New Year 歳次 甲午 肖馬 is coming

[douglaslam]

The Chinese New Year is but two days away. It never fails to move me when I read, see, or hear of the mass movement of people heading home to reunite with families for the all-important New Year celebrations. I feel for their eagerness to get home, that urge to be with family, home cooking, speaking native dialect and all those things that they missed. www.bing.com/images/search?q=chinese+new+year+migration&qpvt=chinese+new+year+migration&FORM=IGRE

People who left their rural communities to work in the special economic zones are the miracle workers who elevated China to world economic powerhouse status. It isn't possible for every worker to leave his or her post to go home. Those who can make it, it is quite a battle just to get a ticket to get on a train, bus or plane. There are motorcycle convoys many miles long just to beat the shortcomings of public transport. www.asiapundits.com/photo-of-the-day-100000-chinese-take-to-the-roads-on-motorcycles/ Click on to the link for more photos.

To me, it is a humbling experience just to watch it unfold on television. I know the meaning of the New Year only too well. I am far from being the only one who cares about our New Year and traditional festivities. Countless millions think the way that I do. I belong.

This video shows last year's motorcycle convoy leaving my home province. Thousands of volunteers manned refreshment stops along the route, serving hot tea, rice porridge, and steam buns, and mechanics perform running repairs when needed. The motorcycles are mostly single cylinder with a 125cc capacity motor, grossly under powered to carry, in some cases, a family of three plus luggage. I hope everyone has a safe journey home and back this year. Bless them all.

To the younger workers who shoulder the burden of supporting their families in small villages, going home to their parents , grandparents and other family members is a way of showing their coming of age. They'd enjoy being pampered at home, quite the opposite to, perhaps, being bullied or harassed at work.

In the early years, these workers were unflattering called "blind current 盲流" They were shamelessly, and ruthlessly exploited. One case in mind is the Foxconn Corp. the giant electronic parts supplier to companies like Apple.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides

Over recent visits, I can see the workers' lot has improved greatly, and wages have gone up in real term, and working conditions have improved.

In the 1990s, I remember one day whilst I was in Canton, I spent a good hour or so at a transport interchange, just to watch bus-loads of young workers arriving in the city to look for work. Each one was carrying a simple bedroll, and items of clothing, and travelling in twos or threes.

I can never forget the image of an unkempt young woman, with a forlorn look of apprehension on her face, carrying a wash basin, and some meagre possession, walking aimlessly. I wanted so much to reach out to her, to buy her a hot meal perhaps, and give her moral support to carry on.

[helen]

Happy New Year Everyone - Enjoy the family time

[lolly]

Happy New Year to all.  My husband and I have recognised and participated in Chinese New Year celebrations for many years,  but feel a special connection this year with our newfound ancestral discoveries.  We also look forward to welcoming a new little "horse" to our family around the end of March.
Love the picture Helen.

[douglaslam]

我們剛好踏入甲午年大年初一, 祝各位新春大吉, 萬事勝意,一馬當先,馬到功成.

Happy New Year to all our friends on this board. We here have already entered the New Year. I am staying up to do a few New Year rituals. As usual, I am having New Year's day off to celebrate this most important day in our calendar. Our fixed line telephone will be very busy throughout the day.

Let's start the New Year off with one of my very favourite piece of Cantonese celebratory music. I just love it. The comments ( sorry, mostly in Chinese) say it all.

[douglaslam]

Lolly, you are going to be a grandmother , again? Congratulations.

[douglaslam]

THE BIG PARADE

Who would, certainly not me, have thought the Chinese New Year celebrations would become a major event in the Australian cultural calendar. I can remember back in the '60s most of the shops, emporiums and restaurants on Dixon St. the so-called Chinatown, would close so that the staff could have a day off to celebrate with families in private. The market gardeners too, would have New Year's Day off, and gather in their county society club houses for a happy get together.

It was low key, few people outside of the Chinese community would know or care about it. The main stream media would show little or no interest.

www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-02/chinese-new-year-sydney/5233398

I can't recall when the first New Year Parade started. I reckon it has been on for about fifteen years. I have attended just about everyone of them. I always try to clear work commitment or make sure I'd finish early enough for the big show.

The Parade, always on a Sunday, used to be held at about noon. As it is high summer, it can be very hot and uncomfortable in the sun for the spectators and performers. Perhaps five years ago, the organisers saw fit to have a twilight Parade, thus, by-passing the mid-day sun. It now starts at about 8 pm. Everyone can now see the floats, and illuminated costumes in their colourful and brilliant best. It makes possible for a light show, with colourful images projected on buildings and a small fireworks display. Brilliant idea.

My wife and I arrived late, we could not work our way to the front for a clear view. But there is something we did not see in previous occasions. Yes, the tablets. Many people hold their tablets high up, thus, we could still see the action that we might otherwise miss out on.

Lolly, the Chinese Masonic Society was there with its lions. I am sure your grandfather would be very pleased and surprised to see the size of the Parade looking down from above. He would have approved of his junior brothers' performance.

Our Chungshan Society was there also. Our members put on a bridal welcoming procession. In the past, they just simply dressed up and walked only. Things are getting better. I thoroughly endorse.

It is heartening to see the Korean community embracing the Parade as their own. Their participation is getting bigger with each year. They add so much to the Parade with their contribution each year.

We had no choice but to mingle and rub shoulders with other party goers. Last night was a warm night, the smelly sweaty bodies and BO was very prevalent. At times, it was overpowering.

[douglaslam]

We are now well into the Year of the Horse. Some of you may ask: How do the Chinese keep track of the years? You can't always refer to the twelve animals.

Now, I am no authority or student on the Chinese calendar. I am certainly not qualified or pretending to teach. This is what I understand. The Chinese year goes around in a cycle of sixty years. Go to the following link, look for the heading "Ancient Chinese Calendars," and you'll get a clearer idea of what it is all about. It is the best written piece I can find on the internet.

www.sacu.org/chinesecalendar.html

Right up to the early years of the 20th. century, this was the way we referred to each year, sometimes the year was denoted as in the year of the reign of Emperor XXX.

Take the year 1900, it is Year 7;1 according to the sub-headings "Ten Heavenly Stems ," and "Twelve Earthly Branches." It is also in the twenty-sixth year in the reign of Emperor Guangxu. Thus, we have the year Geng Zi, in the 26th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu. It served us well because there was little contact with the outside world.

This system carried on well into the early years of the Republic. Instead of the emperor's reign, the year of overthrowing the last feudal dynasty in 1911 was named Year 1 of the Republic. This was highly unsatisfactory in a modern world. The country had to adapt to the Western system. As far as I know, Taiwan still refers to the Year of the Republic in its official dealings in Chinese. 2014 is the 103rd. Year of the Republic.

I picked the year 1900 as an illustration, the year Geng ZI 庚子 was a tumultuous year for us. It was the high point of the Boxer Rebellion. It brought China to its knees, and resulted in further humiliation and extraction of concessions by foreign powers. The event heralded 庚子賠款 Boxer Rebellion Indemnity. Some years later, there was the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program instituted by the United States. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_Indemnity_Scholarship_Program These chapters of modern Chinese history hold endless fascination for me. It still touches on some raw nerves.

Year 1:1 of the cycle is called 甲子 jia zi. A Jia zi is also conveniently referred as sixty years. For example, I can say I have lived through one jia zi, because I am over sixty years old.

Going back to the two columns, the year 4;12 Ding Hai 丁亥 is the year of my birth. If I want my fortune read by a Chinese fortuneteller, this is what I'd tell him or her.

A most significant year was 1911, the year 8;12 辛亥 Xinhai according to our two columns. It was the year that the Qing or Ching Dynasty was finally overthrown. To us, it is always the Xinhai Revolution, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen. It is better known as the 1911 Revolution outside of China.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinhai_Revolution

[douglaslam]

Last night, we had our annual Spring Banquet. It was quite a party. As far as the eyes could see, it was a sea of people. Well, almost.



I had a busy time circulating around the tables, renewing friendship. Many of the people I know are from my days working in Chinatown back in the 1980s.



This is the long official table, invited guests including politicians, Chinese Consulate reps., and heads of other tongs and societies. Among them, the Chinese Masonic Society, Gao Yiu, Sze Yup, Zengcheng and more. These tongs and societies all have long ties with Chinatown and their members and ancestors from the Pearl Delta have a long history of settlement in our State of N.S.W.




There was entertainment. Here, we have three teenagers performing a popular piece The Butterfly Lovers. Here, we also have two young performers in this Youtube video.



Lolly, remember this man? He is Francis Wong, the person you met at Rookwood Cemetery when you were there to look for your grandfather's grave. Francis was our former president of the Chungshan Society. He told me he was at the cemetery checking on work on the memorial. Francis said he would be pleased to help you if need be. Susan wasn't there last night.



DJ, here I am with the lady who passed on to you Roger's contact detail in San Francisco. Roger, as you found out later, had gone to school with your father in Canton. On the right is her daughter.



Helen, this is Stanley Hunt. You posted a piece on his book on life in Shekki and Australia. Stanley, too was a former president of our Society

Both Stanley and Francis are exceedingly capable and generous leaders to head our Society in the past.

.


Stanley is here with an invited guest, a State politician. His name is Geoff Lee. A big fella ain't he !! Mr. Lee has a Chinese father and white Australian mother. His grandfather arrived in Australia perhaps early last century. Stanley, on the other hand, told me his family is now into the sixth generation of settlement in Australia. He recently had a great grandchild.

 Stanley's family name is Chan. In the 19th, century, Chan Hunt was mistaken as Mr. Hunt. We were keen to get more information from Geoff Lee so that we could help him trace his ancestral village.

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There is an invisible barrier between the new arrivals from the non-Cantonese speaking provinces in recent years. They,too, form their associations (not a tong, a tong I believe also honours a deity (or two.) There is little or no exchange with them. Different dialects is one reason. We, the Cantonese, though we speak many dialects,there is always a common one, the main stream Cantonese. I know of a new Guangzhou Association, but they don't fit in either. They don't have roots here. Not yet.

Similarly, the Taiwanese tend to keep to themselves. I didn't see them taking part in the New Year Parade.

[douglaslam]

Today marks the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. It also marks the first full moon of the year, and concludes the festivities. The first full moon is very significant in our culture, especially in the old days. The day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival 上元佳節.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/09/content_363534.htm This is just one entry on a Google search.

The Lantern Festival was a time for boys to meet girls in centuries past. Young women were restricted by the mores of the time not to venture out of their homes. On this one day, they were allowed out in company, ostensibly to look at the lanterns and flowes in the evening. In reality, a young woman would be hoping to run into her prince charming, her dream lover. Chinese Valentine's Day perhaps?

Our Lantern Festival co-incides with Valentine's Day this year. On my Timeline Aug.23, 2012, I had a piece on Seventh Sister's Birthday, another folk tale on a love theme. It is also suggested as China's alternative to Valentine's Day. Whichever day is chosen, it has traction among a lot of people. I like the idea, we need to preserve what we have instead of importing alien ones. Who the hell was Valentine? I don't often agree with the call of the Chinese Government. This is on
exception.

There are many poems inspired by the Lantern Festival. This, is perhaps the best known, and certainly my favourite one. ( I copied this online)

生 查 子 歐 陽 修 (1007-1072)

去 年 元 夜 時 ,
花 市 燈 如 晝。
月 上 柳 梢 頭 ,
人 約 黃 昏 後。

今 年 元 夜 時 ,
月 與 燈 依 舊。
不 見 去 年 人 ,
淚 濕 春 衫 袖。

Tune of Hawthorn Ouyang Xiu

In the Lantern Festival last year,
Lit bright as day was the flower fair.
Atop the willow tree hang the moon,
My date came in the evening soon.

It’s the same Festival this year,
The moon and the lanterns are still there.
But this year my love was gone,
With tears soaking my sleeves, I’m forlorn.

It is the best known poem I know of relating to the Lantern Festival. The third and fourth lines are oft quoted in other context. I can just feel the elation and spring in the step of a young man meeting his dream girl. I can feel the absolute dejection and angst when his dream love did not show. The beauty of this poem is the simplicity of language. I can fully appreciate it without footnotes. This is the poem recited in Mandarin by a kid, not just any kid. What a pity it isn't in Cantonese because poetry sounds much better.

There is also music to go with boy meeting girl. This Youtube video is a well known folk melody. I am not sure of its origin, probably from the north central part of China. I love this tune and this particular version. It is all traditional folk instruments,no violin, guitar or electronic aids.
The title of this folk tune, in my own words, is called " Stealing a Glimpse of Her Lover." It is so subtle, so earthy and beautiful, the image of a happy village maiden so deeply in love.

As you listen to this music, imagine if you will village young men and maidens dancing in a village square, in their colourful costumes with equally beautiful head-wares. What a fitting tribute to a romantic occasion.



.

[helen]

We had the end of the Lantern Festival on Sunday, in Auckland. Lanterns are an amazing sight to behold. Douglaslam - I ran into Richardlum in Auckland. He said he shared part of your family tree with you? I hope it was useful.

[douglaslam]

Helen, I am sure I know Richard many years ago. For one who was born in New Zealand, he is very knowledgeable of our village. He is one generation above me.

In the same evening, Stanley Hunt asked for my address and sent me a copy of his autobiography. It is a very good read. Stanley's sister Mabel is the translator of the Nobel Prize winning novel Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian who is a French citizen and lives in France. She also taught at Sydney University. A family of many talents. Douglas