Thursday, December 17, 2009

Rich In Vitamin C - China

My husband and I are in our second leg of my 18-day China trip. Already, it has been pretty eventful. I realised that C doesn’t only stand for China, but a China that is full of Constructions, Confusions, Confidence-Building and Creativity.

My friend who is staying in Guangzhou, my first stop, told me that there are currently three thousand construction projects going on at the same time – all because the city is getting ready to impress the world once again at the 2010 Asian Games, where it will play the host.

And my, there really is construction going on at every stone’s throw away. Drilling, piling and building – dust is accumulating and flying all over the air. I even wondered if the fog was due to the cold weather or the pollution, and my friend had no clear answer for me too. Not that it mattered, as I spent most of my time in doors. To be more specific, at my friend’s home.

That was also when I had the chance to watch the TV programmes. I didn’t get hooked to any (Phew!), but what caught my eye were those motivational words that just scrolled up sentence after sentence! Yes, right on the TV.

All written in Chinese, I couldn’t memorise any by now, but I remember very clearly that they were all motivational. Inspiring people to work hard for the nation’s economy; believe in the leadership; create a beautiful future – these were just some examples. How’s that? You get inspired to go out and conquer the world just by sitting at home watching TV! Nice huh?

Not only was Guangzhou full of constructions and confidence messages, it was a city filled with creativity too. Well, maybe not the kind that is Nobel-prize worthy, but many times, you really had to give it to the brains behind the mischiefs.

My friend told me that revealing the gender of the baby to the parents is not allowed due to the one-child policy. Hence, the physicians came up with an answer that is both revealing and legal at the same time. When they say “Congratulations!” it means you’re having a baby boy. Otherwise, it would be safe to assume you’re carrying a baby girl.

Want to learn how to flout the traffic rules without getting caught? They had not just one, but a few, to achieve their goals. I had the honour to witness two already.

Of course, I am very inclined to believe that their creativity is everywhere – and not just “mischevious” acts – if only I had more time to stay here. 

Compared to our law-abiding society, China is much more interesting. Though it creates more confusion, it is also a fertile ground to breed creativity and innovation. Similarly, though we have more conformity, it also kills creativity and innovation.

Well, is there a way to have the best of both worlds – to have the cake and still eat it anyway? 

Friday, December 04, 2009

Excuse me, do you speak Xiao Xin lingo?

I’m back in KL, in the house with plenty of laughter, joy and happiness, plus moments of exasperation when conflicts appear among those boys.

Five months of separation created a fierce longing to be in their company. This anticipation grew even stronger in the countdown of the last seven weeks among the adults - my mum, sis and me.

I’m referring to the boys, my hyper-active, hyper-imaginative, hyper-naughty, hyper-adorable and hyper-loud nephews. Four of them.

I’ve had a taste of how funny they can be. Yet, nothing has prepared me for this new trend taking root in the family. They’re now crazily and hopelessly addicted to this boy who, if one has many lives, would have killed his own mother probably a zillion times over. Meet the boy who deserves a thousand spankings and a thousand and one kisses: Crayon Shinchan, aka La Bi Xiao Xin.

Spewing quotes and lines without even pausing for a second to recall, you can only imagine how truly, deeply and madly in love they are with this little rascal. Mind you, they were quoting what Xiao Xin says in verbatim.

My cousin had to, on several occasions, ban the boys from watching the cartoon movie because apparently, all they did was quoting Xiao Xin instead of concentrating on an even more important task at hand – their upcoming exams.

You know you have crazy fans when you see the character all over the house. Like in the toilet, for example.

Suddenly, we have a few Shin chans running around in the house. Singing that elephant song, saying those words and replicating those actions in the exact demeanour, voice and tonality. Talk about born talents. Don’t we already know that children are the greatest imitators in the world?

We have to be mentally and physically prepared around these boys: for some hilarious remarks that they would blurt out; for arguments and fights that would arise in the heat of the moment and which would dissolve as quickly as they surfaced, almost miraculously sometimes.

A million things were racing in their minds all at the same time, so much so that I really wonder: Where do all these weird, funny and out-of-the-world thoughts come from? These certainly weren’t born out of wedlock. They must have came from somewhere, someone.

And while I was entertaining these thoughts, one of them would pop his head – again out of nowhere since these boys don’t walk, they fly – and either ask me another million dollar question that I couldn’t answer well enough, or give a comment that makes me want to kiss and strangle them simultaneously.

Welcome to the world of the J4s, as they’re affectionately known to us. It takes, well, a bit of orientation to get used to all the action and noises they make. But, at the end of the day, when all’s left in the house is silence, we don’t get any more peace in our hearts than when they were monkeying around.

I think that’s the beauty of children.

They always manage to make you love and hate them at the same time. Who else has such powers?

Oh, by the way, before I forget. If you like to be their friend, I mean closer ones, then you better know your Shin chan lingo well enough. Fortunately, I’ve had some in my database many years back. It’s now time to fish them out and build rapport with my darlings!

Ciao!