Visiting 水楼 village
Jan 24, 2014 0:53:31 GMT -5
Post by hapatofu on Jan 24, 2014 0:53:31 GMT -5
Hi all, I'm happy to have found this forum! I'm going to visit my mother's village for the first time, next week. She moved to the U.S. in the 1960s and I was born and grew up in L.A., and then ten years ago decided to move to China. So I've been living in Chengdu, Sichuan since 2005 (first year spent in Suzhou) but just recently had the idea to try to go to my mom's village. (I guess before I thought she wouldn't want me to go -- she never returned after she left and does not speak fondly of it. Lots of personal trauma and of course rampant poverty.)
My father is white and so I pretty much look like a foreigner to most people. I didn't grow up speaking any Chinese beyond learning to count in Cantonese, but I've learned passable Mandarin while here, and have studied very very basic Cantonese. Unfortunately the only contact my mom has in the village is a friend in her mid-60s and my mom isn't sure if she speaks any Mandarin or even Cantonese. After much calling through complicated networks of people my mom has arranged for this friend to meet me and my boyfriend, who I'll be traveling with (German but has also lived in China long-term and speaks Mandarin), in the village. My mother's cousin apparently holds the keys to the house where my mom grew up (which I only in the past few weeks realized is still there -- my mom always said she grew up in a mud hut so I assumed it would be long gone), will also go to the village. My mom said she lives in "some downtown area," which I am interpreting as meaning Taishan city proper. My mom told me the name of the village is 水楼村 -- I see 水楼乡 is listed in the village database so I started reading the names of the different areas and my mom said her house is in 山园. So at least I have a rough idea of where I'm going, but I'm not clear on distances or means of transport. So I have some questions!
Question 1. We'll be coming from Zhuhai so I assume I can take a bus to Taishan city and then a bus or taxi to Shuilou, or to Shanyuan? I'm not very clear on the relationship of Shanyuan to Shuilou. Is the former within the latter, or does the latter just refer to the cluster of different areas? And what would the rough cost of a taxi be from Taishan city?
Question 2. My mother's friend who lives in L.A. but maintains much more contact with China than my mom does advised me to bring large bags of candies and cookies from Chengdu to give to her friend and cousin and they will then distribute as they see fit. My mom said "at least Costco sized" bags. I guess I'll just get the "traditional Sichuan specialty" stuff that is available now in nice new year's packaging? I can also get some stuff from Hong Kong as we'll be there before heading to the village. Does that sound good?
Question 3. About giving money. My mom said I should give 100 yuan each to her friend, her friend's mom who's in her 90s and the only person my mom knows who actually still lives in the village, and my mom's cousin. I should not put these in hongbao because I'm not married, and I should give it to them when I'm leaving and say it's from my mom. I'm worried they will try to refuse and then how do I make them take it? Also, my mom said her cousin is "doing well" with some Internet business, so I asked isn't it kind of ridiculous to give 100 yuan to somebody like that? I'm confused by this part. Also, she said that cousin might offer to take us around the city (which I'm guessing might include taking us out to a meal) and we should go with her if she offers. In this case I should pay for the meal, right? I don't really know the protocol here. I've been in China on essentially Chinese salary my entire adult life so it's not like I'm really the wealthy relative coming from overseas -- or will I still be seen that way? I guess I'm just going to look like a laowai who got lost in some village. Haha.
Question 4. I see a lot of stuff about roast pigs. I'm vegetarian. I don't have any problems with refusing meat in Chengdu, nobody ever looks askance at me or seems to be offended, but is it going to be different in the village?
OK, thanks for any insight or tips you can provide.
My father is white and so I pretty much look like a foreigner to most people. I didn't grow up speaking any Chinese beyond learning to count in Cantonese, but I've learned passable Mandarin while here, and have studied very very basic Cantonese. Unfortunately the only contact my mom has in the village is a friend in her mid-60s and my mom isn't sure if she speaks any Mandarin or even Cantonese. After much calling through complicated networks of people my mom has arranged for this friend to meet me and my boyfriend, who I'll be traveling with (German but has also lived in China long-term and speaks Mandarin), in the village. My mother's cousin apparently holds the keys to the house where my mom grew up (which I only in the past few weeks realized is still there -- my mom always said she grew up in a mud hut so I assumed it would be long gone), will also go to the village. My mom said she lives in "some downtown area," which I am interpreting as meaning Taishan city proper. My mom told me the name of the village is 水楼村 -- I see 水楼乡 is listed in the village database so I started reading the names of the different areas and my mom said her house is in 山园. So at least I have a rough idea of where I'm going, but I'm not clear on distances or means of transport. So I have some questions!
Question 1. We'll be coming from Zhuhai so I assume I can take a bus to Taishan city and then a bus or taxi to Shuilou, or to Shanyuan? I'm not very clear on the relationship of Shanyuan to Shuilou. Is the former within the latter, or does the latter just refer to the cluster of different areas? And what would the rough cost of a taxi be from Taishan city?
Question 2. My mother's friend who lives in L.A. but maintains much more contact with China than my mom does advised me to bring large bags of candies and cookies from Chengdu to give to her friend and cousin and they will then distribute as they see fit. My mom said "at least Costco sized" bags. I guess I'll just get the "traditional Sichuan specialty" stuff that is available now in nice new year's packaging? I can also get some stuff from Hong Kong as we'll be there before heading to the village. Does that sound good?
Question 3. About giving money. My mom said I should give 100 yuan each to her friend, her friend's mom who's in her 90s and the only person my mom knows who actually still lives in the village, and my mom's cousin. I should not put these in hongbao because I'm not married, and I should give it to them when I'm leaving and say it's from my mom. I'm worried they will try to refuse and then how do I make them take it? Also, my mom said her cousin is "doing well" with some Internet business, so I asked isn't it kind of ridiculous to give 100 yuan to somebody like that? I'm confused by this part. Also, she said that cousin might offer to take us around the city (which I'm guessing might include taking us out to a meal) and we should go with her if she offers. In this case I should pay for the meal, right? I don't really know the protocol here. I've been in China on essentially Chinese salary my entire adult life so it's not like I'm really the wealthy relative coming from overseas -- or will I still be seen that way? I guess I'm just going to look like a laowai who got lost in some village. Haha.
Question 4. I see a lot of stuff about roast pigs. I'm vegetarian. I don't have any problems with refusing meat in Chengdu, nobody ever looks askance at me or seems to be offended, but is it going to be different in the village?
OK, thanks for any insight or tips you can provide.