Baby gift from Xian

(My niece’s baby shower is next weekend and I wanted to get her soon-to-be-born son a gift from China.  This is the letter I wrote that is tucked in a pocket on the back of the framed painting along with a block of 2012 Year of the Dragon stamps from the USA.)

This painting by an art student affiliated with the TangBo Art Museum in Xian is an example of primitive folk art from Shaanxi Provence, China.  According to the museum curator this style is called Xi’an Hu Xian farmer’s painting.

This particular painting of eight children bundled in Chinese rural dress is important for the number 8.  For Chinese the number 8 is considered lucky just as the number 7 is considered lucky in the West. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the Olympic games in China started on August 8, 2008 or 08/08/08. In China you have to pay extra to have the number 8 in your phone number or license plate and home and business owners like to have the number 8 in their address.

Why is the number 8 considered lucky in the minds of Chinese people?  The main reason has to do with the pronunciation of the word for the number 8 in China. It is pronounced “ba” and sounds like the word for prosperity, which is pronounced “fa”. Another reason why the number 8 could be considered lucky is because it is a perfect symmetrical shape. You can cut the number 8 in half vertically or horizontally and both halves mirror themselves perfectly. Perfect symmetry lends itself to perfect balance and in Chinese astrology, perfect balance is the ideal.

This painting was purchased in Xian, China, on October 17, 2012 for Evan Shaun Kendle by his maternal great aunt, Bobbie Tomb Hardaker.

Evan will be born in the year of the Year of the Dragon.  The Dragon is in fact the major symbol of good fortune in Chinese astrology. For example, The Dragon constellation is designated the guardian of the Eastern sky. According to tradition the Dragon brings in the Four Blessings of the East: wealth, virtue, harmony and longevity.  Indeed, of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, the Dragon is the most special, as it is a mystical being rather than an earthly animal. Bigger than life is very much a Dragon thing.

With all best wishes for a lifetime of family, love and art collecting~

Aunt Bobbie

 

Back in the USA

Technology use was surprisingly aggravating while in China.  In Beijing I discovered that WordPress, Facebook and other blogging sites were effectively blocked.  There was no time to unlock the secret of how to post so I went back to old-fashioned journal writing with the idea that I would add posts to this blog on my return.

The pattern will be a title for the post with a date.  The date will be either the date of the journal entry in China or the “real” date if that better reflects the narrative.

We departed the Jin Jiang Hotel in Shanghai at 6 am on Wednesday, October 24.  After a short layover in Beijing we continued on the JFK in NYC (for 12 hours) and then connected at 7 pm for a flight to RDU.  The transition took a whopping 26 hours to get back in the USA.  Luckily I managed to sleep my way through most of the trip which was a real surprise and not aided by pharma.  I was simply in need of rest after our fantastic adventure with 32 fellow travelers that were bonded yabba dabba doo like sticky rice! Here is a picture of our Duke Alumni Association travel group:

As all of us return to “real life” the memories of days of traveling together stay with us and emails replace face-to-face interaction.  We just had a great time together.

dreaming in Chinese,

Bobbie

Packing for Adventure

I have spent many hours imagining my time in China and look forward to sharing the details of my weeks of adventure…a gift from my family to keep me “busy” in the first year of retirement from my “forever” Durham Academy career. I will be thinking of them often during the days ahead.

My hope is to post a few photos and a short narrative every day. Sounds like a reasonable task, but it may be more difficult if wifi is not readily available.

I will also be missing the canine members of the family. They will be well cared for by Bill and Mack, but have grown accustomed to my new habit of being close to home, providing lots of treats and allowing “the pack” time for sleeping on the couch during the day.

I am eager to travel far with less and will be paring down the elements until departure. The camera and lenses are a no brainer, but not sure if I want binoculars. Taking the iPad loaded with new (to me) art apps, books, movies and the New Yorker issues I have been saving for the long flight. Will take my phone and can receive text messages for 5 cents and send one for 50. (Call minutes are $1.99 each, so the phone will not be used except for emergency.) Hope to have wifi in the hotels so that I can post a daily blog and check out the extent of Chinese control of information. I think my stamina is good, but the elevation in Tibet can diminish even the most fit traveler…especially because we will be flying in and staying for only three full days in Lhasa (elevation:  11,450 feet.)  Durham’s elevation is about 400 feet.

I will be an interesting month to travel in China. The “big meeting” is in early November to select the new leaders…between 9 and 7. (Hope for the former as that number might allow for the inclusion of a woman.)

I will be looking.

I will be listening…I’ve been told our tour leader Mark (Xiao Fe) Wang is an excellent/knowledgeable teacher.

I will be taking photos. Ha!

dreaming in Chinese,

Bobbie

Posted with Blogsy