Lake and Mosuo people. I sat down at the hearth and found myself being interviewed with lights and camera on me about my experiences studying the Mosuo language. I felt a bit embarrassed at my poor Chinese, but didn't really get the option of declining the interview. Apparently it will be on telly in Lijiang in late March.
Ended up having lunch with them, they were taking a boat across to Langfang, near Shakua, and invited me to join them. I did, but by the time we got to Langfang it was already 3.30 so I decided to go on with them to Luoshui, and leave Shakua until I go back to Sichuan in a month or so. I can do the last few interviews then.
From Langfang to Luoshui was quite a long walk. About two hours and I was carrying my backpack. ow. Dumped myself in the motel room, and went straight to my old hangout, the Husi Teahouse. And our friend there had gone back to Chongqing for Chinese new year!! Disappointing. But they had my care package which Scott had sent to that address. I sat in the Tea House with a fantastic cup of their Yunnan coffee, grinning my head off as I unpacked my chocolates, novels and letters from Scott, Jon and Zosia and looked at photos. Thank you so much honey, you made my day- and thanks for the CD, that was a big surprise.
Then I had a bowl of spaghetti (unusual but nice tasting sauce) and some yoghurt with banana in it that they make here- it's really nice. Feeling a little sore in the shoulders but very content. Will have to come back for eggs in the morning- with coffee of course. Mmm think it's time to test out one of the bounty bars from my package- or should I go with a cherry ripe??? Decisions, Decisions.... Bounty bar- Oh heaven. I must admit, when I asked for lip gloss, I didn't expect three tubs! Are you suggesting that I should prepare for a lot of kissing when I get home Scott? By the way, Scott, I love the photos, I left the one of you at Husi Tea House here for our friend when he gets back.
I think I might go back to my room and curl up with a novel. Get back to the research tomorrow. I spend too much money on coffee sitting in here. bye for now.
Ended up having lunch with them, they were taking a boat across to Langfang, near Shakua, and invited me to join them. I did, but by the time we got to Langfang it was already 3.30 so I decided to go on with them to Luoshui, and leave Shakua until I go back to Sichuan in a month or so. I can do the last few interviews then.
From Langfang to Luoshui was quite a long walk. About two hours and I was carrying my backpack. ow. Dumped myself in the motel room, and went straight to my old hangout, the Husi Teahouse. And our friend there had gone back to Chongqing for Chinese new year!! Disappointing. But they had my care package which Scott had sent to that address. I sat in the Tea House with a fantastic cup of their Yunnan coffee, grinning my head off as I unpacked my chocolates, novels and letters from Scott, Jon and Zosia and looked at photos. Thank you so much honey, you made my day- and thanks for the CD, that was a big surprise.
Then I had a bowl of spaghetti (unusual but nice tasting sauce) and some yoghurt with banana in it that they make here- it's really nice. Feeling a little sore in the shoulders but very content. Will have to come back for eggs in the morning- with coffee of course. Mmm think it's time to test out one of the bounty bars from my package- or should I go with a cherry ripe??? Decisions, Decisions.... Bounty bar- Oh heaven. I must admit, when I asked for lip gloss, I didn't expect three tubs! Are you suggesting that I should prepare for a lot of kissing when I get home Scott? By the way, Scott, I love the photos, I left the one of you at Husi Tea House here for our friend when he gets back.
I think I might go back to my room and curl up with a novel. Get back to the research tomorrow. I spend too much money on coffee sitting in here. bye for now.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Last day in Zuosuo
Hi guys,
I'm going out to some villages next to the swampy bit of the lake today (the long pointy bit if you've looked at the map on the website I suggested earlier. Tomorrow I'm planning to move to the Eastern side of the lake for a day and doing the last few Sichuan interviews, after which I will continue around back to the Southern side to Luoshui to begin the Yunnan interviews. I'm expecting that it will be quicker to do the Yunnan ones because I already have so many contacts there. I can walk into a village and walk straight up to a friend's front door. A guy over here near Zuosuo who has helped me quite a bit and seems really interested has agreed to help me with translations. So I will probably come back to Sichuan in early April. There a some dialect differences between the two provinces so I would prefer that a local person helps me translate these interviews.
I also went to see his father, the daba, yesterday, who had agreed to tell me a story. He talked into the microphone for 20 minutes plus. Not sure about what. Something about being a daba I suppose. Did four interviews after that. It is a little harder to do them now as I have done the bulk of the Sichuan interviews and I am trying to fill in categories ie. looking for three more men over 40, etc.
Dan: Yes, me coming home early is what Scott's hoping for. It just depends how long it takes to translate all the interviews- most are in the Mosuo language so I'm not sure what's being said a lot of the time. Except for the yes's and no's, of course!
I'm going out to some villages next to the swampy bit of the lake today (the long pointy bit if you've looked at the map on the website I suggested earlier. Tomorrow I'm planning to move to the Eastern side of the lake for a day and doing the last few Sichuan interviews, after which I will continue around back to the Southern side to Luoshui to begin the Yunnan interviews. I'm expecting that it will be quicker to do the Yunnan ones because I already have so many contacts there. I can walk into a village and walk straight up to a friend's front door. A guy over here near Zuosuo who has helped me quite a bit and seems really interested has agreed to help me with translations. So I will probably come back to Sichuan in early April. There a some dialect differences between the two provinces so I would prefer that a local person helps me translate these interviews.
I also went to see his father, the daba, yesterday, who had agreed to tell me a story. He talked into the microphone for 20 minutes plus. Not sure about what. Something about being a daba I suppose. Did four interviews after that. It is a little harder to do them now as I have done the bulk of the Sichuan interviews and I am trying to fill in categories ie. looking for three more men over 40, etc.
Dan: Yes, me coming home early is what Scott's hoping for. It just depends how long it takes to translate all the interviews- most are in the Mosuo language so I'm not sure what's being said a lot of the time. Except for the yes's and no's, of course!
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Interview mayhem
Yesterday, after posting my blog I walked down to Aliu to see a friend and to interview his family. There were only two people at home though and after I had interviewed them he asked how many more people I needed to interview. I told him I was aiming for another 30 or so in Sichuan. So he took it upon himself to find them for me. He led me out into a field where some of his Aunties and others were hoeing (or having a break from hoeing) and we sat down in the rows of dirt and did about 6 or 7 interviews. Then he dragged me off to lunch with another extended relative in Zhawoluo and after lunch I did a couple more interviews with the family. Then some visitors showed up from Gesa, and they wanted to be interviewed too. I did 15 interviews in total, had dinner with them at 5.30 and walked home exhausted. But very content. The dinner was very nice. There was stewed lamb and spicy chicken and bean sprouts, stirfried potato and mushroom and greens soup. I had a few beers and left them red-faced, happily consuming copious amounts of Guangdang spirits and Sulima alcohol (Don't like the taste personally).
One thing I've noticed about the Mosuo people in Yunnan and Sichuan. The ones in Yunnan like to eat a lot, but the ones in Sichuan like to drink a lot. Starting before lunch.
I am going to see a Daba today (a practitioner of the indigenous religion which is practiced alongside Tibetan Buddhism). I interviewed him the other day but he told me to come back and he would let me record some stories. Hope he's home. Most homes here don't have a phone. But they all have a tv.
Stayed up last night doing my paperwork and watching an American reality tv show that they can't be bothered to dub. It is all about cop chases and tv cameras at riots and kidnappings. Then curled up in bed and slept like a baby.
One thing I've noticed about the Mosuo people in Yunnan and Sichuan. The ones in Yunnan like to eat a lot, but the ones in Sichuan like to drink a lot. Starting before lunch.
I am going to see a Daba today (a practitioner of the indigenous religion which is practiced alongside Tibetan Buddhism). I interviewed him the other day but he told me to come back and he would let me record some stories. Hope he's home. Most homes here don't have a phone. But they all have a tv.
Stayed up last night doing my paperwork and watching an American reality tv show that they can't be bothered to dub. It is all about cop chases and tv cameras at riots and kidnappings. Then curled up in bed and slept like a baby.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
one more thing...
ps. Gone with the Wind was dubbed in Chinese. I must say, nothing compares to the sight of Mammy shaking her head and saying "Bu heshi" (It just aint fitting) or Scarlett saying "Wo ai ni Lett" (I love you Rhett). It had me in stitches.
A new person
Well, I guess I've gone native. Yesterday I was at a family home and we went to sit outside in the sun and have some lunch. They had some lamas visiting (the buddhist kind) as most homes do each year so I sat around with the lamas, who were dressed pretty spunkily in their fancy hats and long maroon robes. Someone mentioned to me that most people don't name their own children, they ask a lama to select an auspicious name. I said I didn't have a Mosuo name yet and could the lamas select one for me. They wanted to know my year and month of birth (Sep '79) and my Chinese star sign (goat) and also the direction the wind was blowing when I was born in the place where I was born. I must admit, I couldn't quite remember, but seeing as I was born in North East Queensland, I thought maybe there was a wind coming in off the sea so I told them it was a south westerly. They put there heads together and named me Zhaxi Zhouma, which they wrote out for me in Tibetan script. Zhaxi is my family name pronounced Jar-see, and Zhouma is my personal name pronounced Joe-ma.
I also did quite a lot of interviews yesterday. I have finished the antibiotics course and my cold is petering out. All of which makes me feel a lot bettter. Thanks to Susan from uni who sent me the ice-skating results! It's a nice touch.
I would also like to wish my Oma a very Happy 86th Birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday and at your party on Sunday. I would have given you a call but my phone has run out of credits and I've been told I can't recharge it until I'm back in Yunnan province.
I also did quite a lot of interviews yesterday. I have finished the antibiotics course and my cold is petering out. All of which makes me feel a lot bettter. Thanks to Susan from uni who sent me the ice-skating results! It's a nice touch.
I would also like to wish my Oma a very Happy 86th Birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday and at your party on Sunday. I would have given you a call but my phone has run out of credits and I've been told I can't recharge it until I'm back in Yunnan province.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
sick and tired
Congratulations to my cousin Simone who had a baby girl called Olivia Nell yesterday. I'm happy to report that the family grapevine is still in excellent working order.
I have a cold at the moment. Did a few interviews today and yesterday but I feel tired and have to work hard to feel motivated. blah.
Yesterday afternoon I was watching the figure skating on tv (Figure skating is good- no need to listen to the words!) and it was some international championship and the Japanese girl did a blindingly fast and difficult performance which put her in first place and then the Australian girl came on and she did a really creative performance and didn't mess up and I was waiting to see how she scored.... when the power went out. I stomped to the bathroom and may have been heard cursing "bloody China, what am I doing here?" down the hallway. In this case, the power came back on a few minutes later, but by then the ice skating had changed into snooker. Later that night I saw a news flash that said the Japanese girl won, but I don't know how the Aussie girl scored. Gone with the Wind is going to be on tv tomorrow night and I am trying not to get excited because it might well be dubbed in Chinese. I wonder how you say "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" in Chinese. There are not many Western / English language movies on tv here. The other night I actually got excited because "the three bears" cartoon movie came on, but after the opening credits it turned out to have been dubbed in Chinese.
I don't even watch that much tv normally, but at the moment I am sick and in a motel room and have read all my novels twice except for the one that I'm reading now (only read once) and don't want to finish too quickly.
I have a cold at the moment. Did a few interviews today and yesterday but I feel tired and have to work hard to feel motivated. blah.
Yesterday afternoon I was watching the figure skating on tv (Figure skating is good- no need to listen to the words!) and it was some international championship and the Japanese girl did a blindingly fast and difficult performance which put her in first place and then the Australian girl came on and she did a really creative performance and didn't mess up and I was waiting to see how she scored.... when the power went out. I stomped to the bathroom and may have been heard cursing "bloody China, what am I doing here?" down the hallway. In this case, the power came back on a few minutes later, but by then the ice skating had changed into snooker. Later that night I saw a news flash that said the Japanese girl won, but I don't know how the Aussie girl scored. Gone with the Wind is going to be on tv tomorrow night and I am trying not to get excited because it might well be dubbed in Chinese. I wonder how you say "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" in Chinese. There are not many Western / English language movies on tv here. The other night I actually got excited because "the three bears" cartoon movie came on, but after the opening credits it turned out to have been dubbed in Chinese.
I don't even watch that much tv normally, but at the moment I am sick and in a motel room and have read all my novels twice except for the one that I'm reading now (only read once) and don't want to finish too quickly.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Zuosuo
Living in Zuosuo at the moment otherwise known as LuguHu Zhen. I did some interviews yesterday afternoon and then went back to my motel room to find that the water still wasn't working. It hadn't been working last night either and the proprietors didn't seem very inclined to fix it or apologise, etc. It wasn't just the hot water, there wasn't even cold water. Walked down the road to the fancy "Blue sky lake motel" and they offered me a bigger room with hot water, heater, double bed and electric blanket for the same price. (Cheap because it's winter). I moved on the spot.
Also managed to buy the right antibiotics last night so hopefully my stomach problems will be cleared up soon. Have the beginnings of a cold though. Annoying. I had a flu shot before I left Aus. Well, better get back on the road and try to chase up some more people.
Also managed to buy the right antibiotics last night so hopefully my stomach problems will be cleared up soon. Have the beginnings of a cold though. Annoying. I had a flu shot before I left Aus. Well, better get back on the road and try to chase up some more people.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Hey, I'm back
I know it's been a while since my last post, that's because I've been looking everywhere for a place to get online, and not been successful until this morning. I left Lige on Saturday, caught a ride on the back of a ute to Lesser Luoshui (as opposed to big touristy Luoshui). The ute hooned around the side of the mountain around hair pin bends, along unmade road past landslides and occasionally stalled while waiting for another car to squeeze past on a narrow stretch of road. I clung onto the back and enjoyed the very impressive view of the lake. Arrived in the village and jumped out of the ute. Asked some blokes by the side of the road if there was somewhere to stay there and one led me to his house where I stayed with him, his wife and daughter.
Interviewed them and some other villagers as well while I was there. Sunday morning started walking to the next village but a bus load of tourists from Chengdu gave me a lift. The next village, Dazui, turned out to be a Naxi, not Mosuo, village. They speak Naxi and have their homes designed in the Naxi way, but wear Mosuo dress and eat Mosuo food. My interview was not going to be very useful there, so I set off again and landed in Zuosuo (or Lugu Hu Town as it has been renamed). It was cold and started raining so I didn't do much Sunday.
Monday, I walked to Aokua, a village beside the lake. Did some interviews there, including one with a Daba- practitioner of Mosuo indigenous religion. Unfortunately, he was old and turned out to not be quite with it, as well as quite deaf. He told a story in Mosuo but I have no idea what it was about- have to wait for a translator for that. I even interviewed the guy who gave me a lift home in his truck at the end of the day.
Tuesday, I walked in the other direction, heading North further into Sichuan. Walked past a lamasery to some pretty little villages. On the way back, stopped at the lamasery to use the toilet and some people outside talked to me. They were young guys who now live outside of the area but had come home for New Year. They took me to their families homes for lunch and then tea a couple of hours late. As I arrived in the second home, several family members went outside to slaughter a chicken for tea in my honour. Great. We were going to go out to see Mosuo dance but ended up running late and I spent the evening in a boxy smoke filled room listening to drunk men sing karaoke. Not my favourite way of spending an evening. I didn't do any interviews but considered it a day well spent as I made some contacts and got to know the area.
Yesterday, I accompanied a couple of the people I had met, to a village. I planned to spend a few hours with them and then interview some of them, which they agreed to. But then they all got drunk over lunch, so I only got one interview (though it was a good one). Eventually left them to it and walked back to Zuosuo where I spent a quiet evening.
Today I am going out to a village, I will meet up with them again- they've promised interviews again, and when I'm done there I will go to a different village and do some more.
Happy I am finally back online. Everyone was telling me there was no internet in Zuosuo, but this guy led me through some back streets this morning to an office where they have been happy to let me use the net. Hopefully I can come back. I think that's it for now. Wish me luck.
Interviewed them and some other villagers as well while I was there. Sunday morning started walking to the next village but a bus load of tourists from Chengdu gave me a lift. The next village, Dazui, turned out to be a Naxi, not Mosuo, village. They speak Naxi and have their homes designed in the Naxi way, but wear Mosuo dress and eat Mosuo food. My interview was not going to be very useful there, so I set off again and landed in Zuosuo (or Lugu Hu Town as it has been renamed). It was cold and started raining so I didn't do much Sunday.
Monday, I walked to Aokua, a village beside the lake. Did some interviews there, including one with a Daba- practitioner of Mosuo indigenous religion. Unfortunately, he was old and turned out to not be quite with it, as well as quite deaf. He told a story in Mosuo but I have no idea what it was about- have to wait for a translator for that. I even interviewed the guy who gave me a lift home in his truck at the end of the day.
Tuesday, I walked in the other direction, heading North further into Sichuan. Walked past a lamasery to some pretty little villages. On the way back, stopped at the lamasery to use the toilet and some people outside talked to me. They were young guys who now live outside of the area but had come home for New Year. They took me to their families homes for lunch and then tea a couple of hours late. As I arrived in the second home, several family members went outside to slaughter a chicken for tea in my honour. Great. We were going to go out to see Mosuo dance but ended up running late and I spent the evening in a boxy smoke filled room listening to drunk men sing karaoke. Not my favourite way of spending an evening. I didn't do any interviews but considered it a day well spent as I made some contacts and got to know the area.
Yesterday, I accompanied a couple of the people I had met, to a village. I planned to spend a few hours with them and then interview some of them, which they agreed to. But then they all got drunk over lunch, so I only got one interview (though it was a good one). Eventually left them to it and walked back to Zuosuo where I spent a quiet evening.
Today I am going out to a village, I will meet up with them again- they've promised interviews again, and when I'm done there I will go to a different village and do some more.
Happy I am finally back online. Everyone was telling me there was no internet in Zuosuo, but this guy led me through some back streets this morning to an office where they have been happy to let me use the net. Hopefully I can come back. I think that's it for now. Wish me luck.
Friday, February 11, 2005
New Year
Well, the lunar new year has begun. After doing a round of visits on Tuesday evening we got back to the guesthouse and they sat down in front of the tv!!! NOOoooo. I went up to my room and listened to some music. I hate Chinese tv. I was tired and went to bed early, only to be woken at midnight by the sound of firecrackers. Everyone was partying except for me.
The next morning I woke to a severe case of diarrhoea. I wondered if it was the eleven dishes placed before us at dinner last night- 10 of which were meat. Two consisted purely of pork fat; one of chicken feet; one of fish; one of chicken and the rest were pork. ugggh. And a lone bowl of peanuts. No veg at all! And I think it had been sitting there for ages. Everyone else had finished eating already so it was two of us at the table. I ate sparingly but couldn't politely refuse everything.
Talked to my mum (who works in nursing) why I might have had stomach upsets for the better part of a month. She talked to a few people and came back with the answer that I probably have giardia, a water born infection requiring antibiotics. Didn't bring antibiotics, so went to the Doctor / Chemist in Yongning this morning. He produced about a dozen boxes of different antibiotics of different brand names, quantities and strengths and asked me which I wanted. This was followed by a half hour of phone consultation with mum and a doctor she managed to get on the line. They agreed that I needed an antibiotic with a specific ingredient which I was unable to translate into Chinese and did not appear in English on any of the packets. Ended up buying the pack the doctor / chemist guy recommended. The pack only cost 10 yuan, though the phone calls probably ended up at well over 100! Grin and bear it.
Hope I get better cos tomorrow I am taking off on my grand tour of the lake. I plan to spend about a month, several days per village, doing these interviews. I think Xiao Luoshui will be my first stop, I take a boat from here across to Xiao Luoshui (I could walk, it's only an hour, but where's the fun in that- plus have backpack and sick excuse). Don't know if I will spend the night there or not. We'll see. Well, better take my bloated stomach back to the guesthouse for tea. At least the family here seems willing to serve me rice, noodles, mantou and veg. (No pork yeah)
The next morning I woke to a severe case of diarrhoea. I wondered if it was the eleven dishes placed before us at dinner last night- 10 of which were meat. Two consisted purely of pork fat; one of chicken feet; one of fish; one of chicken and the rest were pork. ugggh. And a lone bowl of peanuts. No veg at all! And I think it had been sitting there for ages. Everyone else had finished eating already so it was two of us at the table. I ate sparingly but couldn't politely refuse everything.
Talked to my mum (who works in nursing) why I might have had stomach upsets for the better part of a month. She talked to a few people and came back with the answer that I probably have giardia, a water born infection requiring antibiotics. Didn't bring antibiotics, so went to the Doctor / Chemist in Yongning this morning. He produced about a dozen boxes of different antibiotics of different brand names, quantities and strengths and asked me which I wanted. This was followed by a half hour of phone consultation with mum and a doctor she managed to get on the line. They agreed that I needed an antibiotic with a specific ingredient which I was unable to translate into Chinese and did not appear in English on any of the packets. Ended up buying the pack the doctor / chemist guy recommended. The pack only cost 10 yuan, though the phone calls probably ended up at well over 100! Grin and bear it.
Hope I get better cos tomorrow I am taking off on my grand tour of the lake. I plan to spend about a month, several days per village, doing these interviews. I think Xiao Luoshui will be my first stop, I take a boat from here across to Xiao Luoshui (I could walk, it's only an hour, but where's the fun in that- plus have backpack and sick excuse). Don't know if I will spend the night there or not. We'll see. Well, better take my bloated stomach back to the guesthouse for tea. At least the family here seems willing to serve me rice, noodles, mantou and veg. (No pork yeah)
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Happy New Year!
Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Well I'm already enjoying the new year apart from some dramatics this morning...
But first let me tell you about yesterday. I went around and did some interviews in Zhudi village in the morning. Successful, even though I had to conduct two of them in Mosuo language- Tricky, but I managed it. After lunch I went for a beautiful walk around the next lake across (there are several small lakes near Zhudi) and through the hills around there. Got back and our home was packed with people. Apparently a tour bus had elected to stay at the house where I am living. There were a couple of French women in the group so we had a good chat. The tour group and myself ate dinner together and then the family and neighbouring villages put on a dance and bonfire for the guests (for a reasonable fee) in our courtyard. The family and neighbours all got dressed up and someone played a local kind of flute and everyone danced. My circle dancing is starting to improve and I can keep in step in a few of the dances now. When they stopped dancing and started singing I went up to the older sister in the family and asked her why she hadn't dressed up. She explained she was too busy, and then dragged me off to her bedroom to dress me in her costume. We are the same height and build so it fitted well.
Mosuo dress involves a long white pleated skirt, a long sleeved brightly coloured satin shirt with a wide brightly coloured sash at the waist. On your head you wear a head dress which is made of strands of black nylon to look like plaited hair in a circle around the head, with a long bunch that hangs straight down like hair. This is decorated with beads and pink flowers. I walked out in my long skirt with my new black hair and everyone laughed and clapped. The tourists thought it was great and my family here were all smiling. A girl introduced me as a Mosuo girl and then several people tried to get me to sing something- which I refused. You will understand if you've ever heard me sing. One of the local guys told me I looked very pretty. Then we did some more dancing and I managed to keep in step most of the time. The whole thing was pretty funny. I took some photos and got changed again. The other highlight of my day was some dark French orange chocolate that one of the French girls gave me.
Today is New Years Eve and as I had promised another family several weeks ago to spend New Years with them, I prepared to go. I had told the family in Zhudi this at least 50 times, but this morning they were still trying to convince me to spend New Years with them. They refused to understand that I was already committed and mother put on a huge drama, putting on a hurt expression and turning her face away from me. I left some presents with one of the younger women and left. If bullying is hospitality, well... I had told them firmly for nearly three weeks that I was spending New Years with some other friends so I don't know why they were surprised. They were even saying that it would ruin their New Year and they couldn't enjoy their celebrations if I left. Bloody ridiculous.
My day improved upon arriving in Lige. I was hungry because the family had been to busy to notice that I couldn't eat the oily gooey thing that they gave me to eat for breakfast. I arrived at the guest house and my friend was there and she said "I'm starving, I've got some lamb stew in the pan, lets go and eat it!" I could have kissed her feet after two months of pork. Haven't eaten lamb since Australia. Stuffed myself with lamb, potato, greens and soup. Aaaaah.
Then I went into the village and the youth hostel let me use their hot, hot shower. So I have eaten lamb and I am clean and in clean clothes and feeling quite content. I feel like my new year is already complete! Now I might just go wash some clothes as it is a sunny day. Yep, sounds like a plan. Tonight we are going to visit the couple's respective families, etc. Should be good. Probably involve alcohol, food and dancing. bye for now.
Well I'm already enjoying the new year apart from some dramatics this morning...
But first let me tell you about yesterday. I went around and did some interviews in Zhudi village in the morning. Successful, even though I had to conduct two of them in Mosuo language- Tricky, but I managed it. After lunch I went for a beautiful walk around the next lake across (there are several small lakes near Zhudi) and through the hills around there. Got back and our home was packed with people. Apparently a tour bus had elected to stay at the house where I am living. There were a couple of French women in the group so we had a good chat. The tour group and myself ate dinner together and then the family and neighbouring villages put on a dance and bonfire for the guests (for a reasonable fee) in our courtyard. The family and neighbours all got dressed up and someone played a local kind of flute and everyone danced. My circle dancing is starting to improve and I can keep in step in a few of the dances now. When they stopped dancing and started singing I went up to the older sister in the family and asked her why she hadn't dressed up. She explained she was too busy, and then dragged me off to her bedroom to dress me in her costume. We are the same height and build so it fitted well.
Mosuo dress involves a long white pleated skirt, a long sleeved brightly coloured satin shirt with a wide brightly coloured sash at the waist. On your head you wear a head dress which is made of strands of black nylon to look like plaited hair in a circle around the head, with a long bunch that hangs straight down like hair. This is decorated with beads and pink flowers. I walked out in my long skirt with my new black hair and everyone laughed and clapped. The tourists thought it was great and my family here were all smiling. A girl introduced me as a Mosuo girl and then several people tried to get me to sing something- which I refused. You will understand if you've ever heard me sing. One of the local guys told me I looked very pretty. Then we did some more dancing and I managed to keep in step most of the time. The whole thing was pretty funny. I took some photos and got changed again. The other highlight of my day was some dark French orange chocolate that one of the French girls gave me.
Today is New Years Eve and as I had promised another family several weeks ago to spend New Years with them, I prepared to go. I had told the family in Zhudi this at least 50 times, but this morning they were still trying to convince me to spend New Years with them. They refused to understand that I was already committed and mother put on a huge drama, putting on a hurt expression and turning her face away from me. I left some presents with one of the younger women and left. If bullying is hospitality, well... I had told them firmly for nearly three weeks that I was spending New Years with some other friends so I don't know why they were surprised. They were even saying that it would ruin their New Year and they couldn't enjoy their celebrations if I left. Bloody ridiculous.
My day improved upon arriving in Lige. I was hungry because the family had been to busy to notice that I couldn't eat the oily gooey thing that they gave me to eat for breakfast. I arrived at the guest house and my friend was there and she said "I'm starving, I've got some lamb stew in the pan, lets go and eat it!" I could have kissed her feet after two months of pork. Haven't eaten lamb since Australia. Stuffed myself with lamb, potato, greens and soup. Aaaaah.
Then I went into the village and the youth hostel let me use their hot, hot shower. So I have eaten lamb and I am clean and in clean clothes and feeling quite content. I feel like my new year is already complete! Now I might just go wash some clothes as it is a sunny day. Yep, sounds like a plan. Tonight we are going to visit the couple's respective families, etc. Should be good. Probably involve alcohol, food and dancing. bye for now.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Spring Festival Preparations
Well, Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is drawing near and everyone is getting ready. On Friday the family I am staying with slaughtered a pig (and tried to feed me copious amounts of pork, deep fried and otherwise). They have also made lots of sweet things which actually consist of popcorn or rice bubbles stuck together in big balls with honey. Apparently they are suitable to eat for breakfast as well as between meals and in the evening. They also bought string and were busy sewing Tibetan prayer flags onto it. My stomach seems to get upset whenever I stay at this house. I'm not exactly sure why- though I suspect it might be the copious amounts of oil in everything. It doesn't seem to help even when I restrict my eating and try to avoid eating much of the oiliest stuff. I haven't had much appetite anyway, but their hospitality won't even let me skip meals or just eat rice, veg and tofu. Most of the time my stomach feels bloated and every two days or so I have to make frequent hurried trips up the side of the mountain. It is starting to take a toll on me.
This morning I decided to walk to Lige to have a shower, use the internet and eat lunch somewhere else. I just had a couple of pieces of the popcorn and rice bubble stuff for breakfast and when I was halfway there I started feeling quite faint and a little dizzy. No cars came past going my direction so I had to walk the whole way. Got down to Lige, went to my other home the "Mosuo culture chatbar" and ordered a bowl of noodle soup with egg and broccoli (feeling a need for protein and fresh greens- and no pork). Scoffed that down and then raided some of my supplies from lijiang (coffee beans, peanut butter and chocolate). Went next door for a shower but they had no hot water today so I went back to the chat bar guesthouse and ended up washing my hair in a basin in the courtyard. I had to wait for Grandma who lives behind the chat bar to wash her hair first. She stripped to the waist and washed her hair and upper body. She is in her 80's. She complained to her granddaughter (my friend) who was helping her that the shampoo doesn't get her hair clean and sent my friend to get a handful of washing powder. When she had finished she starts plaiting her long grey hair and as it gets thin towards the bottom, she plaits into it some fake black hair strands (like thick nylon). When she has a really long plait (grey and black), she winds it round her head and then winds some other cloths round her head.
Incidentally, I frequently hear this kind of comment "It doesn't get it properly clean". The family where I live have a washing machine that they don't use for this reason. I want to comment that if they washed their clothes more frequently they would never get so dirty that the washing machine had difficulty cleaning them. It seems that when they put on clean clothes it is crucial that they are completely spotless (if possible) but then are happy to walk around in them for 3 or 4 days, regardless how grotty they get. If you have a washing machine I would think it would be easier to wash a little more frequently and look clean more of the time.
Anyway, I followed Grandma's example and stood in the courtyard in my bra and jeans washing my hair. I think Mosuo people are less conservative than most Chinese people. They apparently have outdoor hot springs too where everyone bathes together naked. I'm not sure that I'm game for that here (Maybe in Europe). I stand out from the crowd a bit too much. Everyone already watches everything I do. Well, I have to go back to my lovely family that make me regularly sick. Mmmm. Not sure what to do about this situation. Must I choose between my research and my health? Well, I'm planning to spend New Year in Yongning and after that I'm going to travel a bit anyway. I'll survive a couple more days. Maybe I can find someone else to work with on the translations when I get back from my trip around the lake.
As I heard that there is some confusion about how to pronounce all these place names- here is a guide.
Lijiang Lee- Jung ("J" as in "Jack", rhyming with "rung")
Luoshui Law-shway
Lige Lee-ger
Zhudi Jew-dee
Yongning - exactly as you would expect.
Ninglang Ning-lung
Yunnan You-nan
Lugu Loo-goo
Have fun!
This morning I decided to walk to Lige to have a shower, use the internet and eat lunch somewhere else. I just had a couple of pieces of the popcorn and rice bubble stuff for breakfast and when I was halfway there I started feeling quite faint and a little dizzy. No cars came past going my direction so I had to walk the whole way. Got down to Lige, went to my other home the "Mosuo culture chatbar" and ordered a bowl of noodle soup with egg and broccoli (feeling a need for protein and fresh greens- and no pork). Scoffed that down and then raided some of my supplies from lijiang (coffee beans, peanut butter and chocolate). Went next door for a shower but they had no hot water today so I went back to the chat bar guesthouse and ended up washing my hair in a basin in the courtyard. I had to wait for Grandma who lives behind the chat bar to wash her hair first. She stripped to the waist and washed her hair and upper body. She is in her 80's. She complained to her granddaughter (my friend) who was helping her that the shampoo doesn't get her hair clean and sent my friend to get a handful of washing powder. When she had finished she starts plaiting her long grey hair and as it gets thin towards the bottom, she plaits into it some fake black hair strands (like thick nylon). When she has a really long plait (grey and black), she winds it round her head and then winds some other cloths round her head.
Incidentally, I frequently hear this kind of comment "It doesn't get it properly clean". The family where I live have a washing machine that they don't use for this reason. I want to comment that if they washed their clothes more frequently they would never get so dirty that the washing machine had difficulty cleaning them. It seems that when they put on clean clothes it is crucial that they are completely spotless (if possible) but then are happy to walk around in them for 3 or 4 days, regardless how grotty they get. If you have a washing machine I would think it would be easier to wash a little more frequently and look clean more of the time.
Anyway, I followed Grandma's example and stood in the courtyard in my bra and jeans washing my hair. I think Mosuo people are less conservative than most Chinese people. They apparently have outdoor hot springs too where everyone bathes together naked. I'm not sure that I'm game for that here (Maybe in Europe). I stand out from the crowd a bit too much. Everyone already watches everything I do. Well, I have to go back to my lovely family that make me regularly sick. Mmmm. Not sure what to do about this situation. Must I choose between my research and my health? Well, I'm planning to spend New Year in Yongning and after that I'm going to travel a bit anyway. I'll survive a couple more days. Maybe I can find someone else to work with on the translations when I get back from my trip around the lake.
As I heard that there is some confusion about how to pronounce all these place names- here is a guide.
Lijiang Lee- Jung ("J" as in "Jack", rhyming with "rung")
Luoshui Law-shway
Lige Lee-ger
Zhudi Jew-dee
Yongning - exactly as you would expect.
Ninglang Ning-lung
Yunnan You-nan
Lugu Loo-goo
Have fun!
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Back at the Lake
Hello all,
Apparently my last blog was confusing- Can you see the titles I give to each blog? What happened was that I went to Lijiang for a few days of R&R and also did some work and went to the bank. I am now back in Zhudi, working on my research again.
I don't have a lot of time to write, but I have got my questionaire all translated into Mosuo and Chinese and I'm getting organised to go for several weeks around the lake interviewing Mosuo people. The weather has been beautiful the last few days, during the day it is mild and sunny. I have discarded my thermals and only wear my jacket in early morning and late evening. The rest of the time I just wear jeans and a shirt and jumper. Feels a bit more normal. Actually my face and hands are getting quite tanned. I'll have to go to a tanning salon when I get back to make the rest of me match. Already the difference between my arms and hands is quite startling. A jade ring Scott bought me in Lijiang just a month ago now leaves a white 'untanned' mark when I take it off. Next week is new year. Quite excited. Will report on that when the time comes.
Apparently my last blog was confusing- Can you see the titles I give to each blog? What happened was that I went to Lijiang for a few days of R&R and also did some work and went to the bank. I am now back in Zhudi, working on my research again.
I don't have a lot of time to write, but I have got my questionaire all translated into Mosuo and Chinese and I'm getting organised to go for several weeks around the lake interviewing Mosuo people. The weather has been beautiful the last few days, during the day it is mild and sunny. I have discarded my thermals and only wear my jacket in early morning and late evening. The rest of the time I just wear jeans and a shirt and jumper. Feels a bit more normal. Actually my face and hands are getting quite tanned. I'll have to go to a tanning salon when I get back to make the rest of me match. Already the difference between my arms and hands is quite startling. A jade ring Scott bought me in Lijiang just a month ago now leaves a white 'untanned' mark when I take it off. Next week is new year. Quite excited. Will report on that when the time comes.
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