Happy 清明节!

Different cultures have different ways of declaring that Spring has finally sprung, whether it is daffodils sprouting on your lawn and trees blooming, or holidays such as Holi in India and Qingming in China.

This weekend in China is the official start of spring and it is being rung in with the celebration of QingMing (清明) or the Tomb Sweeping Festival. While it isn't one of the biggest holidays in China, we still get off work/school so that is a good enough reason to celebrate in my book!

This holiday originated from the Cold Food Festival (寒食節), dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-470BCE). It was a festival to honor and remember the life and work of Jie Zitui. Jie was the guard and confidant of Chong'er, Duke Wen of Jin. He was so loyal, he stayed with Duke Wen throughout his years of exile and, according to legend, even cut off a bit of his thigh to make sure the Duke had meat in his soup. Once Duke Wen was returned to the throne, Jie retired from his duties and hid in the forest with his mother. Duke Wen, desperate to continue to have Jie's guidance, decided to burn the forest in order to force Jie out... We all know how that ends.

Sadly, Jie and his mother were both burnt to death in the fire. Duke Wen, overcome with guilt and grief, ordered three days of no fire in honor of Jie (hence "cold food" festival). While this is an ancient tale and could very well be more legend than historical fact, you can still find evidence of it's truth--the place where the fire took place is now called Jiexiu which means Jie's Rest.



Duke Wen reigned from 636-628BCE

But if we look at Qingming, today, it is not in honor of a Duke's advisor and confidant who died tragically over 2,000 years ago. The version of the holiday we celebrate today was created over a thousand years later by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Emperor Ming for short). At this time in Chinese history there was an extremely wide gap between the wealthy and the poor of China and nobles enjoyed spending enormous amounts of money on celebrations and festivals to honor their ancestors. Emperor Ming, hoping to put a stop to the frivolous spending, declared that there would be a holiday dedicated to remembering and honoring one's ancestors and that would be the only time in the year that anyone--nobleman or farmer--could honor their ancestors in such a way. Today, we call it Qingming or the Tomb Sweeping Festival.

Emperor Ming... my, what a guy! Thanks for the day off!

The name gives everything away--Tomb Sweeping. Chinese--both mainland and those living overseas--visit the tombs of their ancestors: whether they died last year or a hundred years ago. They clean the tomb (shock shock!), decorate it with flowers, burn incense and fake paper money, and they also offer food to their ancestors. Many people also purchase willow branches to carry around in order to ward off evil spirits that might also be wandering around on Qingming.

Fake money to burn for your ancestors--sometimes they are modern day bills with Mao on them and other times they are more traditional.

Here we can see food offerings for the ancestors as well as the beautiful decorations left in their honor. 

For a country that is moving forward and developing so quickly, it's nice to know that at least once a year, many still return to their family tomb and remember their ancestors and show respect and love for their family.

And of, course a Chinese holiday would be incomplete without a special food you're supposed to eat. Mid-Autumn Festival has moon cakes and Dragon Boat Festival has zhongzi. For Qingming, we eat qingtuan which are green dumplings made of glutinous rice and either Chinese mugwort or barley grass. Sadly, I have not managed to find these yet.

While Qingming may not be the most popular holiday in China (let's be honest, it's no Spring Festival), it is still important... so much so that you can find similar customs in different cultures all over the world. It's so similar to our Halloween and Mexico's Día de Muertos with the idea that the veil between Here and There is thin enough for the spirits of our loved ones and ancestors to return and visit us. Halloween has definitely taken on a much more secular, fun path while  Día de Muertos is still very much about honoring those who have already journeyed on ahead of us.

We see so many other similar festivals made to honor and remember those we love who are gone too soon. All Soul's Day is still practiced in Catholic parts of Europe. The Bon Festival (お盆) in Japan is held in August as a part of the Ghost Month.  And there's Gaijatra (गाई जात्रा) in Nepal, Chuseok (추석) in Korea, Pitru Paksha (पितृ पक्ष) in India.

One of the more interesting ones takes place in Madagascar. Every seven years in winter (which is actually June to September down under), the people of Madagascar take part in Famadihana, or the festival of Turning the Bones. Family members return to the family tomb and pull out the bodies of their dead relatives. With music and dancing they rewrap the bodies in silk scarves and spray perfume on them before parading around the tomb and being placed back inside. This may seem morbid to some of us, but it comes from the Malagasy belief that a person's spirit cannot enter the afterlife until their body is completely decomposed.

Sorry... I really like the macabre...

Anyway!

We are now off school until Tuesday (which is actually my usual schedule each week but I'll still take it). Yesterday, we wandered downtown... not to get qingtuan but a pizza buffet instead (no judging). While walking around we were able to see the difference in street vendors as the Tomb Sweeping Festival crept closer and closer. There are carts lining the sidewalk, selling incense and paper money for you to burn at altars and tombs. Old ladies sell beautiful paper flowers to decorate gravesites. We even saw a few men selling palm branches (at the time, we didn't know it was anything special--but remember: if you carry around a palm branch on the day of Qingming, you can protect yourself from any evil spirit that might cross your path).

This is on our street corner across from the super market.

I have to say it's interesting, being on this side of a death. In the past I would see Qingming as a romantic holiday, thinking back to all the love that led to you. Don't get me wrong--I'm not a stranger to people I know and love dying. My best friend died in a tragic accident when I was only nine. I lost three of my grandparents when I was nineteen. For years, I've encountered death and moved on... But my brother's death last April is one of those moments in your life that both haunts you and shapes you for the rest of your days. Sadly, being a member of the cancer community now, your life is filled with bad news and deaths far too soon--just two months ago now (how has it only been two months?) Jed's best friend's dad and our family friend, Dan Hughes, passed away after his epic battle with cancer. Because of how prevalent death has now become in my life, I see Qingming in a very different way than I did my first year in China. It's not a romantic holiday... if anything, people are grieving and it should be respected as it is celebrated.

I do think it's interesting that Qingming--a holiday intended to remember and honor family members who have died--falls in the same week as the one year mark of Jed passing away. I get a sort of Twilight Zone, are you f***ing kidding me feeling right about now (but not as much as the fact that Hong Kong Disneyland's Pin Trading Fun Day falls exactly on April 8th... one of Jed's favorite things to collect and do).

So even though I have no tomb to sweep, no money to burn, and no qingtuan to eat, I am joining the Chinese as they remember, mourn, and honor their family who have journeyed on, whether it was a thousand years ago or just one painfully long year ago...

 

 

Until Next Time,
Amanda

新年快乐

New Year, New Endings, New Beginnings

Well, we have done it! You should be congratulated: You have made it through yet another year of your life, making it safely through 365 days around the sun, spinning at over 1,000 miles per hour... That is a feat in and of itself and (if nothing else happened to you this past year) you should be proud! 

Yes, technically 2014 ended and 2015 began over two months ago, HOWEVER in China, they like to do things a little different and today (yesterday now that I'm posting it) was the official start of 2015 in the lunar calendar. So, we bid a fond farewell to my year--the Year of the Horse--and we enter into the Year of the Sheep (or goat or ram... I've heard three different names all day today). 

Were you born in 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, or 2003? Then you are a sheep. Sheep are generous, just and kind, and easily touched by other people's misfortunes. They are artists, and are creative. If something goes especially wrong in their careers or other aspects of life, they will become very sentimental and pessimistic, even world weary. 

If you're a sheep, here is some fun tidbits that you might want to remember if this is your year! Your lucky numbers are 3, 4, and 9. Your lucky colors are red, green, and purple. Your lucky flowers are carnation, primrose, and Alice Flower (I don't know where they come up with these things). And a word of caution: your unlucky numbers are 6, 7, and 8 and your unlucky colors are gold, brown, and black... Use this information as needed...

Most of this information I'm sure you already know from the oh so lovely place mats at Chinese buffets but the Chinese zodiac and astrological signs are deeply engrained into the Chinese culture so when it is your year, it is a very special time. 

Your year is a very special time for you--it is meant to be a lucky year. Whether you believe in "luck" or not does not matter--the Chinese love to talk about luck and if it's your year, it's always fun to get to play along. Want to enhance your luck? Try to wear red every single day. Supposedly, your year is already a lucky time for you but if you manage to wear red every day, you just add to your luck. Most people get red underpants for Christmas (it's true!) but I settled on a red bracelet I wore everyday last year and it worked out pretty well... I landed myself a man!! ;-)

Christmas 2012, Olivia got her red undies!!

 I've never actually gotten to spend a Chinese New Year in China (ain't that such a shame?!?)-- in 2012 I missed it by a few weeks, last year I was traveling in Nepal and Malaysia (I think I might have actually been flying back into the country on the new year) and this year I spent it at Roswell Cancer Institute (they did order Chinese food though which made me smile). HOWEVER, you can be darn sure the holiday is filled with eating, drinking, giving money in red envelopes, and fireworks (just like every day in China at 3am). My students have compared it to our Christmas celebrations (with fireworks because it is China and a holiday is incomplete without them). Over the years it has begun to make it's way over to America where we see red paper lanterns, pictures and decorations of the annual animal, and (if you're lucky) you might snag some Chinese goodies (I made sure to eat green tea oreos in honor of the holiday).

With the coming and going of a new (lunar) year, it is always fitting to talk about endings-beginnings. 2014 ends and 2015 begins. The year of the Horse ends and the year of the Sheep begins. It seems fitting that Adam's surprise trip to America came to an end on the new year and he began his last semester in China (the poor guy has been there for three years now). We got to celebrate our last Valentine's Day together before our wedding. And now, we have our final hurtle to overcome--5 months of separation. This is the definition of a long distance relationship with us living in completely different hemispheres (so be aware that if I see you complain that "so and so lives an hour away" or you "haven't seen so and so in a week" I will glare at you through my computer screen)! It is the end of many things but it is also the beginning of even more exciting new things! A wedding! Potential jobs! Babies being born (good god, not mine)! And Henry getting the snot kicked out of him!

We got to celebrate Valentine's Day together (for the first time!!), got to go to a Sabres game (they lost), and I got my engagement ring (it's gorgeous)!

Another thing that is coming to an end before I had planned is my time in China. After being home and seeing what my family has had to go through for the last six months while I was away, I have decided that I just cannot hop back on a plane and go back to China. Adam and I have talked about it and I'm in America to stay... My China adventure is over. It's a bit sad--I wish I could feel like I had more closure but I don't and that's okay... That's life. I know that I am needed here right now. One door closes and another opens. So my adventures in China are over (for now), I will be home until my wedding this summer, and then my husband (crazy to write that down) and I will be winging our way to a new exciting adventure together... When we know where we end up, I'll be sure to share it here with you!

Here's a postcard from the past:

 It is sad to see my adventures in China end... Thank you for going on them with me! I hope you enjoyed celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival and climbing the Himalaya and Yellow Mountains; I hope you loved my students as much as I did and I hope you had fun on the adventure with me. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for reading. Thank you.

Let's see where life takes us next!! Wide Eyed Wanderer will keep on wandering...

Until Next Time,

Amanda

Give Thanks

The holiday season is now officially in full swing. Christmas shoppers are going wild (hopefully you're not a 6pm Thanksgiving Day shopper!!), trees are being tied to the roofs of cars, snow is falling (some places, a bit too much!), and we can finally listen to Christmas tunes without shame! I know I say that Halloween is my favorite holiday (and that still stands) but as I've gotten older I have become sentimental and I have come to appreciate the holiday season for what it is truly meant to be--being thankful and actually appreciating the life that you have been living. Maybe you have money problems hovering over you or you are single and all of your friends are falling in love and getting married or maybe you hate your job or you are just sad and you don't know exactly why. But it is this time of year that you realize that that doesn't matter--having a roof over your head, food on your plate, your health, friends and family to surround you with love... THIS is what life is about, not just Christmastime. In my old age (hey! I'm almost a quarter of a century old!) I have come to realize this just in time for me to be thousands of miles away from home and my family to be under siege from the evil Henry. As we get older, we no longer ask for the coolest new gaming system or the most stylish clothes. We don't care about what we get for gifts... being able to spend time with your family is the true gift this life gives us and our time on this earth is too short to not take advantage of it.

I am finding myself to be thankful for so few things this year. I hope you don't read that wrong! I am thankful--SO thankful for what I have in life--but I am realizing that the things I used to be thankful for just aren't really that important anymore. Getting everything on my Christmas list--at 12 years old, that was certainly something to celebrate! Being able to study abroad or get into that coveted class was what I wished for at 18 years old. Physical things--my books, snow globes, stuffed animals, photos, anime and cosplay, trinkets from my travels--was what I used to enjoy being with (just ask my parents... I don't think they saw me more than a few times when I was 13 [I was too busy reading or acting out The Phantom of the Opera... I know, I feel so much shame]). But now the few things I am thankful for are the people in my life--my parents and brother, my aunt and uncle and cousins, and Adam. It's not so much the quantity of what I am thankful for now, but the quality. I think it was in 2009 that I finally began to stop taking life and my time in it for granted.

2009 will go down in the history books as probably the WORST year of the Woomer's lives. Lots of annoying little things happened (stupid appendix) but we lost my Poppy (grandfather on my mother's side) in May, my Papa (grandfather on my father's side) on November 29th (that's tomorrow), and my Memoo (my grandmother on my mother's side) on December 7th (if you do the math that is basically a week in between those two). All of a sudden, life was very fragile and my family (the Woomers and Gullos) rallied together and clung to one another, realizing that we were the most important aspect of each other's lives and we needed to remember that each and every day.

Seriously, 2009 SUCKED for everyone we knew!!

I like to think that my focus in life went from ME, ME, ME to my family. Your family is filled with the people that God specifically chose to put into your life for a reason, they were chosen specifically for YOU... Why would you not want to take advantage of and appreciate this gift that He gave you as often as you can?

2014 has been quite an interesting year as well, attempting to bump 2009 out of the top spot. But you know what? I don't think it will.

It is true: August 6, 2014 will probably always and forever be the worst day of my life (bumping May 22nd out of first place)--the day we all learned that Jed has cancer. BUT I don't think 2014 beats out 2009. I climbed the Himalayas (and then got my phone stolen), I got to visit Adam's family in Minnesota and he got introduced to the insanity that is the WooGulls, I made it through a year of living in China, I got engaged, and got to surprise Jed at graduation (catch up on that epic tale right here)! Yes, we found out that Jed has cancer BUT we also found out just how many people love him and how many lives he has touched in the 18 years he's been around. We found out that family, friends, and strangers were willing to drop everything and raise money, make dinners for us, and even shave their heads! We learned how amazing our little community of Tonawanda is and we were reminded of that incredible quote from It's a Wonderful Life:

So even though this horrible thing happened (and YES it is horrible--I don't want to downplay the crap my brother and every other cancer patient has to go through... the chemo, the pokes and mediport, the nausea, the hospital visits, and just the pure fear of knowing that there is something growing inside you), it has sparked an incredible and awe inspiring chain of events that may venture to overthrow the fear that this cancer has attempted to impose on Jed and the rest of our lives. The Red for Jed movement. Shave Your Head for Jed. Swim-a-thons. The Ken-Ton high school's swing dance night. The TNT pep assembly chant. Go Red for Jed Day. Turkey Trots. And gifts, fundraisers, dinners, and love and support from friends both old and new from nearby and far away. It just shows that the power of love and friendship and the courage of one 18 year old boy can overcome even the most terrifying of circumstances... If that doesn't inspire you and make you thankful for even the very air in your lungs, I don't know what will!!

 Red for Jed!

Get Well Soon cards!

MY elementary school's Turkey Trot raised $5,000 for Jed

 An amazing family friend getting Jed a SIGNED Jim Kelly jersey, a brave, little participant in Shave Your Head for Jed.

Hockey Fights Cancer night at the Sabres game.

I didn't mean to make this into a Jed blog post but he is the one that is in my thoughts and always on my mind while I am putting up my tree or eating my turkey; my students know all about him and ask about him whenever they see me. It is incredible (I know I keep using that word, but it's true!) to see that not only people around the country, but around the entire WORLD are thinking of him, cheering him on, and praying for him.

Family is precious and I learned this year just how precious mine is.

Surprisingly, I have done pretty well coping with homesickness until about five minutes ago when the Kristin Chenoweth song "Home on Christmas Day" started playing and I literally burst into tears, crying, and I had to stop writing (seriously, if you are at all melancholy, have lost a loved one, someone you love is far away in military service, for school, or just living life, or if you are the one that is far away from home do not listen to this song... unless you're a little masochistic, then you can find it right here). My fellow expats in China, Bahrain, and all around the world will understand--one moment you are fine, living an exciting life in another country not even stopping to think about the last time you slept in your parent's house when suddenly, you stop--you hear something, see something, or think of something that sparks a memory and you are suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia and homesickness. This bizarre and sudden wave of emotion is the price we pay for living this adventurous life of ours. Those of you who are able to be with your loved ones during the holiday are the lucky ones--being able to say that I've been to the Great Wall twice or I can hop on a train and be in Shanghai in an hour is impressive but sometimes I want nothing more than to sit at my kitchen table and play Apples to Apples with the rest of my family.

Luckily for me, I have been blessed to have Adam by my side and he has been my rock during my time away from my family and especially during the holidays (funny how this time can bring so much happiness and joy and yet so much melancholy sadness...). If it wasn't for him, I probably would not have come back to China to finish what I started.

Anyway.... Our festivities began a day early with an expat Thanksgiving at our friend, James's house. A potluck of the most epic proportions, this might have been the most Thanksgivingy Thanksgiving I have ever had! Usually with the WooGulls, we have more of an Italian Thanksgiving than an American Thanksgiving with a lasagna pan that weighs about the same as a small child so I was surprised to find that in China, we actually managed to find a turkey where the meat is almost always chicken (and slightly questionable chicken I might add). A friend, Nate, journeyed on a train for several hours to Wenling where they found a turkey breeder and brought Harry to Hangzhou (yes, they named him just to make it that much more awkward when we were eating him).

Meet Harry

I made my mama's amazing chicken wing dip (as best as I could with no bleu cheese dressing) and Adam made stuffing (because what is Thanksgiving without stuffing?!) and we headed downtown to our veritable feast!

The chicken wing dip was gone in about 20 minutes (which is actually pretty long since my cousin, Phil, was not there) and I will take that as a success! We ended up having tons of food--mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, corn bread, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, burritos (because), cranberry sauce, stuffing, apple pie, pumpkin pie, apple and pear pie, cookies, Oreo pie, and (of course) Harry covered in gravy. For Western foods to be near impossible to find in Hangzhou, I would say that this Thanksgiving dinner was QUITE a success!!

Top that all off with the Peanut's Thanksgiving special (complete with sarcastic commentary) and I would have to say that this was a pretty darn good Thanksgiving away from home.

Thanksgiving Day started off a bit bumpy--Adam had to teach... Boo.... After that necessary evil was out of the way, we attempted to make french toast because we found syrup, glorious syrup! With food in our bellies, we decided to do something constructive and put up the Christmas tree!

Now before we start off, no judging please. I know (technically) we put up the tree on Thanksgiving Day and that is a big no-no BUT in the Woomer household, we always go out and get our tree the Friday after Thanksgiving and then that Saturday, we decorate. Adam and I celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday and since we already had our tree (oh how I miss my real trees!!) we decorated the next day. At least that was my logic behind it and Adam stood beside me! MWUAHAHAHAH!!!!

Shamelessly blasting my John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album, we dug out the tree, lights, garland, star, and ornaments and put together the WoomPert Christmas tree!

 Last year, I found generic but pretty ornaments--red, gold, and purple. I got a Hogwarts ornament from Phil and Chanel, a couple cute ones from my mom, and Adam bought me a beautiful tin owl one. This year, we searched for an ugly ornament that just screams CHINA that our children will have to fight over someday and for 12元 ($2), we got a grab bag filled with some of the ugliest ornaments I have ever seen.

Seriously, I have no idea. The one on the left is a bear with antlers in a bag. CHINA.

We finally decided on a nicer one. It's cute and cartoony and just looks very Chinese... We'll probably keep the bear/reindeer hybrid just because it makes us laugh...

A very Cangqian Christmas!

Our tree was almost not big enough to hold all of our ornaments. As Adam said as we sat back to admire our handiwork, "We already need a bigger tree!" It isn't much and it's nowhere near as much as my mother decorates our house (it seriously looks like Mrs. Claus lives in our house and I LOVE IT) but it is something and it helps bring some Christmas cheer to a country that basically has no idea what Christmas is all about. 

After the tree was up, it was time to start cooking our own Thanksgiving meal. I was a bit nervous. I know and everyone else knows that I am no chef. I can make cereal and maybe toast. If I'm lucky maybe chicken wing dip and cookies. So this was the first time we really attempted something other than ramen, fried rice, or chicken wings in our kitchen. And I have to say, we did pretty darn good!

Adam fried up some of the left over corn on the cob, we made cheddar bay biscuits (so gooooood), brownies, heated up the chicken wing dip, and we made delicious mesquite encrusted boneless chicken breast. It was amazing the building didn't burn down and so yummy. It was my first time cooking a meal and I would say it was a success!! Of course, our Thanksgiving would be incomplete without watching It's a Wonderful Life... All we needed was some eggnog... Mmm.... eggnog, how I miss you so.

Not too shabby for my first Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that really isn't too important when you first think about it. My students and fellow teachers always ask me about Thanksgiving games, songs, and activities and I always tell them, it's really not that big of a holiday--Halloween and Christmas and even Easter and the 4th of July seem so much more important and exciting--but I always find that it is the one holiday that always takes me and my emotions by surprise. It's a reflective holiday that makes you look at yourself, your life, your year, and what you are thinking and feeling. Was it a good year? Are you where you want to be? Are you happy? What do you want to be doing a year from now? A year ago, I never would have thought I would be where I am now--engaged and planning a wedding, looking to moving to another country, and living with the fact that my precious little brother has cancer... Who could ever see that coming?

I may be a bit pensive and melancholy but I am doing really well being away from my family at this time of year (all things considered). Like John Green says, "It hurts because it matters." I wouldn't feel like this if my family wasn't so important to me. "We hurt because we love... but loving someone is so worth it. How sad would life be if we had no one to hurt for?" Wise words from none other than my mama. So if you are homesick or feeling nostalgic, if you are blue or sad, remember it is because of one of the most beautiful things in this world--it is because you love someone and you are loved deeply in return. Never forget that.

What I am most thankful for  ♥

From all the way on the other side of the planet, I want to wish you a very happy start to the holiday season. Stay warm, stay safe, be happy, and keep those that you love close to you.

感恩快乐！！

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I love you all.

Until Next Time,

Amanda