thanksgiving & jackie chan

I got a few thoughtful emails wishing me a happy Thanksgiving despite the fact that the Chinese clearly do not celebrate the Native American/European harvest festival. But don't pity me too much; although it did turn out to be a pretty homesick day, I managed to get a very enjoyable and way-too-filling Thanksgiving meal despite my location.

Jaris invited Andy and I to a dinner in the expat district, where a friend of his had reserved a table at a Western restaurant. I was initially a bit skeptical about celebrating a traditionally family-centered holiday with a group of strangers, but the food alone made it worth the trip. There were about 25 of us, and we shared three turkeys, stuffing, cranberries, plate after plate of mashed potatoes, and even something resembling pie at the end.

One memorable moment from the dinner, for better or for worse: As everyone relaxed and chatted over wine and food, a stereotypical loud and overbearing American expat stood up and gave a toast. Well, actually two toasts. I had enough with the first one, when he prompted everyone to cheers to the phrase "Thanks the fuck up!" Then he stood back up a few minutes later and, much to my horror, asked everyone at the table to stand up and say something we were thankful for. It's not that I'm not thankful; I have a million things to be thankful for, both here and at home, that have only multiplied since coming to China. But at that point I would have rather wet my own pants than shared a personal thank you message with a group of total strangers at my Thanksgiving dinner. At least that would have been entertaining, and its memory would have induced a laugh rather than a severe cringe...

Onto my weekend in Guangzhou 广州, known for years in Western culture as Canton. Wikipedia puts Guangzhou's population just over 7 million, but including its surroundings it is even bigger and more cosmopolitan than its neighboring city, Shenzhen. It's also deeply rooted in Chinese history (although don't feel bad if you don't recognize the name, as I'm sure I couldn't have located it on a map a year ago), and has been a major hub of Chinese civilization since 214 BC.

Our entire group of teachers was there for a foreign teachers' celebration, and our hosts went all out accommodating 16,000 of us at a show filled with dancers, singers, and a few key celebrities. If you saw the opening ceremony to the Olympics, you have some sense of the level of this production. I was exhausted and crabby when I got there (side story: Jaris and I had to meet the rest of our group, since as ISS teachers we actually work on Fridays, unlike the LCers. However we couldn't find the group and ended up walking around for 2 hours and missing dinner. Oh yes and I sprained my ankle. Tai hao le! How excellent!) and yet even after sitting for three hours I could have watched more.

Anyway, midway through the show, a jumbo jet pulled out onto the stage and out walked... Jackie Chan! He sang "We Are Ready" which he apparently also performed at the Olympics. He wasn't the best act, by far, but seeing him perform there - as as singer, no less - after watching his kung fu moves in Rush Hour was extremely entertaining. Plus, I'm living in China, so I guess if I'm going to see a celebrity he's a pretty good option.

The rest of the Guangzhou trip, abbreviated version:

• On Saturday I went shopping at the market downtown, which was quite similar to the ones in Shenzhen but had a more organized feel and slightly better knock-off goods. I got two watches and a new pair of sunglasses, all of which I love - but I have to say the whole shopping experience was even cooler than my purchases.
• Saturday night ended up being an adventure involving a Chinese police officer, a man wearing a "political" armband, a Canadian expat raving about 911 being an "inside job," and a bunch of Liberians trying to sell us drugs. Yes, all of this and more, right on the steps of a 7/11 - a chain which incidentally seems to have captured the entire Asian market and is now conveniently located on every block.
• I spent Sunday morning in Yuexiu Park, which I could not fully enjoy because I started passing out before we left. I don't remember anything from that point until I got back to Shenzhen, but apparently I blacked out in the taxi and again on the bus. This has never happened to me before... For the record, I blame the pollution. (Seriously.)

Also, if you're disappointed by the lack of pictures, I lost my camera this weekend in Guangzhou. I'm planning to replace it in Hong Kong this weekend, but until then you'll just have to exercise your imagination.