Village
Life in
I have to
date written several guides to
But First:
Foreigners
account for much less than 1% of inhabitants, yet their presence through ages
pervades the integrity of everything.
One third
of this Province is a ‘Special Economic Zone’, meaning its produce is given
over to industry, the results of which are mainly bound for export. The only
other area of
The
Cantonese peoples, more correctly called The Yue, have been a part of Greater
China for more than two thousand years. They have always backed central policy,
and in return - always remained semi-autonomous in language and culture. The
Yue peoples of today can witness their forefathers heritage in such diverse
places as virtually the whole of neighbouring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,
Vietnam (Especially the north), and areas of Laos and more northerly adjacent
parts of China. Their language is probably the second most widely spoken tongue
on this planet today, but both Eastern and Western politicians try extremely
hard to undermine its importance as a significant world language?
However,
what truly separates these people from the rest of Chinese culture is their
continual and innate ‘Openness’, and willingness to travel to hostile shores,
or welcome foreigners into their homes.
My home is
the small city of
City life
in this part of
The Village
Siu Ying’s
parents live in what can best be described as a typical
The hamlet
is located about 5 miles from a small A class road with regular state and
private coach services running every 5-minutes or so to connect the
neighbouring towns and villages, and usually the main city of Toisan (Tai Shan 台山). Travel between the main road and
hamlet is usually by means of motorcycle taxi from the main road junction, or
sometimes by arrangement with a microbus – being the only four-wheeled vehicle
owned by any of the village residents. In addition to this three residents own
motorcycles, one of which belongs to my fiancées Father, and is an electronic version.
There is no public transport along this small road.
The village
itself is set back 100 yards from the road, and as typical of this area, is
entered via a traditional Chinese gate, with a community pagoda nearby set
under a large old Banyan tree. Whilst the C class road is tarmac’d, the linking
lanes are unmade, as are parts of the village lanes not covered with concrete.
Upon entering the village proper the first building, which is set aside from
all the others, is the community toilet block. This is divided into two parts,
one each for men and women. Stalls within are open plan with a low wall
providing dignity and allowing conversation with other patrons. These are
basically a row of six Chinese traps = holes in the ground. A metal scoop is
provided for flushing from the adjacent water tank which runs along the entire
back wall of the building. This building is very popular with mosquitos in
summer…
The next
building we encounter is the entrance and storage sheds for the community
volleyball / basketball pitch. This is an enclosed walled area with enough room
for spectators to stand around. The pitch is mainly made of ash and rubble,
with grasses and mosses interspersed haphazardly. Volleyball is the number one
sport in this area, and Toisan is well represented at both National and
International levels.
Passing
this enclave, the visitor reaches the first dwellings, these being four
rectangular buildings set with their longest and virtually windowless sides to
the front. There are door to both sides opening onto the narrow paths. Walking
down these paths there is seldom a gap between the houses, which average
between six and eight dwellings per row. Occasionally there is a walled garden,
or part derelict building converted to house chickens. Most buildings are
either single or two storey’s high, except for buildings five and six facing
the road. The former is a sort of hall or community centre, where I presume
matters concerning the village council are performed. Inside are stacks of
benches and some rather curious looking machinery presumably related in some
way to rice harvesting and processing. Finishing the first half of the village
is another three storey building, which has a community kitchen on the ground
floor, complete with two double cookers (Described later), the first of these
having two 5-foot woks set in the surface. The second is home to two 3-foot
woks, whilst preparation and washing facilities complete the room. To the rear
is a stone staircase leading to the floor above. This is home to the village
Maj Jong club – which is very popular! I have used the simple spelling above to
relate to you which game is being played. If you prefer to use a different
spelling to say these Chinese words, then that is your prerogative. These
Chinese characters do not translate well into English spelling, but may be more
correctly considered as ‘Mah Zhong’ (Which you will not readily recognise). In
Cantonese the game is called Mah Je’ere – I rest my case. Spell it as you will.
As with
cards, there are various tile sets, the most common of which features: (9
numbers, 9 Tong (Cooking pots for Chinese soup), 9 bamboo sticks, 4 winds (Cardinal
points), 4 flowers (Plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo), 4 dragons
(Usually 2 green and 2 red; but can be white or blank tiles – or two dragons
and two phoenix), and optional 4 season tiles. The rules and play are quite
baffling to an un-knowledgeable onlooker. Two dice are usually used to begin
play and betting would normally form a part of the game – were it not for the
fact that betting is illegal in China.
But I
digress, as I am prone to do…
The second
half of the village is similar to the first, but set back further from the road
because of a small lake used to farm fish. Basically the dwellings start two
buildings further back and extend a comparable distance further to the rear.
There appear to be only two noteworthy features to this part of the village,
the first being a haystack of rice straw in true old-country fashion. It is
round, about twelve feet high with a conical top, and home to a family of
ginger tabby cats. The other feature is the village shop – which is somebody’s
from room. This sells a selection of common commodities such as beer, rice and
rice-wine, cigarettes, sweets, crockery, some vegetables; as well as sundry
items such as fire crackers and air rifle pellets. Villagers are largely
self-sufficient, so options for stock remain limited.
The
surrounding land is controlled by the village council as a farm co-operative.
However, all land in
The village
controls about 500 acres of fertile land set in a wide plain bordered by
outcrops of sandstone hills up to 2, 000 feet high. The slopes of these are
usually managed forests, although some wild areas still exist. Additionally,
some areas are set aside for bamboo production, which is normally the fast
growing type used in construction; although sometimes the smaller sweet bamboo
is grown. This is quite similar to sugar cane and used as a delicacy or sugar
substitute. This area does not appear to keep domestic honey bees, although
wild honey can occasionally be found near the hills. The entire plain is
criss-crossed by a myriad of irrigation ditches, which provide ample water for
crops via channelling into smaller and yet smaller ditches. Before the advent
of mains water, my fiancée (Who is 30-years old) remembers as a child using one
of the cleaner and more distant ditches for washing herself, and the family
clothes. During years of relative plenty the villagers each contributed Y500
per household, per annum (A comparatively large sum for them); and built a
water tower to collect rainwater and service the mains supply + associated
pipework which then gave each household access to tap water. Please also
understand that whilst this vast plain remains verdant all year round and water
is abundant; it seldom rains here.
Everything
in
Dwellings
are different and belong to a family until abandoned or renovated. Perhaps in
the past this may also have included being sold, but nowadays the young go off
to college, emigrate, thus leaving many empty homes that are still looked after
by relatives. In due course, a family line may die out, or the property becomes
officially abandoned. It’s ownership then reverts to the people, which in this
case is the village council. I remain unsure whether a person has to be a party
member to become a member of the village council – and to be honest, I never
thought to ask. I presume this is the theory?
Most
families have a share of the land and the staple crop grown is rice. Siu Ying
(My fiancée) spent her childhood doing some very hard work on the land, and the
fingers of her right hand are slightly bent from years of harvesting rice
stalks by hand as a child. That is correct! Even today virtually all work on
the land is done by hand. My Father in Law to be owns the only Ox in the
village, which is used for ploughing using a single furrow plough with metal
share. In addition, he owns one fish pond, 4 houses, and one ‘Private’ outside
toilet serviced by a sceptic tank (Go outside the home and turn right, head
down to the end of the alley and turn left, and it is the second building on
the right).
I guess
that to anyone under 40 years of age, this will seem like a nightmare! To me it
is reminiscent of my early childhood, especially in
As if by
contrast, my prospective Father in Law also owns a small plot on the village
outskirts where he keeps his chickens, works his nets that front the fishpond,
and has a small vegetable garden where he grows staple vegetables for the
extended family. The size is roughly that of Papa Orr’s plot in Kilkeel, but
missing the sweet peas and sweetbriar. I have just returned from there with
home-grown
I think my
Father in Law is expanding into chicken production, as he is very proud of his
2-dozen fattening hens + two white ones with black crests, the like of which I
have never seen before. He also has two cockerels and an ebb and flow of
offspring. They are fattened with a meal not dissimilar to that which my own
Father used to feed pigs with = high protein and cereal mush. Mama and Baba
seem to divide this duty between themselves, and it is so.
About six
months ago, somebody stole 10 of his 12 fatted chickens that were nearly ready
for market, so now each night since then he has slept with the chickens, in a
lean-to for a bed in an annex of the coop. These had to be local people, and
probably not anyone with a local ancestry. If you as readers have ‘More than
enough’, then you may think this stupid and irrelevant. I have the greatest
respect for this very hardworking man and the way he lives his life – his
values if you prefer. It is a totally different world from my local KFC in
Foshan – but I can find that on any street corner anywhere in the world. What
is unique is what his wife does when cooking the chicken, let me explain – see page
5.
Village Dwellings:
For you to
understand life here a little better I should first describe a village home.
These are quite basic and sufficient and originally of one storey high. They
are oblong measuring about 12 yards wide by 8 yards deep and have a
high-pitched roof. The floor inside is made of 1-foot square red sandstone
tiles cut from the local hills and laid directly onto the soil beneath. The
cutting is of slightly various sizes on a theme, so sometimes there are gaps. The
homes usually have 6 parts. At one end each side door opens into a kitchen
complete with Chinese solid fuel stove. Between these is an area set aside for
washing crockery, people, etc. This area often includes a staircase, if a
second floor or flat roof has been added. An open plan doorway leads from this
area into the main living room which is basically 6 yards square. This will
have traditional Chinese hard seating for eight people or more, one or two
cupboards, a family ‘shrine’ to honour ancestors, plus many photographs of
family members and important events. More affluent homes that have electricity
installed will always have a television in this room. On either side of the
living room, and as wide as the two kitchens, are the final two rooms that
function as bedrooms for the families living there. These are normally
comprised of various family elements such as parents, brothers and children.
Food is
normally prepared on the path outside the door (Or in a yard for those with
one), where there is a tap for washing greens and rinsing. This is set one foot
above the level of the path as Chinese squat while they work. Water runs of
into the open channel, whilst cuttings are collected for composting. These
narrow paths are normally a clutter of activity; as people pass by, so dogs and
cats amble around, and chickens or ducks keep an eye on their chicks.
Motorcycles also zoom past infrequently, whilst pedestrians will stop for a
chat.
Siu Ying
was born in one of these dwellings, which is still maintained by her parents
and Aunt; although both families have since moved to new ‘Modern’ homes nearby.
When she was born, the family had added an extension above the kitchen areas,
which featured two small bedrooms – one for her parents, and the other for her
aunt and uncle. Siu ying and her brothers occupied one of the downstairs rooms,
whilst her Fathers parents occupied the other.
In 2002,
Baba and his sister took over two derelict plots nearby, and erected new homes
for a construction cost of Y60, 000, or about £ 4, 000! These modern homes are
quite similar in style to the family home left behind, but are much larger in
size and laid out better. Both feature an outside yard which is used for food
preparation, and each also includes a lean-to storage shed. In one corner
nearest the main door is a tap that constantly drips into a muslin bag, which
in turn drips into a stout wooden barrel. This is occasionally home to fresh
fish, whilst the adjacent area is used for food preparation. The yard also
features a clothes line and two brushes made from real twigs that are bound
with strips of local reed to form effective sweeping implements.
Inside the
new house the floor is still made from local sandstone tiles and features a
Chinese ‘Aga’ at the opposite end of the L-shaped living room/kitchen. Along
one wall there is a high counter used for daily necessities, and underneath are
taps for a water butt, and at virtually floor level, another for washing
vegetables and crockery. Near the door is a washroom featuring a cold tap and
cold water shower. Hmmm! Drainage from this and the other taps is at ground
level, that has a gap where water passes through the wall and out into a small
channel. This subsequently empties into the main channel by the path outside.
The arrangement is very simple and effective.
The rustic
Aga, preparation bench, and shower take up one complete wall of the building:
with an outside door at either end. Nearest the Aga is the formal door, which
is seldom used. The common door into the yard is a double door made from wood.
The hinges work with a round-ish tree branch that has appropriate sockets set
into the floor and lintel above. There are two locks; one being a piece of wood
which drops into place (Like in medieval movies) of the simple barrier type.
The second lock is quite sophisticated, and works via a racket operated ‘key’.
This ‘key’ is a metal rod bent at one end to form a ‘U’ shape. This ‘key’ is
left on a hook outside the door at eye level, just in case anyone needs to gain
access after the lock has been set from the inside. There is also a secure
metal outer door which could secure the building properly, but I doubt this has
ever been used since it was installed.
Opposite
the preparation area, and running the whole width of the room, is a yard wide
shelf set about 10 feet in the air. This houses the family Buddhist altar which
honours ancestors, plus various associated bric-a-brac, and stored items.
Underneath is a set of large quadrant shaped metal shelves, which Mama uses for
storing drying home made pastries, sweet breads, biscuits and dumplings. The
ground floor is completed by a bedroom for Mama and Baba, situated opposite the
‘Aga’ and 4 yards wide by 6 yards long. Tucked away in the farthest corner are
the stairs.
Immediately
atop the stairs is a communal area set with a settee and chairs. This also has
maps of
To complete this section, let me add that all
houses now in use do have mains electricity, water, television and telephone …
and not much else! There is still evidence of old oil lamps, which some years
ago would have been the only artificial source of light, apart from the Aga of
course. I presume these would have been fired with the same industrial grade
peanut oil that is widely used for cooking, and quite offensive in smell and
taste - that sells for about £1 per gallon (A British measurement still legal
and in use today in modern China. Fancy that!). I refuse to cook eggs in this
liquid, as all I taste are burnt peanuts. Fortunately Mama uses the relatively
expensive corn oil in her cooking, or recycles dripping and other forms of left
over fats, plus soups and vegetable waters.
Cooking contraptions
All village
homes feature something I can best describe as a rustic ‘Aga’. It stands
working height and about 5-feet square. Basically it is a double hearth with
four holes in the top for woks and saucepans. These do not have griddles or
draft controls. They are paired, so there are two holes in the front where fire
is added to fuels such as: wood, twigs, leaves, and anything of tinderable
value. The fire is usually set to the front, thus heating the larger of the two
above holes first – which is invariably a wok of about 2-feet in diameter. The
draw is accomplished by a smoke ventilation hole that combines the two hearths,
and enters into a surprisingly modern flue. This then rises 2 feet and turning
horizontal for a couple of feet, before rising perpendicular and exiting via
the roof. At the final juncture is an inspection plate for collecting soot, set
at about head height. These things are made from bricks and rocks, plus
‘Chinese firebricks’ (Which are probably ordinary bricks), and finished in
either ceramic tile or marble facia. They sound and look horrendous, work
extremely well, and require minimal maintenance – and that is all that is
important!
In their
new home Mama and Baba have altered this arrangement slightly by making the
secondary holes a tad smaller. This then is the ideal size to hold a large
saucepan which they use to boil water (Purification), which is then put into
thermos flasks or an earthenware version – and used as drinking water.
Mama’s home cooking
Mama and
Baba grow rice commercially, so rice features very heavily in every meal. This
is normally not glutinous rice, so left-overs are kept in the pan to harden
into rice cakes. I find that all Cantonese rice is dry in texture, and it is
cooked only long enough to ensure all the rice is soft. This is regardless of
how long the cooking period is – as they simply add less water initially than I
would. Do not confuse this with ‘sticky rice’ which I detail below.
Chicken is
very common, and some sort of fish is usually served at every meal. Other
staples include: pig, duck, goose, shellfish and dog. I will not dwell on this
as I am a dog lover myself, I simply tell you what I see. Although readily
available, both lamb and beef are not Cantonese staple foods. Contrarily, eel
is very popular. Cantonese people are regarded in the rest of
I have
described the marvellous Toisan Chicken above, but her Goose is possibly more
delicious? It is a hard call! Mama cooks Goose very slowly in a wok steamer for
several hours; and for special celebrations this heat is turned down and it is
cooked overnight. In the morning plumb sauce is added to the skin, and somehow
this makes the skin crispy and flavoursome – and this is accomplished using a
wok steamer? Regardless, in reality just it works fine! What shocked me most
was that the goose was cooked ‘rare’. Westerners do not do this with poultry,
and after the extra hard cooked eggs, this came as a complete surprise. Putting
concerns about ‘Bird Flu’ aside, I sampled a small piece gingerly, and it was
heaven! The meat melted in my mouth and juices flowed! The mix of the fatty
skin and crispy plumb sauce coating, amalgamated with the meat and blood to
form one of the most truly delicious culinary delights I have ever tasted in my
entire life!
However, it
was chopped into traditional 1-inch wide strips that included the carcass
beneath. I could only improve upon this by serving the breast complete and off
the bone. The meat was perhaps 15% done, and melted in my mouth. As Oliver once
said – ‘I want more’!
On another
occasion Yee-Lo, or Siu Ying’s Number 2 brother, cooked for us a Toisan
internationally famous dish called ‘Sticky rice’. You may know of this from
Toisan Chicken
On the
second day of the 3-day Chinese New Year celebrations, Mama waltzes in with a
fattened chicken which she places in a wicker basket. This is locally made from
strips of bamboo, and amid much clucking and stuff, puts a lid on it. Silence
and a happy chicken hehe!
In the
village, days can be as long, or as short as you make them; usually governed by
the sunrise and sunset, phase of the Moon, sowing and harvest. On the third day
I awoke at nine am and was drinking my second cup of packet mix Nescafe, when
Mama decided ‘To do the chicken’. Ho-hum! Well you never heard such a commotion
in all your life! Possibly excepting a cacophony of Cantonese women – anyways…
Mama takes
the bird outside of the front door and into their yard, and with a practiced
eye, cuts the birds’ jugular, allowing the blood to flow into a handy bowl. I
tell myself I will not have a problem with this, and I don’t.
Next she
cuts vital points under the birds wings, and again blood flows. However . at
this stage the chicken is still alive, just not crowing quite as gallantly as
before. Hmmm! The bowl is now full with blood and is removed, whilst Mistress
Chicken is put in a very large pan. Baba then gallops up with lashings of hot water
from the stove and drenches the now pretty dead chicken. Well, even ten
thousand Cantonese women could not make such a racket! Mama uses a big stick to
hold the head under, and all becomes quiet. I remorse the passing of a life,
and wonder in my world of pre-packaged produce if I could do the same myself if
needs be (Which they are here). Of course I could! I am just not used to it,
except from my childhood catching and skinning rabbits. I mention to Mama that
in Briton we simply wring a chicken’s neck, something she finds weird and
amusing…
Now
something I do know about, is how hard it actually is to pull feathers out of a
dead chicken = nightmare and takes hours! Not so here, and I wonder my own
families missed a trick or two? The boiling water immediately separates
feathers from chicken, including the hard capsule-like ends. Mama is pulling
feathers out by the handful with no problem, and this even includes the thick
skin from the chicken’s feet – a local delicacy.
Mama then
does something quite curious, as after chopping the chicken into six large
pieces, she has Baba running backwards and forwards bringing salt. She then
works this dexterously into the chicken pieces. Meanwhile Siu Ying has been
playing with a sort of ‘Cooking contraption thingymagig’. It is a little
similar to a commercial Nescafe coffee tin, with a hole at the bottom for air.
Inside are firebricks surrounded by hot embers from the stove. To sum up, it is
a portable furnace. Then the clucking starts again, only this time it is Mama
demanding that a crock-pot with lid be put inside a lidded saucepan, with an
upturned rice bowl at the bottom of it all. Curious? As Baba adds water to the
outer vessel, I consider he has done this before!
Mama puts
it all together in the yard outside, and then goes off to visit some friends.
Siu Ying
checks the pot occasionally, sometimes adding a little hot water, but basically
all we have is a chicken in a crock in a pot, set on a furnace – and time passes … time passes, I
watch TV … time passes, I drink more coffee … and time passes. For sure, this
has been six hours of cooking; then Mama rocks-up and decides it is time for us
to eat.
This is
simply the very best chicken I have ever had the pleasure to eat – and it isn’t
even a Welsh Cockerel, but a normal Chinese hen! It is moist, fatty, falling to
pieces in your hands. Stunning! How can I describe the next level of succulence
and taste?
For a very
long time now I have been told how excellent Mama’s Toisan chicken was. I have
enjoyed Toisan chicken before, but I would now compare it to instant coffee,
not a specific blend ground and made fresh to my personal taste. Restaurants
have to use culinary tricks in order to serve within a set period – otherwise
you and I would walk out if we had to wait 6-hours for the dish to be served –
cummon!
For the
technically and culinary minded: the upturned ‘crock in the pot’ served to
attract the fatty juices via vacuum, which is served separately as a soup or
dip. Meanwhile, the salt rubbed into the meat attracted moisture and emolliates
the fatty deposits. Needless to say, if the salt was only coated on the surface
of the meat, it would draw moisture out of the meat, making it dry.
Mama also
gooks an exceptional goose, which is served in large chunks, rare!
For myself,
I continue to introduce the potatoe, usually with very pleasing results.
However, I sometimes wonder in these days of ‘Maris Piper’, how fares my
favourite potatoe, ‘The Mourne Mountain Blue’? I guess it isn’t sold in
Sainsbury’s lol. Ah! Add home punned fresh butter and a little salt and pepper
+ Granny Orr’s Irish broth. Mmmm!
Sparrow Shooting
During this
trip, one of my most memorable evenings concerned Yee-Lo taking me air rifle
shooting at 10 pm. We left in the company of the local likely lads, a number of
about two dozen 20-somethings, complete with two air-rifles and three torches.
The aim appeared to be, to shoot at grey bits in the trees along the main
country road – and subsequently many of these grey bits fell to earth as a
sparrow type of bird. A little further down the lane we were faced with an
irrigation ditch on one side, and a sort of swamp on the other side – whose
sole purpose seemed to be breeding mosquitoes!
One of the
‘Gang-Masters’ immediately got out his mobile phone, and within a few minutes a
young lad of about 16-years rocked-up, complete with waders and a long tree
branch. His job was to plumb the murky water courses and retrieve any kills
that had fallen in the water. Exciting times in Toisan! We finished about midnight
with over 50 sparrows, and the spoils were then divided by some magical
formula. Our group ended up with about 20 of them, which fortunately also
included the owner of the village microbus. However, a motorbike then rolled
up, and it was Baba who was worried about me and had come searching in order to
take me back to safety. Durrr! Ok then, so I left with Baba on his small
electric bike, whilst the others finished dividing the spoils and getting ready
to depart.
We
clattered back to Mama and Baba’s, and were shortly joined by the others. The
‘Oldsters’ then spend one hour or more outside in the yard removing feathers
and gutting our prised kills. The microbus owner also appears to be a ‘Master
Chef’ (Yee-Lo is one also), so he disappeared off home for some special
ingredients, and then proceeded to cook the birds in Mama’s wok. She has surely
seen all this before, and retires to bed early leaving the lads to get on with
it. Baba has long since disappeared by the way. After things are set to
simmering, out comes the cold beer, closely followed by rice-wine; and we sit
around glorifying in the nights exploits. About 2am the dish is ready and fit
to serve before a King (Or is that the rice wine talking?) It is delicious, in
a barbaric sort of way, as one complete sparrow is perhaps a mouthful at best.
I quickly give-up trying to do any form of sensible eating practices, and am
soon crunching heads and bones along with the rest of the crew. We start
heading for bed about 4am, and miraculously the kitchen is spotless once more
when I awake at midday – god bless Mama!
Again, the
whole thing is very reminiscent of my country youth in Staffordshire – only I
used to shoot rabbits and pigeons with a shotgun. Boys will be boys I guess!
What do they do? How do they live?
The simple
answer is they do both extremely well. But I guess you want a more complete
answer – so this is what I have witnessed first-hand…
Firstly,
Chinese are a communal people, which is why communism suits them so very well.
I will not do politics in this missive (Although I may in another), so just
know that this is how ordinary people here are. Baba looks after his immediate
family, and also that of his Sister = they are one unit. The larger family is
based in or around the village, so he looks out for them also in a way unknown
in the modern West. They are not stupid people and realise a new
The local
language is called Toisan Wah, which is very similar to Hoipeng Wah, spoken in
the natural and nearby twin city of
It remains
my informed guess that if we were to travel back in time for a few hundred
years, then all the local families could be traced back to common ancestry.
They live for the land, and the land rewards their efforts in return. But times
change. Of the one hundred or so houses in the village, many are now lie deserted.
I ask Siu Ying where all the people are, and she replies:
Today
children go to college and University, often a long way from home. They return
for harvest and National holidays, but are otherwise left to study and follow
their own path in life. They will telephone every day, but see a different
future for themselves through daily exposure to modern city life.
I think you
get the picture. For me this is nonsensical, because the future for us all is
happening right here, right now! I do worry about the future of the village:
The young have fledged and left, now migrants from other parts of
With his
departure I gaze out over the large flat plain which is bereft of hedgerows and
is typically used for growing rice. These are not waterlogged paddy fields as
you may imagine, as they grow a strain of rice that although planed in water,
only requires a moist soil to grow. The land is extremely well irrigated which
assists these water loving plants. Cantonese in this region do not wear the
iconical straw hats, although itinerant workers usually do. People cultivate
what they need in life. Some areas of village fishponds will have a reed bed,
which is harvested and used for string, or plated together to form a strong
rope.
Baba has
two sets of scales, which are about 18 inches long with a fulcrum set to one
end to suspend the device from. The short end has a balance weight attached.
The longer end is marked at regular intervals, and another weight is slid along
this until a point of equilibrium is found. This weight is actually
traditional, but very close to a British pound. Baba has two sets of scales:
one of which is only used for market and is normally an integral part of his
bicycle. Virtually all Chinese bicycles are what we would call ‘Female’, having
a dropped cross member. Baba’s is taller and has a ‘Male’ cross beam. He is
very proud of this and it is a rarity. He actually got it from
Baba has a
pair of well-worn boots that say ‘Dr … something or other on the outside’. He
bought them in
The ‘Not-Roach’
The month
was September and the world was still extremely warm (36 degrees, 24/7). I was
seated in my favourite chair in Baba’s gaff; when all of a sudden ‘Moi-Moi’
(Yee-Lo’s Daughter of about 2-years old) became an agitated state of fits and
giggles. She was playing with some insect about three inches long, which
resembled a greyish fat moth without wings. I have no idea to this day exactly
what it was, but it appeared harmless and much fun was had by all. It dipped
and flopped around for a while, before disappearing off to do whatever it does
in life. It would return to party with Moi Moi before vanishing again. This
went on for several hours and I thought it was quite funny and a tad furry.
It appeared
again, and suddenly Baba was a flurry of activity, ending in the thing being
squashed on the stone tiles. Then he explained that whilst they were basically
harmless, this one was about to make a nest under the tiles, which is
definitely a ‘No-no’! It seems they reproduce under the tiles, causing untold
collateral damage to the floor substructure. I quite liked it in a wingless
moth sort of way.
Roaches
Cockroaches
are everywhere in
I bet you
it is the chickens, as they are renowned for eating anything, and have bright
orange plumage – I rest my case!
The ‘Mossie Dinner’
My first
trip to the village was at the height of summer, and I have since discovered I
am the first and only boyfriend Siu Ying has taken home to meet her parents.
Needless to say their hospitality was abundant and they treated me like
royalty, something I am not so keen on. They soon picked up on the fact that I
do not like mosquitoes, which did tend to plague me in particular. To solve
this situation they put on the large ceiling fan, which effectively winded
them. Now for a little comedy, with the best of intentions of course…
They do not
have a permanent dining table, but instead use one or two collapsible tables.
For meals these are erected in the centre of the room, which coincidentally is
directly beneath the whirling ceiling fan. Mama then served us a fine meal
including sautéed potatoes cooked in a thick beef stock. The fan was wonderful
and cooling on such a hot summer’s evening, accompanied by cold beer to wash
the excellent food down with. The table was set with a banquet of delicious
dishes, and as time passed I noticed the bare table was becoming a landing
ground for winded mosquitoes. It did not take me long to work out that the food
must also be covered with the same! Baba turned off the overhead fan, and I was
immediately bitten, so he turned it on again. This continued a while until he forgot
to switch it off. I must have unwittingly eaten several dozen mosquitoes that
evening!
The Cute Dog
During
another visit we were sitting around chatting and vaguely watching TV when the
door burst open in in walked a black mongrel dog. It turns out he was
associated with one of the male children that were visiting at the time. Now I
know dogs very well, and this one was not only ‘cowed’, it was distressed at
some deeper emotional level. I said ‘yuff-yuff’, which it seemed to understand,
and petted it etc. Soon it had taken up residence under my chair, with head
facing inwards so it thought nobody could see it. Typical dog lol. My petting
revealed it had a canker problem with its ears, and a small flea infestation
near its rear, but nothing serious of course. Any dog lovers amongst you will
readily realise these are common problems dogs suffer from, and nothing a
little care and attention cannot quickly resolve.
However,
Chinese do not normally do pets as we know them in our Western sense. For
Chinese, animals either work in some way, or are eventually eaten. Accept this
as the Chinese way of life. Occasionally one may be kept for show (ie showing
off ones wealth). This dog immediately took to me, and I to him actually. I did
wonder about his life, and what had caused the lost look and dread I saw in his
eyes – for the entire village treated him quite fairly. Some days later Siu
Ying told me his Master taken the immediate family and gone to
The Lizards
Lizards are
fairly common in
Baba’s home
featured a colony of six – presumably three pairs? They clung to the living room
ceiling and never moved whilst the lights were on, except on the rare occasions
when prey was nearby. Perhaps they are the sole reason why there are virtually
no flies within houses in this part of
Chinese New Year
I guess any
study of
“Chinese New Year is the longest and most
important celebration in the Chinese calendar.
Chinese year 4706 begins on 7th February 2008.
Chinese months are reckoned using the lunar
calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities
traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the 15th,
when the moon is full. Even today, Chinese people take at least one full week’s
holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
A Ratty Year:
Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha
asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and the
Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that people born in each
animal year would have some of that animal’s personality. Those born in rat
years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming,
passionate, charismatic, practical, and hardworking.
Fireworks and Family Feasts
For Chinese New Year celebrations people wear
red clothes, decorate with poems written on a red background, and give lai xi
or ‘Lucky Money’ in red envelopes. Red symbolises fire, which according to
legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower these festivities are
rooted in similar ancient custom. Long ago people in
The New Year is a time of family reunion as
members gather at each others homes for visits and shared meals; the most
significant of which is New Years Eve.
Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year ends with the Lantern
Festival, held on the 15th lunar day. Some of the lanterns are works
of art – hand-painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs; and scenes
from myth, legend and history. People hand glowing lanters in temples, and
carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.
In many areas the highlight of the Lantern
Festival is the Dragon Dance. The Dragon – which might stretch a hundred feet
long or more, is typically made of silk, paper and bamboo. Traditionally the
Dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colourful beast
through the streets.”
Extract sourced from: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/chinesenewyear1.html
Last CNY I
was invited to attend a family gathering of
This year
everything accords with traditional CNY, and was spent with my fiancée and her
parents in Toisan. In modern
Cold Food
The first
day of CNY was a dedication to the Buddha. Each doorway, entrance, and family
shrine was offered food and drink (Including the door on the roof). The
ceremonial bowls contained one mandarin type orange, one home-made dumpling,
and one sweet bread. The drink was Chinese rice-wine. These were offered first,
accompanied by three joss sticks and some private murmurs. These represented
prayer for the New Year, and sadness for those who had been lost (Ancestors)
but are deeply remembered. Six sets of ceremonial bowls, drinking vessels, and
chopsticks were placed upon the main table beneath the family shrine. Three
sets were placed at the other doors and various smaller shrines within the
house. These sets are bright orange in colour, and are never used for any other
purpose. Whilst 3 is considered a lucky number in
On new
Years Day Mama cooked a cracking meal, which was duly dished-up and set on the
table before the main family altar. This was at about 11am. The gods and
ancestors were given many hours in which to eat and drink their fill, and we
were later allowed to eat the leftovers, cold, at 8pm.
Similar
occurred for each meal of my second day in the village, and I had no problems –
although delicious hot food when served cold, with stewed Cos type lettuce is
not one of my favourite dishes – but so be it.
The main festival
lasts for three days, and during this time we always ate cold leftovers from
the ancestors table. February is a mighty cold month I can tell you, as there
is no form of heating apart from the Chinese Aga that is only ever used for
cooking. As this part of
The final
meal of this festival was the Toisan Chicken I described above. It was served
hot and totally delicious. Whilst I was party to their family traditions, I
cannot say I was particularly involved to any great extent – that is until I
escaped for an hour hehe!
The Chinese Lion
On my
second day I was awoken early by a serious hullabaloo of firecrackers, gongs
and drums. As I lay awake I kept hearing the drums and symbol type instrument,
followed by intermittent series of bangs – and the sound was getting closer!
Being a
curious Aries I got dressed and went off to see what was happening. I followed
the sounds as they got louder and louder. I rounded a corner and bumped into a
Chinese Lion. He seemed very pleased to see me and bowed in my honour. I
returned the bow in slightly awkward foreigner fashion, and stood respectfully
to the side as the Lion and its accompanying ensemble of six guys, a child
(Whom the Cute Dog looked after), and associated MC passed by. Having slipped
my minders I tagged along behind to see what was happening. One guy was bashing
away at a Chinese version of a traditional wooden kettle drum, which was
perched precariously atop of a small wheeled cart that was several sizes too
small for it, and pulled along the alleyways by an accomplice. Another villager
was beating away at a smaller hand-held drum rather haphazardly, which appeared
to be made out of some sort of gourd with skin stretched over for a sound
chamber. He was paired with another who was smashing a Chinese symbol to great
effect. I recognised the MC as Siu Ying’s second cousin (Or something along
those lines), and he beckoned me over to join them. Now how could such an
inquisitive Aries resist such an offer? I jog over and am offered a go on the
smaller drum. Cool!
It soon becomes
apparent, this traditional lion has a duty to visit every home in the village,
being offered a plate of delicacies at each one = one mandarin type orange, one
sweet pastry, and one dumpling. The dish is completed by a red envelope
containing Lucky Money. There is also another envelope supplied, which contains
fore crackers. The MC is in charge of checking the offerings, and when
satisfied takes the fire crackers, motioning the prancing Lion to indulge in
the household offerings. The guy pulling the chariot then nips up and takes the
lucky money envelope. The firecrackers are then ignited (Not for the
faint-hearted) and the associated banging acts to propel the troop to the next
door. The Lion plus associated parade goes up and down each alley, which means
it is feed from both doors of each household. The Lion turns out to be an
Oldster, and he is very good at working the Lion head. He is backed up by the
kid who is holding his tail, and in the charge of the Cute Dog – who doesn’t
like the firecrackers much, and occasionally wanders off to sniff other dog’s
behinds, etc. I swap the drum for the gong, and have a smashing time!
We round a
corner, only to be greeted by Baba – who is searching for me, with Siu Ying
close behind. Ahha! They tumbled to the fact I had escaped! However, I am still
bewitched by proceeding and carry on regardless…
I give up
when we reach Baba’s house – as he is sure I will fall into bad company and/or
am not safe to be out on the streets on my own. I skip the reality check, but
go inside where Baba can finally relax. He then tells me a lot of things in
very quick Toisanwah, which I cannot comprehend, but nod my head and agree I am
a bad boy and should not disappear off … or something like that anyways.
Inside Mama
is rushing around like there is no tomorrow, preparing offerings for the lion
and procession. Red envelopes are readied and food plus fire crackers assembled
with due haste. Having already visited the formal door where I was dropped off,
these then are for the common door, but also for the ancestral home just up the
street, and the one the Lion will reach first. I chuck in, wandering back and
forth with bits and bobs, whilst Mama lights three joss sticks to confirm the
offerings. It is all a little crazy, but then – Here is
Damn, but I
am still inside the ancestral home when the Lion appears at the door. He bows
five times to me, and I bow back in return. He then does his stuff with the
offerings, and shortly after off go the firecrackers!!! Having been a part of
the troop for a short while, I know he normally only offers 3 bows, so I know I
am especially honoured in some way or different meaning?
I am
actually quite intrigued by this home and shuffle about and always seeing
things I missed before. I walk out side the other door for a moment (No lions
here yet), and meet a 20-something girl who says in perfect English, “Hello,
how are you today?” I return greetings in my personal version of Foshan
Cantonese and she laughs (But not too much), and we get down to chatting about
stuff in British English, interspersed with Cantonese clauses = surreal! Later
Siu Ying appears and has work for me to do, so I leave chatting this pretty
girl and follow my fiancée. It’s a ruse I know lol, but let’s all move on to
the next part of this epic.
Watchtowers
Hoipeng
(Kai Ping) is renowned for having ‘Watchtowers’, which are also evident in
Toisan also – there is a small one adjacent to the village, but it is now
disused and falling into neglect. These are basically very tall and comparatively
narrow buildings, often with an associated yard, and analogous to an English
castle. They are pretty much self-contained and designed to withstand a siege.
Originally built centuries ago to repel invaders from other parts of
Most
existing watchtowers are semi derelict and kept for ancestral purposes only.
Some have been refurbished and cater for tourism, with the best examples being
close to major cities. They are based upon a square shape, the structure akin
to a normal dwelling, and rise between 6 and 12 storeys high. The top-most
floor extends outwards of this, and is capped by a form of turret. Some are
very beautiful and artistically presented, whilst most are smaller and more
mundane in appearance. They remain very special features of the landscape
nonetheless. When used: animals were husbanded into the lower floors for
protection from marauding bands. Storehouses below and residences above then
occupied the middle floors, whilst the top was used for lookout and battle +
associated paraphernalia.
This small
region of
The
One the
other side are two play areas: One features a large wave machine complete with
inflatable animal floats and surfer floats in a figure eight shape = ideal for
two people. The floor is set to an angle, allowing patrons of all ages to
indulge to their personal ability. I found it difficult at first to reach the
deeper water, but eventually succeeded and enjoyed the waves immensely.
The
adjacent area consisted of two water chutes: one for singles, and another for
couples to shoot down using inflatables. Siu Ying and I first tried the larger
tube, which was great until ‘Oliphant’ (Me) landed amidst a large wash and
spray. This was initially Ok, but just as I gasped for air, so a second wave
hit us and we spluttered to howls of laughter. Then I tried the other shute for
single people, but this was designed for the slightly built Cantonese people,
and even lying flat there was seldom enough water to propel me downwards. I
sort of crabbed my way out of this one. We enjoyed several more goes before
moving to the central pagoda area.
This new
area was excellent, offering many types of hot water therapy with one cold
version. Until this point I doubt the Chinese girls with us understood why
westerners like such things as hot tubs and Jacuzzi’s. Not so now, as water
jets and air-bubbles using hydrotherapy massaged aching muscles and tired
joints. Additional features included showers that sometimes pulsed, but were
generally there to offer additional massage. Siu Ying especially liked the one
that you lay on, which massaged the entire back and neck, with additional
therapy for legs and feet. If one thing came from this visit, it is now understood
by all why we are exporting baths, showers and hot tubs.
As you
would expect, we were all totally relaxed and warm when we left, even though it
was mid January. In a curious way, this reminded me of a visit many years
earlier to the
Commercial Fish Farms
Unusually
for this area (And for this province in general), there are a cluster of large
commercial freshwater fish farms nearby the village. Whilst it is common to see
single pools of up to 100 yards square farmed by local people – Baba owns one,
or groups of two or three elsewhere in
Obviously
poaching is considered a problem, but I think most of this is only for show and
to deter the casual poacher. There seem to be three main operations, all
grouped together in typical Chinese fashion. I am told they support factories
which produce canned fish for supermarkets. Produce varies, and also includes
prawns and other speciality items. Special aerators are employed to oxygenate
the still waters, and on my last visit in February, I noted several pools had
been completely drained – presumably for maintenance and re-stocking.
Logging
Around
Toisan managed timber forests are common on virtually all hillsides. They are
often common Chinese fir trees, which are used in local construction – whole
for roof beams (Naturally dried lengths that are debarked), or sawn for timber.
These trees are fast growing softwood, but are not considered particularly
environmentally friendly as they tend to poison the soil (Like rhododendrons)
so it is difficult to grow other crops for several years afterwards. Planting
more of these trees is not a problem of course.
Near Toisan
there are numerous small timber yards, where Regional and National trade is
conducted. There is very little evidence of woodworking machinery, as produce
is either as rough timber or de-barked logs.
Some
outlets specialise in bamboo, which is also grown locally and is even faster
growing. This is mainly used for scaffolding, or general building and roofing
purposes. These serve the local community only, as the main commercial bamboo
production areas are to the North of this province.
To complete
this small section, I should add that there is little evidence of hardwood
production, as it is very unusual and hard to find. Old hardwood trees are
revered into local culture, but not planted for commercial purposes, as they
can take centuries to mature into useable size. It is exactly the same in the
West.
Flora
Apart from
hedges being irrigation ditches and wheat being rice, there is little
difference in the feel of the land. Unusually for foreign climbs, there is not
a particular smell either. What grows is different and plentiful. Common wild
and cultivated trees include: Banana, papaya, melon (Versions), Long-gnun is
very common, and is a hardwood. The fruit grows in bunches on these large trees
and is like a lychee in taste, but the berries are smaller and round with a
smooth tough skin and large seed inside. It is seasonal, and ripens in summer
through to early autumn. Most melons are sweet varieties; but one you may think
is a melon is actually a form of marrow.
Land not
under cultivation is covered with grass, where oxen are grazed. There are also
dotted stands of tall grasses as high as 12 feet, which again are cut to make
string as required. Also common are wild and semi-cultivated versions of Lily,
Wild Garlic (Relatively tall with a musky scent), Wild Asparagus, Water Lilies
and Lotus. There are several stands of bamboo for construction use, and some of
sweet bamboo, which is like sugar cane, and often burnt to caramelise the
inside. Flowers are not grown specifically hereabouts, and most you see will be
wild versions. However, Bougainvilleas are quite common and very pleasing to
the senses.
Fauna
I have heard some wildlife, but actually seen
very little. In late December, just before the weather became cold, I witnessed
thousands of swifts flocking and circling Baba’s fishpond. I think they were
headed for
So what is
unusual? Well, there are extremely few flies. I have never seen a rat or mouse,
except when squashed on the road. Ants are no where to be seen most of the
time, but there are both red and black ants that are smaller than we may be
used to. Mosquitoes are a nightmare, and seem to like white meat best!
Silverfish may be found in moist areas under rocks, and beetles are quite
normal looking and small.
Spiders
hardly exist, but come in three basic types: Most house spiders are kind of
small and cute, and jump if you surprise them. I do not consider these to be a
problem – and I don’t like spiders quite a lot! The other version is the one
with a small body and ponderously long legs. It hangs out on ceilings and makes
webs which catch mainly mosquitoes – Hurrah! I encourage them to get on with
their good work haha! The final type is a rather nasty thing with a body that
is a least 5-inches long. These are probably a sort of Chinese tarantella and
are poisonous in a bad way, although not fatal, probably? Chinese people will
tolerate them in outbuildings, but they will kill them if one enters the home –
which is highly unusual, as they usually leave things alone if they are not
about to eat them.
Wild eels
are common in watercourses, but about one in every one thousand is actually a
snake! Frogs and toads are common anywhere near water, as evidenced by their
croaking. I have also seen a wild green chameleon type of thing once.
Grasshoppers are prevalent in grassland and provide endless hours of fun for
small puppies to chase. There are friendly honeybees just like in the West, and
less frequently, some rather venomous looking wasps’ begarbed in bright orange
and black. In the height of summer, some trees have a humming sound that rolls
and builds to a deafening crescendo. I think they are a type of hornet and
definitely not to be messed with. One or two signs would not probably kill a
child, but they tend to attack en mass and there are reports of adults being
killed by them.
Wild game
is semi-controlled and available for sporting purposes, or sometimes
conservation. For example: The common Chinese deer is often kept in large parks
for hunting, as are wild bore. However, the endangered Chinese deer is kept is
similar parks for conservation and protective purposes. You never can quite put
Local and
National government is becoming more and more proactive in the protection of
endangered species – well, look at the wild Panda for a prime example. This has
now spread to other species which are not publicised as well in foreign media.
Great efforts have been made in recent years to establish safe havens for many
animals such as the Chinese Tiger (Looks rather like a Bengal Tiger), which was
once thought to be extinct; is now seriously protected and making a comeback, both
in dedicated reserves and in the wild.
The Giant
Panda is not a native of
Conclusion
This has
not been one of my humorous missives, but one designed to tell the reader a
little more about what real life is like in the countryside of
I hope
these observations show a glimpse of the same world you live in, but one far
different from the one you know well. Sometimes it is the differences between
lands and peoples that grasps our imagination and propels our personal
development into new arena’s otherwise unimaginable.
In the
meantime I wish you all my sincere wishes for a very happy Chinese New Year of
the Rat; longevity, good health, luck in life, and (As one prominent Chinese
Emperor once added) - 21 sons!
Jonno