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The movie Titanic was a campus-sponsored event, widely publicized (in Chinese only) on Wednesday night. A few of us westerners naively asked if there would be a big screen. Ha ha. Going in, I had no idea that I was about to see my first pirated film.
But what better contemporary Chinese activity than to see a pirated American film? I recommend the experience to everyone.
How could I tell it was a pirated film? (For those of you who aren't familiar with this, it's a videotape of a film made with a camcorder from inside a movie theater--probably in Hong Kong--by one of the theatergoers.) One sign was the off-camera coughing during the love scene. Another was the odd crinkling sound I heard while the ship was sinking--a sound identified by a young British friend as the opening of a bag of crisps. As she put it, "The person next to the videotaper had an absolute feast during the film." But the clincher was the frequent dark shadows that appears on the screen--the shadows of someone in the original theater getting up to get another bag of crisps or so.
So, picture a large, dark (even with the lights on) auditorium with five TVs scattered strategically around and hundreds of students huddled around the TV. A half hour of Michael Jackson videos followed by an oddly edited (only 2 1/2 hours, no opening or closing credits and, according to some, missing some key scenes) American bootleg.
The Chinese friends I went with (Vivian and Sun Peng) noticed nothing odd. Sun Peng had seen the movie three times before and only today admitted that, perhaps the movie was illegal.
(By the way, the rush of students into the theater was so strong that I was pushed in without paying. So, in effect, I managed to rip off the people who are ripping off the US entertainment industry. For what it's worth.)
Yet more random thoughts:
They play ping pong outdoors on this campus. Not so unusual, except that the spring winds certainly add a new challenge to the game!
Why I love China:
- the dress code standards are low for even me
- the food is plentiful, superb, and dirt cheap
- they practically stand still when they exercise
- every sentence spoken or written is a monumental intellectual challenge
Today, I read a book at lunch. It was in Chinese. I got through five lines.
The sink turned itself on the other day. Hyun Zhong and I were both clear across the room when it happened.
Hyun Zhong and I decorated the room on Wednesday. She put up maps of China and Beijing; I put up colorful children's language posters. They're coming home with me, so you'll all have a chance to learn some Chinese with me.
Last night, I had black mushrooms, broccoli, and sweet and sour chicken over rice. $1.
"Comrade" is definitely out of fashion. "Miss," "sir," and "friend" seem to be the common replacements.
Rod Stewart music is blaring from the computer next to me as I write this. Beats that damn video game, tho.
One day last week I ate Japanese food in a Korean restaurant. In China.
No dress code. No building codes. No safety codes. No health codes. My favorite restaurant grows its bean sprouts on the street outside the restaurant. There's construction of new stores on either side of it.
Someone wrote "Free Tibet" in the cement in the construction zone beside my dorm. Tee hee.
It's a very small campus and that's nice. It's pretty inevitable that, wherever I go, I'll bump into someone I know. It makes strolling around campus quite pleasant.
Kim, Tai Chi here is very different from that at home. One move is very similar tho, and I keep getting mixed up. The teacher doesn't understand why and I can't tell her.
Diane, thanks again for the news updates. Most of the students here are not following the news very closely.
Elizabeth, I haven't gone toothpaste shopping, but I'll check to see if they carry Crest. Shall I pick some up for you if so?
Hi mom.
And, welcome Brad. My apologies for not including you earlier. In my rush to leave, I neglected to get your email address. I didn't even know I'd be writing these until I arrived. I've asked Mark to forward my earlier missives so you can catch up. I miss you lots and I've already bought you a present.
Hi again mom. Did you get my note about Phyllis Y? And why do you write under Dad's account? And what was the blank message all about?
Love you all. Miss you all. Have some cheese for me.
Your comrade in solidarity,
Jin De Feng.
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