Thursday, January 06, 2005
Picnic
My idea of a day trip to the beach is completely different to the idea of most of the Chinese teachers and students I work with.
To start with, my day out would include at least a short time in the sea. Even if it’s just enough to cool down and say I, at least, got wet. It really is a must when it comes to a beach trip. But for the party I went with this week, swimming in the sea was deemed to be ‘too’ dangerous. So, no getting wet. When some students, quite naturally, forgot themselves in 28 C, and sat in the breaking waves on the shore line, one of the teachers ran to tell them that the waves were SO dangerous!
The next difference is the food. My memories of picnics to the seaside when I was at school compulsorily had to include egg sandwiches, crisps, orange squash and a few melted blue ribands that my mum had packed, quite creatively, in a Tupperware box. That is what a trip to the sea and sand involves. The Chinese kids kept bringing me tastes of their own food just incase I was feeling peckish. By 10am I had had cold pork fried rice, fried crab sticks, fried fish balls, fried hot dog and an unidentifiable piece of meat which I put straight in the bin. Actually most of it went straight in the bin when the students who donated it weren’t looking. Luckily the local shop was selling sandwiches and much to my delight I managed to get a cup of extremely strong tea and a plastic ham sandwich between two slices of mother’s pride. Obviously, they knew what they doing!
Another marked difference is the use of plastic and other disposable items. The teachers and students all had their own personal supply of disposable plastic table cloths. The first thing they did when they arrived was to spread out 2 or 3 of these things, then put their bags down on them. Heaven forbid any Chinese person puts their bag directly on the floor. At school there are hooks on the sides of desks for bags. I have noticed in restaurants that people put their bags on the chair behind their back and sit further forward on their chair rather than put their bag on the unhygienic floor and risk infection! The first thing I did was rent myself a deck chair. One of those fold flat wooden ones which are difficult to assemble, the type you risk your finger tips with not to mention it falling flat as you drop your weight into it. Then, naturally, I made a small hat out of my knotted handkerchief and rolled my trouser legs up. Now that’s what going to the seaside is all about.
To start with, my day out would include at least a short time in the sea. Even if it’s just enough to cool down and say I, at least, got wet. It really is a must when it comes to a beach trip. But for the party I went with this week, swimming in the sea was deemed to be ‘too’ dangerous. So, no getting wet. When some students, quite naturally, forgot themselves in 28 C, and sat in the breaking waves on the shore line, one of the teachers ran to tell them that the waves were SO dangerous!
The next difference is the food. My memories of picnics to the seaside when I was at school compulsorily had to include egg sandwiches, crisps, orange squash and a few melted blue ribands that my mum had packed, quite creatively, in a Tupperware box. That is what a trip to the sea and sand involves. The Chinese kids kept bringing me tastes of their own food just incase I was feeling peckish. By 10am I had had cold pork fried rice, fried crab sticks, fried fish balls, fried hot dog and an unidentifiable piece of meat which I put straight in the bin. Actually most of it went straight in the bin when the students who donated it weren’t looking. Luckily the local shop was selling sandwiches and much to my delight I managed to get a cup of extremely strong tea and a plastic ham sandwich between two slices of mother’s pride. Obviously, they knew what they doing!
Another marked difference is the use of plastic and other disposable items. The teachers and students all had their own personal supply of disposable plastic table cloths. The first thing they did when they arrived was to spread out 2 or 3 of these things, then put their bags down on them. Heaven forbid any Chinese person puts their bag directly on the floor. At school there are hooks on the sides of desks for bags. I have noticed in restaurants that people put their bags on the chair behind their back and sit further forward on their chair rather than put their bag on the unhygienic floor and risk infection! The first thing I did was rent myself a deck chair. One of those fold flat wooden ones which are difficult to assemble, the type you risk your finger tips with not to mention it falling flat as you drop your weight into it. Then, naturally, I made a small hat out of my knotted handkerchief and rolled my trouser legs up. Now that’s what going to the seaside is all about.
