December 1st. Jingle bells…
You wake up in your Chinese apartment. Jingle bells…
You know something is off… Jingle bells…
You’re still sleepy and can’t find the source of your confusion. Jingle bells…
You open the window and… “Jingle bells” – you clearly hear it from the shopping mole downstairs…
You wake up in your Chinese apartment. Jingle bells…
You know something is off… Jingle bells…
You’re still sleepy and can’t find the source of your confusion. Jingle bells…
You open the window and… “Jingle bells” – you clearly hear it from the shopping mole downstairs…
What’s so weird about it? Nothing if you were in Europe. At this time of the year so called ‘Christmas Spirit’ haunts every shop, restaurant and office in Western countries. You know that picture all too well: hordes of Santa Clauses accompanied by herds of reindeer running through the woods of Christmas trees and mountains of fake snow. That’s basically what our cities turn in to in winter. We get used to it and treat it as ‘normal’. However when you’re in China and the same things happen all around you just can’t rid of the feeling that something is off.
Western culture basically rose upon Christianity. There celebrating Christmas became tradition and something natural even for those who are not necessary Christians. China on the other hand has never been a Christian country and never had this kind of tradition. That is why you simply can’t comprehend why all of this is happening.
Christmas is drawing closer. Jingle bells is the first thing you hear after waking up (and for the rest of the day). You go to Walmart. You’re being welcomed by “Silent night”. Christmas decorations just became ‘best selling item’. You stroll down the streets in dismay. Christmas tree is sparkling even in the hall of Buddhist center of traditional medicine.
December 22nd. Jingle bells… You’ve became Santa Claus (at school you’ve been asked to dress up as one and walk from one classroom to another to give presents and sweets. Who cares that you’re not even a male. It’s 21st century. We have equality). Ho, ho, ho…
December 24th. Jingle bells… You receive apples from your students. (You wonder why? Well, that is entirely different story that deserves separate article. You just need to be patient and wait for next post “Pinganguo – Christmas Apple”.)
December 25th. Jingle bells…
December 26th. You open your eyes and… ‘Oppa Gungnam style’…
Christmas is drawing closer. Jingle bells is the first thing you hear after waking up (and for the rest of the day). You go to Walmart. You’re being welcomed by “Silent night”. Christmas decorations just became ‘best selling item’. You stroll down the streets in dismay. Christmas tree is sparkling even in the hall of Buddhist center of traditional medicine.
December 22nd. Jingle bells… You’ve became Santa Claus (at school you’ve been asked to dress up as one and walk from one classroom to another to give presents and sweets. Who cares that you’re not even a male. It’s 21st century. We have equality). Ho, ho, ho…
December 24th. Jingle bells… You receive apples from your students. (You wonder why? Well, that is entirely different story that deserves separate article. You just need to be patient and wait for next post “Pinganguo – Christmas Apple”.)
December 25th. Jingle bells…
December 26th. You open your eyes and… ‘Oppa Gungnam style’…