Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts

Sunday, February 18, 2007

New Year Burnin' UP

A fire came out of a townhouse in Finley Forest Community, Chapel Hill at 10 A.M., fortunately nobody was injured--physically.

The burned chimney

According to the fire-fighters, the fire burned up the chimney of the house, and the reason for that is the house owner hadn't overhauled the house thoroughly, which needed to be done annually. Wooden-covered chimney got burned by the splashing fire spark coming from improperly-use of the fireplace by the owner.

One of the five fire tanks plunging on the spot

The time when accident happened, was also the night before Chinese New Year. Several Chinese lessees as well as the Chinese landlord, retreated from the house while celebrating their most important festival once a year. Residents from other three apartment of the 4-in-1 townhouse were also demanded to leave out of their house temporarily. The entire fire-fighting lasted 2 hours.

Firemen examining cause of fire

"It was terrible! The landlord shouldn't burn paper boxes in her fireplace, and she had never fixed her worn chimney for years!" One of the lessees complained.

But other thought that it was a lucky symbol of burning the top during Chinese new year, representing flourishing prosperity of the future.

PS. This is the house where we are staying in.

Find more @ Daniel's Travel Memorandum of America

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Spring Fes. Report - CHCCF Party

這裏的春節沒什麽春節的氣氛,不像在國內。原本我們準備找點一般在春節時候做的事情,但細細一想,發覺也沒什么特別的。通常情況下家里人就聚在一起,吃吃飯聊聊天打打麻將。所以爲了赶個熱閙,我們受邀去了Chapel Hill Chinese Christian Fellowship (CHCCF)舉辦的新年晚會。

其實說是新年晚會,就是一個get-together。北卡三角地區的一部分華人聚在一起,每個家庭帶一份菜肴,一起吃,之後還有節目。因此我們有幸見到了來自中國各個地區的華人,也品嚐到了各地“美食”。

小孩子合唱哈利路亞

既然是教會組織的晚會,自然少不了傳教這一環節。不過還算好,看過聽過就沒事了。令我感到有些許震驚的,却是今天看到這些中國人的外在狀態——似乎每個人都非常友善,卻似乎又隱藏著什麽秘密。不知道為什么,我覺得他們過得幷不是很好,從眼神上,從表情上,從每一個我能體會到的感官表現。

被中國人culture shock了一下。見到了電影裏才有的老式作揖拜年方式;聽到了中國人用英文對話而外國人用中文對話;欣賞到了上世紀九十年代的流行穿衣風格。可以說,在思想觀唸上,這裏的人要比國內的人落後十年左右,所以也不是個中想像的那麽風光的。

或許是因爲見到的都是小鎮上的中國人,在大城市中可能又是另一種生活圖景。但是有一點可以肯定的是:即使你賺了比國內多十倍的錢,生活並不一定比國內好,也不一定更加幸福。原因也非常簡單,首先是物價高,這裏指大部分日常用品及食物。在大城市會支付更高的稅額,而且租房、保險以及教育也是花費的大頭。

亞洲人,尤其是華人,會在許多受到歧視。在這個白人世界中,除非你是geek,不然別人也不會給你公平的機會。而過來讀書的人,往往在大學或之前期間爲了出國而放弃了許多學習基本生活、社交的機會,導致在他們在西化的社會中無法獲得很好的生活,又因爲与國內形勢脫節,無法回國工作。很多人就處于這種兩難境地,不斷掙紥。

粗淺認識。

Find more @ Daniel's Travel Memorandum of America