The whole south of China has been experiencing a cold snap for at least the past week. There were reports on the news about how it has even made keeping some schools open very difficult. I have found myself eyeing weather forecasts with increasing frequency looking for an end to this. I’ve even made the depressing forecast comparison on the met office site and realised that on many days it has been slightly warmer in London than it has been here.
First of all I am aware that weather conversations are a British thing, it can be a casual way to strike up conversation with strangers. Complaints, predictions and occasional satisfied comments are common conversational fodder between both strangers and acquaintances. I was surprised that a comparable casual remark people can make is “have you eaten?” Instead of “cold today, isn’t it?” you can enquire whether your interlocutor has eaten.
Looking back on the photos from when I arrived here in Xiamen I see one with good weather. I don’t believe I am under a delusion, it can be fine. I find though that I am wishing it to change, a pointless but harmless mental habit that probably marks me as British. I’m not saying that people are indifferent to the climate here, being a tourist resort I’m sure the businesses lining the beach share my thinking and probably mix it with financial concern too. Still, it is curious to note my growing impatience which I seem unable to let go of.
Last night I was taken to a games club. It was quite popular, mostly with students. One part of it was given over to pool tables and the back room to table top games. We went to the back and played Uno and Saboteur, the latter a card game I was unaware of until last night. My gaming companions played quite competitively and I had the impression this was a very frequent ritual. They told me games like this had become very popular in China in the last two years. We drank hot water, ate oranges, played games and chatted. It struck me as a significantly more healthy way to spend the evening than I remember my undergraduate evenings were back at Wolverhampton Uni. Those nights seemed to be characterised mostly by the Fine Art department regulars getting wasted in the Mandela Bar. As that is my predominant memory of that time I guess it is fair to say that I too was one of those regulars. Small city, not much to do, is the best excuse I can come up with. Seeing this student hangout in Xiamen however, makes me aware how culturally specific my experience was.
