Also included in this series of photographs are pictures of Sinoland Language and Culture school. On several floors of this 23 floor building, there are zen-gardens where people could go to take a coffee-break or simply take your mind off work for a bit. As you could see in the photos, I found this place to be very meditative.
My school is on the 20th floor of this sleek building and only recently had I noticed the absence of floors 4, 13, and 14. Instead, it is replaced with 3A, 12A, and 12B respectively. The number 4 is pronounced as "shu" which sounds a lot like the Chinese word for death, so 4 is a very undesirable number to have. People go to great lengths to make sure that the number 4 doesn't appear in phone numbers, addresses, licence plates, suite numbers, and the likes. As for the number 13, that's just triskaidekaphobia of western influence. I found this elevator keypad comical so I had to take a photo for your viewing pleasures.
Hi! It's Peter. I have just been (finally) reading and enjoying your posts about China. Yes, I agree with you on the general impression of Chinese people. However, I learned something during my last visit from both experience and an American guy who had been living and studying there. Until you break the stranger barrier you are nothing more than either an object or competition for space, products, food, money, etc. Once you get them to realize you are human and share a few warm words they open up and are very kind and compassionate. My second trip to China was miles ahead fo my first trip because I learned a few things about dealing with the people. But it might work better for me being a white guy. I also heard of a Chinese American who was treated like crap because he couldn't speak Chinese!
ReplyDeleteIn Japan, four is shi which is the same as death. They avoid that number too. Interesting commonality.
I recall the near misses crossing streets in Beijing. No one seemed to care however, so I stopped caring too. Hey, did you see that? That cabbie just passed ten centimetres behind me!