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.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
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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